Sanjeev K. Sharma
With Shardiya Navratras starting from today, the entire country and many other regions of the world inhabited by Hindu community and others believing in Sanatana Dharam are observing unique religious celebrations including special worships, Kanya Pujan, fasting etc while locally in Jammu region all the prominent and ancient temples and shrines have been beautifully decorated and diverse arrangements made for various religious programmes during these nine auspicious days.
Fasting by some people, organizing eatable stalls by others near temples of the Goddess and at many other places also will be there among activities and amidst all these religious celebrations the blessed devotees will take a dip in spiritualism. In this special article a mention about prominent temples and shrines in many of the districts of Jammu region has been made and also accommodating details of programmes to be organized there during these Navratras. Besides, a historical background of these sacred places is also given in brief.
Cave Shrine of Vaishno Devi
The nine day long Navratra festival will start at the base camp of world famed holy Cave Shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra from Sunday and the concerned authorities have made all the required arrangements to welcome a large number of pilgrims from across the country. There will be special prayers and other rituals for world peace at the shrine. Member of the Navratra Festival Committee and All India Devotional Song Committee Chairman, Rakesh Wazir informed that there will be many programmes during the nine days of Navratras. Apart from Devotional Song Competition there will be Shobha Yatra, wrestling, poetry recitation programme, Hasya Vayang programme, programmes by Song and Drama Division and many more. Adequate arrangement has been made there to facilitate the visiting devotees.
Kol Kandoli Temple in Nagrota-the First Darshan
The shrine of Kol Kandoli is situated near old Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Nagrota, about 15 kms from Jammu. The sanctum sanctorum at the temple is in Pindi form of the Goddess Kol Kandoli. The temple is believed to be built by Pandwas during their Agyatwas (exile) wherein they used to work at night to build the temple. As per a legend Bhairav and other disciples of Guru Gorakh Nath Ji visited the place and asked for food after which the Goddess with her spiritual powers made appear a silver bowl (Kol in Dogri) through which she offered different type of eatables to Bhairav and other disciples of Guru Gorakh Nath Ji accompanying him. Head Pujari at the temple Pandit Jai Prakash Sharma informed that Shat Chandi Paath shall be there on the first Navratra for Vishav Kalyan (welfare of the world). Morning Aarti shall be there at 4 am which will be followed by Kanya Pujan daily during all the Navratras. In rest of the Navratra days there shall be Bhandaras by the devotees as well as by the temple management while there will be Satsang daily from 2 pm to 5 pm wherein devotional songs in the praise of Goddess shall be recited by the devotees. There shall also be Anpurana Bhandaras from Saptami to Navmi (seventh Navratra to the ninth one) and also on Dashmi (a day after culmination of Navratras). On October 24 there shall be a special Durga Shaptshati Hawan. Many Bollywood actors also visit the shrine to pay obeisance.
Deva Mai Temple near Katra-the second Darshan
It is believed that the Goddess as a child used to play with pebbles at this place. As per Pandit Bansi Lal Sharma at the temple, paying obeisance at the shrine of Deva Mai Temple is at par with doing that at the Cave Shrine of Vaishno Devi. He informed that the temple was raised by the then Pujaris some 550 years back. The place also has an inn with 15 rooms for the visiting devotees to stay. Sanjeev Sharma, head of the managing committee of the temple informed that daily Pooja and Aarti at the shrine will be complete at 9.30 am after which special Navratra Pujan will start and remain there for more than two hours. On Saptami there shall be a Bhandara. The shrine is 2-3 kms uphill from main Katra road and so far the authorities concerned have not put in place any proper public transport facility for the devotees to visit the place neither the local civil society has ever made any effort in this direction to raise the issue before the concerned authorities.
The Kali Mata Temple of Jasrota
The centuries old Jastora Temple in district Kathua is a very famous shrine of Dogra land and is situated near Rajbagh area of Kathua-the district having pride of serving as gateway to Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. The sanctum sanctorum in Jasrota Temple is an idol of Goddess Kali placed in a fort which is now in ruins owing to the negligence of those who remained at the helm of affairs for years together. Prominent locals claimed that the temple was built by a Dogra Kashtriya monarch of Jasrotia clan whose 25 generations ruled the area for more than eight centuries. Jagdish Singh, head of the committee managing daily affairs of the temple informed that there will be a Bhandara during all the nine days of Navratras wherein eatables shall be served to the visiting devotees with provisions for serving special dishes to those observing fasts. On Navmi (ninth Navratra) there will be a Hawan in the morning which will be followed by Kanjak Pujan and the programme will culminate with a Bhandara. The temple will open at 4 am for the devotees while the Bhandara will start from 10 am and will continue till 5 in the evening after which evening Aarti shall be performed at 7 pm. The temple is 3-4 kms from Jammu-Pathankot highway at Rajbagh and there is adequate arrangement for transportation to visit the shrine. Kathua District Development Council Vice Chairman, Raghunandan Singh informed that a medical camp will be organized at the shrine on Navratra days while adequate arrangements for water, electricity, sanitation and security will also be put in place to facilitate the visiting devotees.
Chichi Mata Mandir in Samba
As per the Pujari at the Temple Bansi Lal Sharma the temple was built some 100 years back by the Mahajan Biradari of the area. At a hamlet Nanak Chack near Supwal a girl was born whose mother died at the time of her birth and she was brought up by her father. The father of this girl used to graze cattle near the place of present temple and one day the girl followed him and finding him nowhere enquired about him from some children playing there who out of mischief said that her father has drowned in a nearby pond there while he was near Basantar River. The girl immediately went to the pond and accidently slipped into marshy area of the pond and got drowned. On returning back her father saw little finger (Chichi) of a child drowned there after which he came to know that it was his own girl. Over this those mischievous children narrated him the entire tale and he cursed them that they will henceforth from then adore that girl as their Kul Devi (deity) and he also ended his life. Now congregation of some Mahajan and Brahmin Biradaries takes place at this temple. Naresh Gupta, member of Chichi Mata Mandir management committee said on first Navratra flag hoisting ceremony will be organized which will be followed by Kanya Pujan. While on Saptami (on October 21) there will be a Jagran at night and on Ashtami there shall be a Bhandara. The temple will have Aarti at 5 am and 8 pm daily while from 1 pm to 2 pm the temple remains closed as per routine but in Navaratras this closure shall not be there.
Fort Shrine of Bawe Wali Mata
The Fort Shrine of Bawe Wali Mata in Jammu is situated on a hill at the bank of River Tawi. As per Head Pujari at the shrine, Pandit Vivek Magotra in Navratras the temple will open for devotees at 4 am and will be closed after 9.30 pm while for one hour, from 1 pm to 2 pm, it will remain closed for cleaning purposes. Decoration and lighting works during Navratras will be a special attraction at the shrine. The sanctum sanctorum is in Pindi form of the Goddess Kali brought from Calcutta by Raja Bahu Lochan who built this temple some 800 years back. It was further fortified and developed by Maharaja Ghulab Singh during his rule.
Similar programmes will be there at other temples and shrines of the Goddess in Jammu region like Sarthal Devi Mandir in mountainous Kishtwar, Mangla Devi Mandir in Nowshera area of district Rajouri etc.
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