Shakumbhari Devi Temple is an ancient shrine that is
visited by numerous pilgrims round the year. This revered shrine is
located in Jasmour village, which lies at a distance of 40 kms in the
north of Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh). Shakumbari Devi Mandir is easily
accessible from Delhi through regular buses or private taxis. Perched in
the midst of Shivalik mountain range, the temple is believed to have
been built by the Marathas.
There is nothing extra-ordinary about the architecture of this temple,
but the divine aura makes it different from others. Many devotees
believe that no one goes empty handed from the shrine of the Goddess. It
is alleged that Shakumbhri Devi is the slayer of the demon king,
Mahishasur. According to the legends, Shakumbhari Devi did penance
(tapa) for 100 years and had vegetarian meal only once at the month end.
As the legend goes further, the Goddess helped the living beings to
sustain by having plants and vegetables, when there was no water on the
Earth, for about 100 years. For the period of her penance, many saints
(Rishi-Munis) came to have a glimpse of the Goddess. All the saints were
well treated and offered vegetarian meals. Due to the fact that the
Goddess eats vegetarian food, she came to be known as Shakumbhari Devi.
As per the sayings, Sankaracharya came to this place and meditated
here. He found the idols and placed them in the shrine. In the sanctum
sanctorum, Shakumbhari Devi is enshrined in the company of Bhramari
Devi, Bhima Devi and Sheetla Devi. In fact, all these goddesses imply
the same 'Shakti' (Power) that incarnated herself in different forms at
different intervals of time.
In the east of this temple, there is a shrine at a distance of one
kilometer. This shrine is dedicated to Bhura Dev (Lord Bhairav), who is
regarded as the guard of Shakumbhari Devi. It is said that a visit to
this temple is a must, in order to complete the journey to Shakumbari
Devi.
Festival
In the vein of other Goddess temples, this too observes great festivity
during the time of 'Navratra'. At the time of Navratras of Ashwin and
Chaitra, loads of pilgrims and devotees come to pay their homage to the
Goddess and seek her blessings. The temple is getting popular day by
day, due to its spiritual belongingness and aesthetic appeal.
