Tourism in Uttarakhand > Religious Places Of Uttarakhand - देव भूमि उत्तराखण्ड के प्रसिद्ध देव मन्दिर एवं धार्मिक कहानियां

Folk Gods Of Uttarakhand - उत्तराखण्ड के स्थानीय देवी-देवता

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पंकज सिंह महर:
Folk Gods of Kumaon

In spite of being worshippers of Lord Shiva and Shakti, the people of Kumaon have a rich tradition of folk deity worship. The heroes of some long - forgotten age have later on become folk gods and they give expression to the popular beliefs of the people. Each folk god has a separate story attached to his name and each one is remembered through some peak, temple or jagar (a form of ritual folk poem). It is believed that Kumaon once had a tradition of Yaksha worship. The presence of 'Naga' or snake worship is an indication of the reverence' given to the brave. Besides worshipping the usual gods and goddesses associated with Hinduism, the people of Kumaon have also worshipped Kul Devatas (family gods), Gram Devatas (village gods), Naga Devatas (snake gods), Bhumi Devatas (land gods) and Veers (the brave heroes). The following are the important folk gods & goddesses of Kumaon:

पंकज सिंह महर:
Naina Devi

Naina Devi is a name for the Goddess Parvati. According to the Jagars Naina Devi was established in Kumaon by the Katyuri queen Jiya Rani. On the other hand there is a myth which talks of Sati's committing suicide by jumping into a sacrificial fire, when she and Lord Shiva were insulted by her father Dakshaprajapati during a Yajnya, to which Shiva and Sati had not been invited in the first place. The myth goes on to say that while Shiva was taking Sati's body away, her eye fell down at a spot near the temple of Pashan Devi in Nainital. Therefore, according to myth Naina Devi is none other than the goddess Parvati. (It is the story that Sati was reborn as Parvati).

पंकज सिंह महर:
Nanda Devi

Nanda Devi is the Greek Goddess 'Nana', who came to the Himalaya with the Indo - Greeks and Kushan Kings. However, the fact remains that Nanda Devi is typically a Kumaoni goddess and most popular in the region. Referring to the rich religious myths and lores associated with Uttaranchal, E.T.Atkinson has said: 'To the beliefs of the great majority of Hindus, the Kumaon (Himalaya) is what Palestine is to the Christian.'

पंकज सिंह महर:
Bholanath

Bholanath is the most popular and revered folk god of Kumaon. He is said to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. According to legend, the Chand King, Udai Chand, disinherited his elder son because of his bad habits and gave the Kingdom to his younger son. After wandering for a long time the elder son came with his pregnant wife and settled down near Almora. The King had both of them executed. The son, his wife and their unborn child became ghosts and people started worshipping them. The original temple of Bholanath is at Champawat.

भोलानाथ :

'भ्वालनाथ' कहे जाते हैं।  इनकी स्री बमी कहलाती है।  इनको कुछ लोग महादेव का अंग तथा बमी को शक्ति का अंश मानते हैं।  परन्तु इनके उत्पत्ति की कहानी इस प्रकार है - राजा उदयचंद की दो रानियाँ थी, जिनमें से प्रत्येक के एक पुत्र था।  जब दोनों बड़े हुए तो बड़ा राजकुमार बुरी संगति में पड़ने से राज्य से निकाला गया।  छोटा राजकुमार ज्ञानचंद के नाम से गद्दी पर बैठा।  थोड़े दिनों में बड़ा राजकुमार साधु के भेष में अल्मोड़ा आकर नैल पोखर में ठहरा।  वह पहचाना गया।  राजा ज्ञानचंद ने यह समझकर की कहीं गद्दी छिनने को न आया हो, एक बड़िया माली द्वारा उसको तथा उसकी गर्भवती स्री को मार डाला।  राजकुमार की स्री ब्राह्मणी थी।  उससे उन्होंने नियोग कर लिया था।  मृत्यु के बाद वह राजकुमार भोलानाथ के नाम से भूत हो गया।  ये तीनों भूत अल्मोड़ा को लोगों को सताने लगे, ज्यादातर बड़िया लोगों को।  तब अल्मोड़ा में आठ भैरव मंदिरों का निर्माण हुआ -

१. काल भैरव  २. बटुक भैरव  ३. भाल भैरव  ४. शै भैरव  ५. गढ़ी भैरव  ६. आनंद भैरव

७. गौर भैरव   ८. खुटकूनियाँ

दूसरी कहानी यह है कि कोई फकीर किसी प्रकार दरवाजा बंद होने पर भी रनवास में चला गया, जहाँ राजा व रानी बैठे थे।  राजा ने क्रोध में आकर उस फकीर को मार डाला।  राजा को भूत चिपट गया।  वह सो न सका, चारपाई से नीचे गिराया गया।  चारपाई ऊपर हो गई।  तब राजा ने पंडितों की राय से ये मंदिर बनवाये।

एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720:

Mahar Ji.

Good going....

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