Jhula Devi Temple, Ranikhet
Jhula-Devi Temple at Ranikhet is a temple of goddess Durga. It is situated on Ranikhet Chaubatia Road just 7 Kms. from Ranikhet. It is 8th century old temple and it is believed that if a person asks for something he gets it and on fulfillment of his desire ties a bell in the temple. It is said that about 700 years ago, Chaubatia was a dense forest inhabited by wild animals. Leopards and Tigers used to roam freely and the livestock of the local residents were an easy prey for the forest animals. People felt scared and prayed to Maa Durga for protection. Maa appeared in a Shepherd’s dream and asked him to dig up a particular place where she would come as Avtar (incarnation). The villagers faithfully followed the instructions and the idol of Maa Durga was found. Villagers constructed a temple on that particular site and according to the legend posted outside the temple, ‘despite the presence of leopards and the occasional tiger in this area, villagers and their cattle roam freely inside the forest. Thus the People were freed from the horror of forest animals’. People still believe that Tigers still comes to have a glimpse of Maa at mid-night.
Children used to play swing merrily on the Jhula. One day Maa again appear in someone’s dream and asked for a swing for her. The devotees constructed a swing for the Maa and the same was kept inside the temple sanctorum and Maa was ceremoniously seated on the Swing. The present temple was constructed in 1935.
What makes the place more fascinating are the sheer numbers of bells in, around and over it. The bells are testimony to the "divine and healing powers of Maa Jhula Devi", which means your wishes can come true if you tie a bell at the temple. So many bells have now been strung up and clumped together that they’ve started piling up in one corner of the temple in what looked like, well, a junk heap of bells. Countless bells hung in the temple campus speak of the divine powers of the MAA.(D.N.Barola)
by : .(D.N.Barola)