25 quintal butter idol attracts thousands of pilgrims

Kangra: Thousands of pilgrims from all over the country have started thronging this temple town since Sunday morning to pay obeisance at the Bajjreshwari temple here, which is one of the 52 Shakti Peeths.

The pilgrims are particularly eager to have a glimpse of the 25 quintal of butter idol on the Pindi of the Goddess on the eve of Makar Sankrati festival.

The pilgrims arrived here despite the shivering cold especially during the morning and evening hours. The town last night registered a minimum temperature of 2.2 degree C.

Temple officer told UNI that the idol of the butter weighing 25 quintals on the eve of Makar Sankranti was made by 11 priests, who took more than six hours to make it and it is tastefully decorated with dry fruits.

He said that ghee donated by the devotees from all over the country was converted in to 25 quintals of butter by eleven temple priests with a specific technique by washing it with water 108 times. He said that the process of making butter was started on January 5 and was completed this morning.

Ram Prasad Sharma, Priest of the temple told UNI that according to a legend when Goddess was injured during fight with demons her wounds were pasted with butter on Makar Sankranti by the gods which cured her.

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

He said that 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, he disclosed.

He said that the butter when removed would be distributed as prasada among the devotees, which said to treats chronic skin ailments and joint pains.

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.

A jagrata was organized by the Temple Trust in the temple as part of the Makar Sankranti festival. Deputy Commissioner Kangra and SDM Kangra visited the temple this evening. (UNI)