Manali Sightseeing - Hadimba Temple

The Goddess Hadimba is revered in this area. She was the sister of the demon Hadimb who ruled the mountains and was feared by all. When Bhima, the Pandava brother met her, he fell instantly in love and wanted to marry her. But he had to kill her brother first. After the death of her brother, Hadimba proved to be a good queen. She was fair and loved by all. She finally went to the woods called Dhungri Van Vihar to spend her last years in mediation and it is at this spot that the Hadimba temple was built. Also known as the Dhungri temple, it is a wooden four-storey structure and is built in the pagoda style. It looks almost like something out of a Japanese painting. You won’t find an idol in the temple, just a foot print on a stone. The temple was built in 1553 and is an important one in this area. An interesting but macabre story surrounds this temple. Apparently the king who commissioned this temple was so awestruck by its beauty that he ordered the artist’s right hand cut so he wouldn’t be able to repeat his masterpiece. The artist determined not to sacrifice his craft, trained his left hand to carve and built a bigger and more beautiful temple in Chamba. The people in Chamba were so happy with his new creation that they beheaded him, lest he build another temple. Over the years Hadimba became the patron Goddess of the Rajas and the goddess’s blessings had to be taken before every coronation and a buffalo sacrificed after each one. Today, the Dussehra celebrations commence with the blessing of the ceremonial horse by the goddess in a ceremony called ‘ghor pooja.’A huge fair is also held at the temple on 14th May to celebrate her birthday. Rice beer or ‘longri’ flows like water and both men and women drink, dance and celebrate all night. A place worth stopping by!