Himachal Pradesh: What's the story behind 21-quintal butter idol of Bajreshwari Devi temple that attracts thousands of pilgrims on Makar Sankranti

Kangra: Thousands of pilgrims from all over the country visited this temple town of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday to pay obeisance at the Bajreshwari temple here, one of the 52 Shakti peeths, and have a glimpse of the preparation of the 21-quintal butter idol of the Goddess on the eve of the Makar Sankrati festival.

The pilgrims arrived here despite the shivering cold in the morning and evening in the valley. The minimum temperature in the town had dropped to 6 degree Celsius.

Temple officer Neelam Kumari told UNI that the butter idol was made by 11 priests in over six hours. it was tastefully decorated with dry fruits.

She said it contained ghee donated by the devotees from all over the country, and was made through a specific technique by washing it with water 108 times. The Temple officer said the process of making butter was started on January 5 and was completed on Tuesday morning.

Ram Prasad Sharma, a senior Priest of the temple, said according to a legend when the Goddess was injured during the fight with demons, her wounds were pasted with butter on Makar Sankrati by the gods.

He said the butter will remain on the Pindi for one week and would be removed on January 20, morning.

Neelam Kumari further said that the temple authorities received ghee from devotees from Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Agra , Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, M.P, U.P and Gujarat. The ghee was contributed by the local people of Himachal Pradesh too , she disclosed.

She said that the butter when removed would be distributed as prasada among the devotees.

The temple was tastefully decorated with the lights and flowers and the recitation of the Vedic hymns, bajans, and continuous pooja was carried out in the temple.