Location- Lakhamandal Village, Dehradun District, Uttarakhand, India
Lakhamandal is a small Uttarakhandi village in North India. The main temple there is dedicated to Lord Shiva adorned with ancient architecture-style stones, and the Yamuna river flowing alongside the temple is like the cherry on the cake.
The word” Lakha Mandal” defines in 2 words Lakha means” Lakhs or Many “ and Mandal means “Temples or Lingam”. It is believed to have over 1.25 lakh lingams buried under the temple domain. Some are discovered by the Archeological Survey Of India displayed on the temple. Locals worship the Lord with all their hearts because the temple comes under Shaktism where anyone’s sin can be forgiven and misfortune can not touch his/ her family by visiting the shrine there. Such beliefs one may accept or deny. But its history makes us believe such beliefs.
History Behind The Lakhamandal Temple:
It is believed that the Nagar-style temple was built in the “Gupta Era” around the 12-13th century. The ancient architecture of the temple reflects the North Indian Style of architecture(Huna Architecture), mostly hilly regions of Garhwal and Himachal Pradesh state. Many sculptures are spread over the vicinity of the temple which implies that there are many remnants of the same cult present in the village but only this temple has survived.
A stone inscription (from the 6th century CE ) proves that the temple at Lakhamandal was built by the Princess of Singapura, Ishwara, who built this temple for the spiritual well-being of her late husband Chandragupta, the descendant of the king of Jalandhar.
According to mythological significance, the temple is important in the Mahabharat episode when Duryodhan tried to burn alive his cousin Pandava brothers in the Lakshyagriha house or House of Shellac, the brothers hid in a cave( which was carved by Bheema one of the Pandavas) near the temple known as “Dhundhi Odaari” cave. Dhund means “fog” and Odaari means “cave”. After knowing their hiding place Duryodhan again tried to kill them but Pandavas escaped through the other end of the cave 2km away from the temple known as Gupteswar Mahadev cave.
It is believed that the two statues in front of the main shrine of the temple are statues of 2 Pandava brothers Bheem and Arjun known as Manava and Danava resemble Lord Vishnu’s doormen Jaya and Bijaya.
Main attractions of the Temple:
- The main Shiva Lingam of the temple is made up of Graphite which shines when it is wet and reflects its surroundings.
- There is a belief that when a person dies in front of the 2 statues of Manav and Danav can come back to life for some time. Because Manav keeps the person alive while Danav takes the person’s soul to Lord Vishnu’s divine abode.
- The temple was discovered by locals when a cow regularly goes to pour milk into the Shivlinga(Form of Lord Shiv).
- The temple’s outer wall represents that Goddess Parvati(wife of Lord Shiv)is killing the demon Mahisashur.
- It is believed that after the Battle of Kurukshetra ended Pandavas returned to this place and established the village with 1 lakh temple places. That’s why it is called Lakh-a-Mandal.
- The view from the temple premises is amazing. The hills from the temple appear like a lotus flower. Locals address the ranges as” Kamal Pahadi”.
How to Reach Lakhamandal:
- By Road: You can take a bus ride or hire a taxi from Chakrata- Mussorie Road 100km from Lakhamandal.
- By Train: The nearest Railway station is Dehradun Railway Station( 107 km from Lakhamandal). Then take a bus or a taxi to reach Lakhamandal.
- By Air: The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport( 130km from Lakhandal). Take a bus or taxi to reach the destination.
Where to Stay near Lakhamandal:
Some good places to stay near the temple are as follows…….
- Vivaan Home Stay
- LM Cottage
- Subharambh Homestay and Restaurant
- Lakhamandal Hotel
- uaKalindi Nature Resort
- The Goat Village, Nag Tibba
You can check other homestay option from GMVN(Garhwal Mandal Vikash Nigam) site.
Thank You For Reading My Blog…..For any queries please let me know through the comment box below…
A girl who loves to travel and always craving food. Let’s explore some good places and eateries together.