Religious Places

Harisiddhi Temple in Ujjain, in Madhya Pradesh

Written by Sudhir Kumar

Harisiddhi Temple in Ujjain, in Madhya Pradesh

Harsiddhi Temple is one of the shaktipeeths of Hindu Mythology, dedicated to Goddess Annapurna. The idol of Goddess Annapurna is made up of a rock painted in dark vermilion color, and seated between Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati. Another tourist attraction of Harsiddhi temple is Sri Yantra, the symbol of power or Shakti. The temple has two unique iron lamp sheds where hundreds of lamps can burn simultaneously giving the tourists a wonderful sight.

About Harisiddhi Temple in Ujjain :

Harsiddhi Temple in Ujjain is one of the Sakthipeeths in Hindu religion and is symbolic of Maratha style of architecture. An interesting story explains the formation of this shaktipeeth. Shiv Purana states that when Goddess Parvati died, Lord Shiva, not willing separate himself from her, carried her body everywhere he went. Disgraced by this act, other gods slit the dead body into several pieces and scattered it into Mrityu Lok. The elbow of the goddess fell here and thus this place became a shaktipeeth. The places where other body parts of the goddess fell have formed the rest of Shaktipeeths in India.

The characteristic of this temple is a black rock grubbed with turmeric and vermillion representing the head of the great Gupta King, Chandragupta Vikramaditya. Sakthipeeth is a spot of female manifestation of celestial energy and is propitiated with sacrifices. The king offered his head to Goddess Durga (a manifestation of Parvati) on the eve of Dusshera. The nine names of Durga are represented in the Yantra (nine triangles) which is used for meditation. Adding to the beauty of this temple are two lamps of 15 feet height, which are lit to brilliance during Navratri. Images of Goddess Annapurna and Maha Saraswati are also seen in this temple. A large number of devotees and tourists visit this place during Navratri festival.

History of the Harisiddhi Temple :

Hari in Hindi means Lord Vishnu, and he is considered to be the ardent God in the Hindu Mythology. Lord Vishnu is said to sacrifice all his belongings like the Shankha, Chakra, Gada and Padma once he was summoned by Guru Shukracharya.

So, devoted is he, towards his followers. Once they utter his name, he is said to come in front of them. Therefore he is worshipped in every household with care and dedication. He is said to be the domestic God that loves to solve the complications in the lives of his followers.

Temple Attractions :

In the centre of this ancient Hindu temple is a rock smeared with turmeric paste and vermilion. This is believed to represent the head of the Gupta king, Chandragupta Vikramaditya (reigned a.d. 380-415), offered to Goddess Durga, the symbol of Power, on the eve of the festival of Dussehra. Shakti, the female principal of primal cosmic energy, has to be propitiated with sacrifices.

The temple has two unique pine-shaped iron lampstands that tower to a height of 15 feet and display their brilliance after being lit. Hundreds of lamps burning simultaneously make a wondrous sight, especially on Navaratri, the nine-day festival celebrated in the month of October and dedicated to Goddess Durga. The red temple, an ancient Hindu structure beyond the lampstands symbolising the potency of Durga, is characteristic of Maratha art.

Yet another feature of the temple is the Sri Yantra, or nine triangles that represent nine names of Durga, a Hindu Goddess. A yantra is symbolic of the cosmos and is used for meditation. Each division of a yantra is symbolic of Shakti, the power of the cosmic energy that has to be propitiated with sacrifices. Also enshrined in this ancient Hindu temple is the famous dark vermilion image of Annapurna, the Goddess of Nourishment, seated next to Mahasaraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge.

How to reach the Temple of Harisiddhi :

Since the nearest airport is at Indore, you have to come to the same and then start for Ujjain. You can also come to Ujjain by train because it has many rail routes with a number of important towns in India.

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Sudhir Kumar

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