Chandika Devi Temple, Juchandra

Last updated
Chandika Devi Temple
चंडिका देवी मंदिर
Chandika Devi Mandir Juchandra.jpg
The main deities in Chandika Devi Mandir
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
District Thane
Deity Chandika Mata
Festivals Navratri
StatusActive
Location
Location Juchandra village
State Maharashtra
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
Geographic coordinates 19°21′37″N72°52′54″E / 19.36028°N 72.88167°E / 19.36028; 72.88167

Chandika Devi Temple is a Hindu temple in Juchandra village, near Vasai and Naigaon, situated on a hill 400 feet above sea level. It is dedicated to the mother goddess Chandika. [1]

Contents

History

The entrance of Chandika Devi Temple Chandika Devi Mandir Juchandra entrance.jpg
The entrance of Chandika Devi Temple

According to local beliefs, this temple dates back to the Pandavas period. But there is no document to support the claim. There are stone idols of Chandika, Kalika, Mahishasuramardini and Ganesha in this ancient temple which is situated in a huge rock cave. According to local churches, in 2018, there was no footpath to reach the mountain 60 or 70 years ago. [1]

The temple was renovated in 2002 while constructing a five-story building for the convenience of the devotees. A lift facility has been provided for senior citizens and physically disabled people. The mother goddess Chandika is Kuladevi of Junchandra village. [1] [2] It is also said that stones were taken from here to build the Vasai Fort. [3]

Festival

Chandika Devi Temple also conducts various social and cultural activities every year. Navaratri, which falls in the month of Ashvin and Chaitra as per Hindu calendar every year, is celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion. In the month of Chaitra, a large Yatra takes place. [1] [4] [5]

In 2020, a 115-year-old drama tradition of the temple was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed by the government. [6] Dutt Prasadik Bavanchal Natya Mandal has been performing various plays for the last 115 years. In 2021, Chandika Mata Yatra was canceled due to the second wave of COVID-19. [7]

Accessibility

There are steps to reach the hill from the west of the temple and it takes about two hundred steps to climb. There is a road directly to the temple on one side of the hill to go up by car or your private vehicle. To reach the temple, one can either reach from Vasai Road railway station or get off at Juchandra railway station on the Thane Vasai-Diva route and can reach the hill by walking for a few minutes. One can reach Chandika Devi Temple in Juchandra village by getting off the Naigaon railway station on Mumbai's Western side of the railway line and taking a rickshaw after reaching Vasai. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virar</span> City in Maharashtra, India

Virar is a coastal city in taluka Vasai and district of Palghar, in India's Maharashtra state. It is clubbed into Vasai-Virar city, administered by Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. It lies in south part of Palghar District in Vasai Taluka and north to the city of Mumbai. It is an important part of Palghar District because Palghar is the outermost part of northern side of Mumbai Metropolitan Region and comes under Police Jurisdiction of Mira-Bhayander, Vasai-Virar Police Commissionerate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kudargarh</span> Hindu temple in Chhattisgarh, India

Kudargarh is a famous Hindu pilgrim centre situated in Surajpur District of the state of Chhattisgarh in India. It is 44 km from district headquarters of Surajpur connected by an all-weather road. The best time to visit is during Chaitra Navaratra . It is located on a hillock with approximately 890 steps. A very panoramic view from top on addition to the DARSHAN of deity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shitala</span> Hindu goddess

Sheetalalit.'"coolness"', also spelled as Shitala and Seetla, is a Hindu goddess venerated primarily in North India. She is regarded to be an incarnation of the goddess Parvati. She is believed to cure poxes, sores, ghouls, pustules, and diseases, and most directly linked with the disease smallpox. Sheetala is worshipped on Tuesday Saptami and Ashtami, especially after Holi during the month of Chaitra. The celebration of the goddess Sheetala on the seventh and eighth day of the Hindu month is referred to as the Sheetala Saptami and Sheetala Asthami, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saptashrungi</span> Pilgrimage site in India

Saptashrungi or Saptashringi is a site of Hindu pilgrimage situated 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Nashik in Indian state of Maharashtra. According to Hindu traditions, the goddess Saptashrungi Nivasini dwells within the seven mountain peaks. It is located in Nanduri, Kalwan taluka, a small village near Nashik in India. The Marathas and some Hindu tribes worship the goddess from a long time and some worship as their kuldaivat. There are 510 steps to climb the gad. Devotees visit this place in large numbers every day. The temple is also known popularly as one of the "three and half Shakti Peethas" of Maharashtra. The temple is also one among the 51 Shakti Peethas located on the Indian subcontinent and is a location where one of Sati's limbs, her right arm is reported to have fallen. Its half shaktipeeth among three and half shaktipeeth of Maharashtra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chintpurni</span> Town and pilgrimage center in Himachal Pradesh, India

Chintpurni is a small town in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh about 40 km north of Una, not far from the border with the Indian state of Punjab. The elevation is about 977 meters. It is home to the Maa Chintpurni Temple which is a major pilgrimage site as one of the Shakti Peethas in India. The Hindu genealogy registers at Chintpurni, Himachal Pradesh are kept here. North of Chintpurni are the western Himalayas. Chintpurni lies within the much lower Shiwalik range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaila Devi Temple</span> Hindu temple in Kailadevi, Rajasthan

Kaila Devi Temple is a Hindu temple situated in Kailadevi village of Karauli district, in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vajreshwari Temple</span> Hindu temple in Maharashtra, India

The Shree Vajreshwari Yogini Devi Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Vajreshwari, located in the town Vajreshwari, 75 km away from Mumbai. The town, earlier known as Vadvali, was renamed Vajreshwari in honour of the presiding deity of the temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mata Mansa Devi Mandir</span> Hindu temple in Haryana, India

Mata Mansa Devi is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti, in the Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. The temple complex is spread of 100 acres (0.40 km2) of the Shivalik foothills in the village of Bilaspur, near Sector 13 of Chandigarh, and Panchkula, 10 km from Chandi Mandir, another noted Devi shrine in the region, both just outside Chandigarh.

Bijasan Mata Temple is one of the temples of the Hindu goddess Durga, situated in Indore District of Madhya Pradesh, India. This temple is built in the year 1760 by Shivaji Rao Holkar. This temple is visited by thousands of devotees during Navaratri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar</span> Hindu Temple in Uttarakhand

Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Chandi Devi in the holy city of Haridwar in the Uttarakhand state of India. The temple is situated atop the Neel Parvat on the Eastern summit of the Sivalik Hills, the southernmost mountain chain of the Himalayas. Chandi Devi Temple was built in 1929 by Suchat Singh in his reign as the King of Kashmir. However, the main murti of Chandi Devi at the temple is said to have been installed in the 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya, one of the greatest priests of Hindu religion. The temple also known as Neel Parvat Teerth is one of the Panch Tirth located within Haridwar.

Jawali is a town in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh State in India.Old name of Jawali is Jawanwalashehar. Jawali is the second largest Assembly constituency in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located 250 km distance from its State Capital, Shimla and is located 50 km distance from its District headquarters Dharamshala.

Mata Sarthal Devi Mandir is a Hindu temple at Sarthal of Kishtwar district in India's Jammu and Kashmir which has an annual pilgrimage known as Sarthal Yatra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikri Mata Temple</span> Hindu Temple in Uttar Pradesh, India

The Sikri Mata Temple, officially known as the Shri Mahamaya Devi Temple, is a Hindu temple at Sikri Khurd village, Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple was built in the 17th century by Jalim Giri Baba and his family, who belonged to the Goswami community of the village. Its administration was taken over from the descendants of Giri Baba by the gram panchayat in 1977. Dedicated to the goddess Sikri, who is believed to be an incarnation of Durga, the temple attracts large gatherings of visitors during the biannual festival of Navaratri. During the Chaitra month of Navaratri, marking the beginning of a new year on the Hindu calendar, a large historical fair is organised for nine days. The fair was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time since 1918. There is a banyan tree on the temple premises from which more than 130 revolutionaries were hanged to death during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tungareshwar Temple</span> Hindu temple in Maharashtra, India

Tungareshwar Temple is located in Vasai, Palghar District, Maharashtra, India. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, about 3 to 4 kilometres from the "Tungareshwar Entrance Gate", opens at morning 05:00 AM to 06:00 PM. This is one of the Lord Shiva Temple and also have Ram Kund on backside area. Alongside the Tungareshwar Temple, a small temple of Goddess "Khodiyaar Mataji". Being said about God and Goddess, Tungareshwar attracts devotees who visit both these temples at special occasions and festival seasons like "Khodiyar Jayanti" which comes in around February and "Maha Shivratri" in Shravana Months as Hindu calendar, falling between July and August every year. Bhandara takes place every year at the "Mahashivratri Festival" and every Monday at the Shravan month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savitri Mata Mandir</span> Hindu temple of Goddess Savitri

Savitri Mata Mandir or Savitri Temple is a Hindu temple of Goddess Savitri located in ratnagiri hill which is a popular pilgrimage site, Pushkar, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. Savitri Mata Mandir is a hilltop Hindu temple. The temple is situated at an elevation of about 750 ft and a flight of 970 steps to Savitri temple, which is one of the most significant temple in India. Idols of both the wives of Lord Brahma named Savitri and Gayatri are established in this temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumbra Devi Temple</span> Hindu temple in Maharashtra, India

Mumbra Devi Temple is an old Hindu temple situated at the top of Parsik Hill in Mumbra, a suburb of Thane district, near Mumbai, India. The temple is located on the hill, approximately 210 meters from sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheetla Devi Temple</span> Hindu temple

Sheetla Devi Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the mother goddess Shitala, located in Kara, a town located near Sirathu, on the banks of river Ganges in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in Shaktism denomination of Hinduism. The deity of the temple is regarded as the Kuldevi of Purvanchal. It is also known as Kada Dham, Sheetlan and Sheetla Dham, Kada.

Chauth Mata Temple is a Hindu temple located at a distance of about 5 kilometers from Bundi district headquarters in Rajasthan, India. The temple is dedicated to Chauth Mata, a manifestation of Hindu Goddess Parvati.

Bijasan Mata Temple is a renowned Hindu temple situated in the town of Indragarh, nestled amidst the scenic landscape of Bundi district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The temple is dedicated to Bijasan Mata, which is another name of Hindu Goddess Durga. Goddess Durga beheaded the demon named Raktabija, after that she made that demon a seat and sat on it, hence she came to be known by the name Bijasan Mata.

Modheshwari Mata Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located in Modhera village of Mehsana district in Gujarat, India. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu mother-goddess Modheshwari Mata, an aspect of the divine feminine Shakti. It was built around 1026-1027 CE during the reign of the Solanki dynasty king Bhima I.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "वसईची परिक्रमा : पुरातन देवालय" (in Marathi). Loksatta. March 31, 2018.
  2. "Chandika Mata Mandir". Palghar Tourism.
  3. "जूचंद्र गावाची नवसाला पावणारी चंडीका माता!" (in Marathi). Batamidar. 2019.
  4. "चंडिका माता यात्रोत्सव रविवारपासून" (in Marathi). Maharashtra Times. April 18, 2019.
  5. "चंडिका देवीची यात्रेची जोरात तयारी" (in Marathi). Prahaar. April 16, 2022.
  6. Bhoir, Kalpesh (April 14, 2020). "चंडिका मातेचा यात्रौत्सव साधेपणाने" (in Marathi). Loksatta.
  7. "करोनामुळे वसईतील सुप्रसिद्ध चंडिका मातेचा यात्रोत्सव रद्द" (in Marathi). ETV Bharat. April 30, 2021.