Hidimba Devi Temple

The main door of the Hidimba temple is decorated with paintings of Goddess Durga. Made of whitewashed stone at the base of Hadimba temple. The interior has been kept as simple as possible. The wall is adorned with various designs of Hindu deities, various animals, etc. The temple does not have any idol of Goddess Hidimba. The sanctum sanctorum consists of the gorge where Hidimba sat for meditation. A few meters away from the Hadimba temple is a temple dedicated to Hidimba and Bhima’s son Ghatotkacha. It consists of a stone block with the imprint of what is believed to be the Hidimbar foot.

Attraction

It is one of the attractions of the town. Many people come to see the beauty of this temple as well as to know the history behind this place. The story takes us back to the days of the Mahabharata. The Pandava brothers and their mother reached the area after fleeing to the ‘Laksh’ palace without any damage. In those days the region was ruled by Hidim Raksha. He had a sister Hidimbi (Hadimba). She fell in love with Bhim. He reciprocated his feelings. They were both able to get married after killing her brother. The couple lived in the valley. A year later, Bhima went to join her brother and mother. Shortly afterward, their son was born near Gatot. Hadimba took good care of her son until he was a minor. When Ghotokacha became a warrior, he went back to the inner mountains for meditation. Eventually, his son conquered the country and became popular as a good administrator. Hadmiba meditated in the Dhungri region near Manali. He attained supernatural powers after austerities. He was very kind and thus it became quite popular among the locals. They built a ‘pagoda’ style temple and dedicated it to Goddess

Hadmiba. This is how the Hadmiba temple in Manali was built. About 70 meters away from this temple is a shrine dedicated to Ghatkanch. So, Don’t miss the chance to visit this place.

History

The Hadimba temple is dedicated to Hidimba, the second brother of the Pandavas, the wife of Bhima. Hidimba was a Mandi, who lived in this area with his brother Hidimba. He promised that he would marry Hidim in any battle he could defeat. During the exile, the

Pandavas killed Hidimba, the second brother of Pandava Bhima, to save the villagers from oppression, and thus won Hidimba’s hand in marriage. Bhima and Hidimba had a son named Ghatottach who died fighting for the Pandavas in the battle of Kurukshetra. A shrine dedicated to him is built near the Hadimba temple. After Bhima and the Pandavas left Manali, Hidimba returned to look after the kingdom. It is said that he was a very kind and just ruler. When his son Ghatotkacha came of age, Hidimba abdicated his throne and went to the forest to dedicate the rest of his life to meditation. It is said that Hidimba was doing hard austerities to expose her crazy identity. After many years of meditating on a rock, her prayers were answered and she gained the glory of being a goddess. The Hidimba Devi Temple was built on this rock in 1553 in honor of her austerities.

Inside/Outside Views

The whole view of this place is mesmerizing. The people of Manali worship Goddess Hidimba in this temple during the Navratri festival. During the Dussehra festival, the idol of Goddess Hidimba is taken to Dhalpur Maidan from where he blesses the official horse. This tradition is called “horse worship”. There are long queues of devotees outside the Hadimba temple during Navratri. Worship of Goddess Hidimba The people of Manali worship the goddess Hidimba as a deity. Goddess Durga was worshiped by all Hindus across the country during Navratri, but the people of Manali worship Hidimba. Rows of people can be seen outside the temple.

How to Reach

The temple is located just 2 kilometers from the main city center of Manali and you can access this destination by bus, taxi, or on foot.

By air: The nearest airport to Hadimba Temple is Kullu-Manali Airport in Bhuntar, 52.5 km away. You can hire a car or taxi to reach the temple from the airport which can take you about 2 to 2 and a half hours.

By rail: The Joginder Nagar railway station is located at a distance of 165.3 km from the nearest station to the Hadimba temple.

By road: Lots of buses ply daily from Delhi to Manali. Manali is connected to major cities in northern India by bus. The availability of a seat should not be a problem at any time, from state seater buses to private operators to semi sleepers

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