Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Rajasthan State – 5

























































Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in  Rajasthan State














Raghunath temple

 

Raghunath mandir is a Hindu Temple located in Sikar district of Indian State Rajasthan. It is an important pilgrimage site in the district. It is said that the temple's Mahant was gifted 350  bighas of agricultural by Sikar Jagir Rao Raja Shiv Singh (1721–1748) with Tamra Patra.

History

Rao Raja Shiv Singh was very strong, clever, courageous and bold. He completed many forts and palaces of Sikar. Shiv Singh was the most prominent Rao Raja of Sikar. He was a religious man. The famous Temple of Raghunathji at Katrathal was built by him. Shiv Singh was a great builder, mighty warrior, a great lover of art and architecture. Shiv Singh was succeeded by Rao Samrath Singh, Rao Nahar Singh and Rao Chand Singh. Rao Devi Singh, a great warrior and efficient ruler ascended the throne of Sikar after Chand Singh. The forts of Raghunathgarh and Deogarh were built by him and he also founded Ramgarh Shekhawati. It was the during the reign of Devi Singh that Sikar became a strong power in Shekhawati. The magnificent Temple of Raghunath Ji and Hanuman Ji bear the witness that he was a great worshipper of Gods and Goddesses. He was so popular that his period is called "the golden rule" of Sikar. He died in the year 1795. Devi Singh’s son Rao Raja Laxman Singh Ji was also a great warrior.
Some Jat community (specially Garhwals) believe that this temple was prepared by their ancestors

 

Rojhri dham, Rajasthan

 

Rojhri Dham is a complex of religious sites dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Hanuman. It is situated in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan.

Dham attracts many local worshippers throughout the year. On Chaitra Purnima and Ashvin Purnima every year, large jagrans are organized, where thousands of people assemble to pay their homage to the deity. Hanuman Sewa Samiti manages the Temple and Jagarans. The temple of Hanuman is situated on right side of Anupgarh-Bikaner road, about one kilometre from Rojhri Village.

Location

 
The temple of Hanuman is situated on right side of Anupgarh-Bikaner road about one kilometre from Rojhri Village. It is approximately 55 kilometres from Anupgarh, 22 kilometres from Rawla Mandi and 17 kilometres from Chhatargarh. Rojhri village is under the jurisdiction of the Gharsana Panchayat Samiti, and is well connected to Sri Ganganagar and Bikaner by a regular bus service run by the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation. Gharsana, Rawla Mandi, Chhatargarh and Jalwali, are the nearest villages to Rojhri Dham. The city is about 30 kilometres from the town of New mandi Gharsana, which hosts a number of B Ed colleges.

Temples

 
The main temple is associated with Hanuman, and contains an idol to the deity. The walls are decorated with colourful paintings of other Hindu gods and saints. Other small temples include Shiwa temple, situated to the right of Hanuman temple.
 
Ram temple and Ram kutia are situated on a sandy dune nearby.

 

Sai Dham Rani Rajasthan

Sai-Dham at Rani, (Rajasthan) is a replica of original Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.

 Introduction

It is believed a very sacred, powerful and important place in Marwar Region. Sai Dham Temple is a visitor attraction. The replica of Shirdi Sai Baba of snow white marble statue is 5 Feet 5 Inch in height, which has been made by famous sculpture Bharadwaj of Jaipur.
The temple has been built by Shri Chunilal Bakhtawar Mehta Charitable Trust, Mumbai.
The temple is full of silver ornamental work. The front of Temple has assembly hall which can accommodate about 300 persons.

About Rani

Rani is a city in Pali District in Indian state of Rajasthan. It lies on the Sukri River, a tributary of the Luni. Rani, Rajasthan is an important railway station on Ahmedabad-Delhi railway line. There are also few picnic points Sai Dham and Gori-shankar around Rani is truly beautiful.
Rani is the nearest railhead to famous Shri parswanath jain varkana temples. The temples are at distance of 7 km from Rani. Rani, Rajasthan has many small scale industries.
Around 1940 Rani, Rajasthan initially have only Railway station on Bombay-Baroda Central Indian Railway (BB&CI).

 

Salasar Balaji, Rajasthan

Salasar Balaji or Salasar Dham in India is a place of religious importance for the devotees of Hanuman. It is located on National Highway 65 near Sujangarh in Churu district, Rajasthan. The temple of Balaji, another name of Hanuman, is situated in the middle of Salasar and attracts innumerable worshipers throughout the year. On Chaitra Purnima and Ashvin Purnima large fairs are organized which millions of devotees visit as they pay homage to the deity.
Salasar Balaji is in the religious circuit that includes the pilgrim centers of Rani Sati Temple and Khatushyamji, which are both located close to it. Initially a small construction, the temple of Salasar Balaji is now considered to be a Shakti Sthal (a place of power) and Swayambhu (self creation) by faith, belief, miracles and wish fulfillments of the devotees

Legend

There are several theories concerning the origins of Salasar Balaji.
Among those, the most commonly and widely believed theory states the discovery of the site of Salasar Balaji by one Ginthala Jat of Asota village in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. On one Saturday of Shraavana shukla Navami samvat 1811 (1754 AD), a miracle happened. A Ginthala Jat farmer of Asota village was ploughing his field when all of sudden the plough was hit by a stony thing and a resonating sound was created. He dug up the soil of that place and found an idol covered with sand. His wife reached there with his lunch. The farmer showed the idol to his wife. She cleaned up the idol with her saree. The idol was that of Balaji i.e. Hanuman. They bowed their heads with devotion and worshipped Balaji. The news of appearance of Balaji soon spread in the Asota village and reached the Thakur of Asota. That night Balaji appeared in Thakur's dream and ordered him to send the idol to Salasar in the Churu district. Same night a devotee of Hanuman, Mohandas Maharaj of Salasar saw Hanuman or Balaji in his dream too. Balaji told him about the idol of Asota. He immediately sent a message to the Thakur of Asota. The thakur was surprised to discover that Mohandas knew even minor details without coming to Asota. Certainly it was due to the divine powers of Balaji. The idol was sent to Salasar and was consecrated at the place presently known as Salasar Dham.
A slightly modified version to the same story indicates that upon seeing the dream of appearance of the Hanuman, the Thakur of that village ordered the idol to be shifted to Salasar and placed at the temple for the religious rituals to be performed. He brought two bulls, placed the idol on its cart and left them in the open courts believing to build the temple at the place where the bulls would stop. The place where the bulls stopped was given the present name of Salasar. Many of the villagers, shopkeepers and traders shifted their living to Salasar & thus a new village was formed.

Temple

Deity

The principal deity of the temple is Hanuman who receives veneration of millions of devotees here along with other deities. The idol of Balaji here is different from all other idols of Hanuman. Unlike other projections and idols of Hanuman, Balaji possess round face with moustache and beard making it the most unique idol among the other idols of Hanuman all over the world. It is believed that drinking water of the wells of the Salasar is due to the blessings of the Balaji.

Construction

The Temple was constructed on the 9th day the bright half of Shraavana in the samvat 1811 (1754 AD). Inspired by the strange dream and the unusual appearance of Balaji in the dream, the founder of the temple Mohandas Maharaj, got constructed a mud-stone temple initially with the help of Muslim craftsmen Noora and Dau of Fatehpur Shekhawati. The place was later developed into a concrete temple with the help of the successor of Sikar Jagirdar Rao Devi Singh who contributed in the construction of the temple as he was once saved from the loot by Dungji-Jawaharji by the blessings of Balaji. Later, inspired by Mohandas' devotion towards Balaji, his descendants Kaniram and Ishwardas developed and renovated the temple which took the present form of a large temple complex. A patta of the land was made in the name of Balaji in the presence of Shobhasar Thakur Dhiraj Singh, Salasar Thakur Salim Singh and elders of Tetarwal Jats.

Architecture

The temple was constructed over a period of about 2 years while using bricks, stones, cement, lime mortar, and marble. While white marble stone has been extensively used throughout the construction of the temple, the entire circulatory path, the Sabha Mandap (prayer hall) and the Sanctum Sanctorum is covered with artistic works of Gold and Silver. The vestibule, the doors and the utensils used in worshiping are made of silver. The main gate is made up of carving works of white marble. The temple shrine and the sanctum sanctorum are decorated with floral patterns and other kinds of mosaic works done in Gold and Silver to give the temple a rich look. The idols placed were built of a high quality sculpture.

Administration

While the worship of the deity is managed by the Brahmins priests from the Dadhich clan, the temple is managed and maintained by the trust Hanuman Sewa Samiti. They also look after the management of the fairs, social works, public and private facilities such as the maintenance of road, water supply, charitable hospitals, in the village. Over the years, there have been many Dharamshalas and restaurants constructed here to stay and eat comfortably.

Timings

The temple is open to devotees from early morning 4:00 AM till 10:00 PM in the night. However, the temple is not closed at all on some special occasions such as Hanuman Jayanti, as the number of pilgrims visiting the place reaches millions on one single day.

Religious Aspects

The aim of the temple is to propagate the devotion of Hanuman and thereby the devotion of Rama. Thousands of visitors choose to come on feet, while some on prostrated movement showing their intensity of devotion for Balaji.

Rituals

Coconut Tying

Of many rituals and traditions performed at the temple, the most widely followed is the tying of coconuts with moli (sacred red threads) in the temple premises by a large number of devotees. It is widely believed that such practice helps them to fulfill their wishes, if done with sincere faith. The practice was originated by the Jagirdar of Sikar, Rao Raja Devi Singh. Devi Singh did not have a son. He heard about Balaji and came to this place and tied a coconut on a tree to fulfill his wish of having a son. He was later blessed with a handicapped son Rao Raja Laxman Singh after ten months. Thus the custom of tying coconuts to fulfill wishes continues at the temple from that time on wards

Savamani

The other widely followed practice is the offering of food (weighing up to 50 kg) by the devotees to their deity, referred to as Savamani. The term "Savamani" is derived from the word "Sava" meaning one and a quarter in Hindi and the word "Mun" or "Maund", a mass unit weighing about 40 kg; thus adding the total up to 50 kg. Though the food is mostly prepared by the cooks of the temple kitchens, the process is now being outsourced to several independent shopkeepers & food-caterers due to the increasing number of offerings everyday. Several delicacies like Dal, Baati, Churma, Boondi, Peda & Laddu is chosen for Savamani. The food after first being offered to the deity, is later used as part of family celebrations, distributed over to family and relatives or donated to the needy.

Activities

Some of the regular activities of the temple include:
  • Regular worships of the deity
  • Performing Aarti on fixed time slots
  • Feasting of Brahmins and other mendicants
  • Recitation of Ramayan
  • Recitation of Kirtan & Bhajans
  • Arrangement for Savamanis
  • Recitation of Sundar Kand on every Tuesday in union by the singers.
  • Arrangement of stay for the visitors

 

Festivals & Fairs

  • Sri Hanuman Jayanti / Chaitra shukla Chaturdashi and Purnima: The major festival is witnessed by millions of devotees from every part of the country.
  • Ashvin Shukla Chaturdashi and Purnima: The fair is also witnessed by millions of devotees.
  • Bhaadra Shukla Chaturdashi and Purnima: This fair is as attractive as the rest fairs. Free food and sweet drinks are distributed to all.

Location

Salasar town is a part of district Churu in Rajasthan and is situated on the Jaipur - Bikaner highway. It is at a distance of 40 kilomiters from Ladnun, 57 kilometers from Sikar, 24 kilometers from Sujangarh and 30 kilometers from Laxmangarh. Salasar town lies under the jurisdiction of the Sujangarh Panchayat Samiti and is well connected with Delhi, Jaipur and Bikaner by regular bus service run by the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation. Many major airlines fly to Jaipur, from where Salasar is 3.5 hours drive via a taxi or a bus. Sujangarh, Sikar, Didwana, Jaipur and Ratangarh are the nearest railheads for Salasar Balaji. This city is about 170 kilometers from the city of Pilani that hosts the Birla Institute of Technology and Science

 

Sanwariaji Temple


The Sanwaliaji temple of the Dark Krishna is situated on the Chittorgarh - Udaipur Highway, at the town of Mandaphia, about 40 kilometers from Chittorgarh. This temple of Shri Krishna is considered second only to the temple of the Lord Shrinathji at Nathdwara.
There is a lot of recent construction activity of the temple proper. The temple trust has built and maintained several Guest houses for the use of the devotees.Here and everywhere in Rajasthan MANDAFIA'S "SANWARIA" called The sanwaria seth....because of his "chamatkar"...means Quick result of worship.. NOW THE TIME TEMPLE IS BEING MADE LIKE "AKSHARDHAM"....UNDER CONSTRUCTED.Local Public called him by Love 'sanwaria seth' because it is taken as a partner in the business for its successful venture and the profit gained is shared with the deity

Shila Devi, Rajasthan

Shila Devi (Hindi: शिला देवी) is the famous idol of Durga. Her temple is located in Amber Fort. The idol was brought by Raja Man Singh I of Amber from Jessore, now in Bangladesh. On the sixth day of winter Navratris, special prayers are offered to this goddess. Lakhs of people from Jaipur and surrounding areas come here to pay offerings to Shila Devi.


Shri Kalyan Temple, Rajasthan

Shri Kalyan Temple is a temple in Diggi, a town in Malpura tehsil, Tonk district, Rajasthan. The temple was built by King Digva 5600 years ago. King Digva was a king at who got leprosy through the anger of an apsara.


Cause of Establishment:
King Digva was afflicted with leprosy as he was under the curse of an Apsara (a celestial nymph) of the court of Indra. The king of Swarga. The Apsara had to spend 12 years on Earth. The King offended her and incurred her wrath as a result of which he became a leper. After the king's penance, the Lord was pleased and a voice was heard from heaven that his image in stone would be found at the seashore. When the image was installed the king would be free from leprosy. Following this king Digva discovered the Lord's image in stone and installed here.

 

Shri Kalyan Ji is Lord Vishnu himself. In the Hindu triad of gods, Vishnu sustains and preserves the creation of Brahma until Shankar finally destroys it. In this temple Vishnu himself is enshrined in the form of Kalyan Ji. The idol is in White marble. It bears four arms. The beauty of the idol is attractive and charming.Kalyan means benevolence and redemption from miserly . The deity here belrses the visitors and belivers with happiness and welfare and lestows on them all prosprity and worldly riches.He frees the devotees from miseries

Many fair festivals are organized in the temple here. Amongst the important festivals are Vaishakhi Poornima, Hariyali Amawas, Kartika Poornima, Patotsava, Jal Jhoolani Ekadashi, Annakuta etc. In the months of Shravan and Bhadrapada, people from far and near come to the temple walking on foot. Journeys are organized in flocks and people come singing and dancing, shouting victory to the Lord Kalyan Ji (Jai Kalyan Dhani). Lacs of people flock to the temple.

 

 


Location:
Diggi, Tehsil-Malpura
God Worshipped:
Shri kalyanji (Vishnu Awatar)
District:
Tonk
Road Distance from Jaipur:
70 Kms
Built in the year:
before 5600 years.
Nearest Airport:
Sanganer, Jaipur (60 km)
By
King Digva
Nearest Rly. Station:
Niwai (70 km)

 

Shri Mansa Mata Mandir Hasampur

Mata Mansa Devi is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti, in the Sikar district of Rajasthan state in India. The temple complex is spread of 100 acres (0.40 km2) of the Hasampur foothills in village Hasampur, near Neem Ka Thana, and Sikar, 20 km from NH8 Kotputli, another noted Devi shrine in the region, both just outside Sikar.
It is one of the prominent Shakti temples of North India. Thousands of devotees visit the shrine from various parts of the country, and especially during the Navratra mela, this number rises to lakhs everyday for the nine auspicious days

History

Maharaja Mittal God of Hasampur constructed the present main temple of Shri Mansa Devi, which is situated on the Hasampur foothills in village Hasampur, Tehsil Neem Ka Thana and District Sikar, in Since 965 AD. At a distance of 200 meters from the main temple is the Hasampur. Durga Mata Marbel Murti which was constructed by Seth Ramavatar Muchhal, a Sikh, the then Maharaja Hasampur in the year 1982. This temple had the patronage of Rajasthan State. After the merger of princely states into PEPSU the Patronage of State Govt. ended and the temples remained neglected. The raja of Rajasthan then appointed pujari as ‘Keshavpanditji’ of this temple whose duty was to worship the deity of the temple. Whose Mobile No is 9413072190, 9680812171. After the merger of princely State into Pepsu these pujaris became independent on the matter of controlling and managing the affairs of the temple and the land attached to the temple. They could neither maintain this temple nor provide necessary facilities to the visiting devotees and thus the condition of the temple deteriorated day by day. So much so that there were no proper arrangements for pilgrims visiting the temple during Navaratra melas. The complex was in awfully neglected condition till the establishment of the Board. SHRI MANSA MATA MANDIR E-MAIL ID IS shrimansamatakeshavji@gmail.com.

Navratra Melas

Navratra festival is celebrated in the mandir for nine days. Twice in a year millions of devotees visit the temple. Shardiya Navratra mela are organized at the shrine complex during Chaitra and Ashvin months. Every year two Navratra melas are organised in the month of Ashvin (Shardiya, Sharad or Winter Navratra) and other in the month of Chaitra, Spring Navratra by the Shrine Board.
Lakhs of devotees pay obeisance during the Navratra mela held in Ashvin and Chaitra and temples remain open throughout the day. These melas are of 9 days duration each time and concludes on the 9th day. The shrine Board makes elaborate arrangements for the comfortable stay and darshan of the devotees. The board makes arrangements for the provision of Chhowldari, tented accommodation, durries, blankets, temporary toilets, temporary dispensaries, mela police post and lines. During the mela, Duty Magistrates and Nodal Officers are appointed to look after the devotees and smooth conduct of the mela. On the 7th and 8th day of Navratras, the temples of Shrine Complex are closed only for two hours during the night for cleaning maintenance of the temples. For the rest of Navratras, the temples remain open for darshan from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Transport

Located at a distance of about 20 km from the NH8 Kotputli bus terminus and 2 km from the Hasampur bus terminus, the Mansa Devi temple can be reached by local buses or autorickshaws. Rajasthan Transport Undertaking and Rajasthan Roadways supply special buses during the Navratra fair. There are daily flights operated by Indian Airlines & private airlines to Jaipur. Since it's a popular travel circuit, bookings ought to be made well in advance. Sikar is the ideal place to start off if you intend to visit the temple. If you are traveling by train, Neem Ka Thana is the nearest railhead for those heading to Mata Mansa Devi. It is situated on the Delhi-Sikar rail line.
  • Nearest rail head: Neem Ka Thana
  • Nearest air port: Jaipur

 

Shrinathji Temple

Shrinathji Temple is a hindu temple dedicated to Shrinathji in Nathdwara.  It is considered an important pilgrimage centre by Vaishnavs.

 

Legend and History

The idol of Shrinathji is said to be self-manifested.  The idol of the Lord Krishna was being transferred to a safer place from Vrindaban to protect it from the anti-Hindu, iconoclastic and barbarian destruction of the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb by a Goswami priest in 1669.  When the idol reached the spot at village Sihad or Sinhad, the wheels of bullock cart in which the idol was being transported sank axle-deep in mud and could not be moved any farther. The accompanying priests realised that the particular place was the Lord's chosen spot and accordingly, a temple was built there under the rule and protection of the then Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar  Shrinathji Temple is also known as 'Haveli of Shrinathji’ (mansion) The temple was built by Goswami priests in 1672.
Presently, Shrinathji is worshiped by priests from this kul (genealogical descendants) of Vallabhacharya, in all Havelis around the world, which have also been established exclusively by them.
Economy and livelihoods in Nathdwara town revolve around the Haveli, the term used for the temple probably because it was situated in a fortified mansion, or Haveli, once a royal palace of the Sesodia Rajput rulers of Mewar.
Shrinathji was quite popular with other medieval devotees, as well, as there were Gaudiya preachers who founded Shrinathji temples in present-day Pakistan (Dera Ghazi Khan), earlier a part of undivided India and not far from here. Shrinathji was even worshiped as far away as Russia (in the lower Volga region) and other places on the Central Asian trade routes. Tradition holds that Shrinathji would return to Govardhan some day.

The Image of Shrinathji

Shrinathji symbolizes a form of Krishna, when he lifted the Govardhan hill, with one arm raised The image in the form of a single black marble,  where the lord is revealed with his left hand raised and the right hand made into a fist resting at the waist, with a large diamond placed beneath the lips. The idol is carved in Bas-relief out of a monolithic black marble stone, with images of two cows, one lion, one snake, two peacocks and one parrot engraved on it and three sages placed near it.
The iconography at the temple has given birth to Nathdwara Paintings.

Festivals and Rituals at the Temple

Devotees throng to the shrine in large numbers during occasions of Janmashtami and other festivals, like Holi and Diwali. The deity is treated like a living image, and is attended with daily normal functions, like bathing, dressing, meals called "Prasad" and the resting times in regular intervals. Since, the deity is believed to be the infant Krishna, accordingly, special care is taken. The priests in all Havelis are believed to be from the kul (descendants) of Vallabhacharya, the founder of this deity's idol at Govardhan hill, near Mathura.
The main attractions are the Aartis and the Shringar, i.e. the dressing and beautifying of the idol of Shrinathji which changed seven times daily, treating it as a living person, adorning it with the appropriate dresses for the time of day or night. The intricately woven shaneels and silk clothe have original zari and embroidery work on them, along with large quantities of real precious jewellery. The formal prayers are offered with diya, incense sticks, flowers, fruit and other offerings, with local instruments and devotional songs of the Shrinathji, according to the demand of the time and occasion. The view of the idol after the parda (curtain) is removed is called jhakhi.

 

Sire Mandir at Jalore

Sire Mandir is a temple situated in Jalore town in Rajasthan state in India. This shrine of Saint Jalindernath Maharaj is in west of the Jalore fort is the
Being the sacred groove of sage Jabali many saints came & meditated here. Pandavas spent some of their time here and king Bhruthhari’s path leader Suanath and his disciples made it their home. There are many temples for Shiva & Shakti present here, out of which Sire Mandir Temple is famous for its natural beauty belief & austerity.
West of Jalore on Kalashachal Sire temple is situated on 646 m high. The road in front of Geetco Hotel leads directly towards the Kalashachal mountain. It is only 3 km. away from town. While climbing the mountain,we may find Yogiraj Jalandhar Nath Ji’s footsteps’ imprints. Nearby there is a temple and one big water hut and parking place for Jeep,Car, Scooter etc.
From valley of mountain to temple it is only 3 km. of climbing where stairs are made for safe climbing. In between there is a temple of Hanuman & lord Ganesha built. The path is basically good & approachable.
Sire temple is the house of lord Shankar built by Raja Ratan Singh known as Ratneshwar Temple and is famous for its vastness. Shivling is established in one rounded Cave.
Here there is one Jhalara, a big Mansarovar, Non Stop ‘Dhunna’, Dining Hall,Palace of Raja Mansingh, two beautiful gardens and Resting place on different locations.
Presently in the undertaking of Mahant Shri 1008 Shantinath Ji Maharaj new construction had taken place and plantation on mass basis happened. There is facility of both Telephone & electricity. On the other side water facility for tourists is available 24 hours.
In front of Ratneshwar temple one big elephant of cement & stone is built. Being the sacred groove of Yogi Jalandhar Nath Ji, it also a sacred groove of Yogi Suanath, Dev Nath, Bhawani Nath, Bhairunath, Phoolnath Kesarnath and Bholenath also. Jodhpur’s king Mansingh also prayed here to get his kingdom back

 

Sonana Khetlaji

Shri Sonana Khetlaji (सोनाणा खेतलाजी) is a temple of Shri Khetlaji located in the village Sonana of Desuri tehsil of Pali district in Indian state of Rajasthan. Template located in Sonana is an old temple from where Shri Sonana Khetlaji has moved village near by name Sarangwas.
Shri Sonana Khetlaji was founded approximately 800 years ago; this temple is Jagir of local Brahmins Rajpurohit. Kind ruling this village has write off this temple to the local Brahmins to do chants and pooja everyday.
Every year on Chaitra Badi Teras (according to Vikram Samvat), a large fair is organised for two days. Since this fair is organised after Holi festival a large number of Holi dancers attend this fair in conventional and fancy dresses. More than one lakh devotees participate in this fair.
Since Khetlaji is folk-deity (Lok-devta) of many castes and communities in Marwar area, many people come here after their marriage and childbirth to give thanks to the God. Thanksgiving ceremony starts only after Aarti of deity which takes place between 8:30 am to 9:00 am. The necessary commodities for giving thanks are available at stalls outside the temple.
Coordinates: 25°17'55"N 73°29'30"E. You can reach this place from Sadri when you come via Ranakpur or from Charbhuja when you come via Udaipur/Shreenathji/Gomti Chowk.
You can stay at Junidham or Navidham dharmashalas at Khetlaji. In addition to non AC rooms, Junidham Dharmashala is also equipped with 4-5 AC rooms while there is only 1 AC room available at Navidham Dharmashala. Bhojan Shala at Junidham is open till 10pm

 

Sundha Mata Temple

Sundha Mata temple is about 900 years old temple of Mother goddess situated on a hilltop called 'Sundha', located at Longitude 72.367°E and Latitude 24.833°N, in Jalore District of Rajasthan. It is 64 km from Mount Abu and 20 km from the town of Bhinmal.
 At 1220 m height in the Aravalli ranges there on Sundha mountain is temple of goddesses Chamunda Devi, a very sacred place for devotees. It is 105 km from district headquarter and 35 km. from sub divisional Bhinmal. This place lies in Raniwara Teshil in the mid-east of Malwara to Jaswantpura Road near Dantlawas village.
Many tourists from Gujarat and Rajasthan visit it. The environment here is fresh and attractive. The waterfalls flow whole year and the hotel at the valley made in yellow sandstone of Jaisalmer attracts everyone.

Architecture

Sundha temple is made up of white marble, the pillars reminds the art of Abus’s Dilwara temple pillars. A very beautiful idol of goddess Chamunda is present under the huge stone. Here Chamunda’s head is worshipped. It is said that the trunk of mother Chamunda are established in Korta and legs in Sundarla Pal (Jalore). In front of mother Chamunda a BhurBhuva Swaweshwar Shivling is established. In the main temple duo idol of Shiva and Parvati Ganesh’s idol are considered very old and extinct.

Wildlife sanctuary

There is a wildlife sanctuary nearby covering an area of 107 square kilometers.

Fairs

During Navratri tourists from Gujarat and nearby areas come in a large number. Regular buses are run by Gujarat roadways from Palanpur, Deesa and elsewhere during that time.

Amenities

In the climbing place a big hotel is made by the Trust that is quite a destination for visitors to rest during the night and enjoy the scenery of the mountain.
Recently, Ropeway service has been started to climb Sundha mountain, to make the journey easier for pilgrims, making it a memorable experience. Ropeway (Udan Khatola) to the temple — first in Rajasthan — is ready.

Tanot Mata, Rajasthan

Tannot Mata is a temple in western State of Rajasthan in District Jaisalmer of India. The village is close to the border with Pakistan, and is very close to the battle site of Longewala of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.   Tourists cannot go beyond this temple to see the Indo–Pak Border unless one gets the relevant documentation in advance from the District and Military Authorities. It is now a tourist destination in India. The area is said to have oil and gas reserves.

History

It is said that during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Pakistani Army dropped several bombs targeting the temple but none of the bombs could fall on the temple and large number of the bombs in the vicinity of the temple did not explode. After the war the temple management was handed over to Border Security Force of India. On date Border Security Force Jawans man the temple. The temple has a museum which has collections of the unexploded bombs dropped by Pakistan. As per Indian Census, The Population of Tanot Village is 492 Persons having 49 Household The place is close to the Pakistan border, an unfertile land, and is prone to enemy attcks. The governments of both countries have planted land mines in the area. Animals like camel or cattle are the worst sufferer of these devices.

Location

The temple is approx 150 kilometres (93 mi) from the City of Jaisalmer, and it takes approximately two hours to reach by road. The area has a high average windspeed and as such there are now a large number of wind-based renewable energy projects in the area. The road to Tannot is surrounded with miles and miles of sand dunes and sand mountains. The temperatures in the area can go up to 49°C and ideal time to visit the place is from November to January.

Tourist Location

The place is one of the best place to explore in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. This temple was shown in the movie Border. The best time to visit is November - January. Taxi can be hired from Jaisalmer with a rent not more than Rs. 2000. There is no mobile network coverage after the village of Ramgarh on the route to Tanot except for BSNL. Public telephone booths are also not available.

 




Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(Continued...)                                                                                                                              



(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )