The great Land of Divine Turns you Superfine Life is a barren field So let’s visit, as it heals
Being land to many gods and goddesses, Uttarakhand is also known as the land of the divine. Among all the deities here, one is Golu Devta. We were first introduced to his temple as a ‘temple of bells’ on our way to Almora. Presence of umpteen bells in a temple alone is unique in itself. But after digging more about this sacred place, I discovered that the bells here resonate with the faith in the god of justice– Golu Devta. It was enough to incite me to drown in the flowing spirituality outpour here.
No Other Quite Like It
You might have seen people visiting temples to pray for their desires, But here at the temple of Golu Devta, sending only the letter is enough for the fulfillment of your desires.
Many devotees spell their wishes inside a letter and hand it to the priest of the Golu Devta temple. The priest then hangs the solicitation after reading it to the Golu Devta. A lot of people also write their solicitation on a government stamp paper. Golu Devta is believed to bring justice as well as showing path to the ones heading in a wrong direction. On completion of the plea, people bind the bells at the temple while some sacrifice the goat as well. Faith on Golu Devta can be witnessed by the bells hanging inside the temple.
In Jagar, Golu Devta also enthralls people’s bodies. People of every caste also get married in the temple. Chaitai Golu Devta temple also has the belief that if newly married couples arrive at the temple for the blessing, their knots are tied for all their seven births and conjoined till the eternity.
Spreading Light Across the Night
Uttrakhand is not only known for boon from the worship of the deities here, but also for justice. The Temple of Golu Devta is believed to bring justice to everyone. It is devoted to Golu Devta, the legendary god of Kumaon region and the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Although there’s no historical evidence available regarding the construction of the original temple, but according to the priests, it was built in the first decade of the 19th century.
According to another tale, Golu Devta was the Army General of Chand King Baj Bahadur(1638-1678) who died while displaying gallantry in a war. The Commander of Chand dynasty established the Chitai Mandir in his honor in Almora. The temple is also known as the Pride of Kumaon and every year, devotees arrive here in masses to worship.
To seek another land
It is not just Almora, the temple has also blessed places like
2. Champawat
3 Ghorakhal
4. Tadikhhet
Above The Horizon
This temple is recognized outside the borders and beyond the seas as well. Therefore, tourists and devotees arrive here from far-away places. If you’ll enter this temple, you’ll find countless bells hanging above your head like stars in the abyssal sky. You’ll find large number of bells looming from every corner of the temple, whose count is strange even till this day to the people of the temple. People from outside know it as a ‘temple of bells’. The tinkling of bells can be heard from a distance, harmonizing the atmosphere.
Locating the Divine Land
Temple of Golu Devta is located on Pithoragarh Highway, about 8kms away from the Almora district headquarters. It is also known as Chitai Mandir. At a few steps away from the road, the magnificent temple of Golu Devta can be seen mounted on a hill, surrounded by dense forests of Chir and Mimosa. Inside the temple is the statue of Golu Devta riding a horse with bow-and-arrow in his hands.
The unabridged path to reach the land of divine is so alluring and irresistible, that it tranquilizes your imagination. When you reach there one can procure peace to the eyes along with fulfilling his desire by worshiping there. The entire journey of divine land captivates your mind by spellbinding it, so vigorous that one will turn powerless to reverse the effects.