Maa Purnagiri Temple

Maa Purnagiri Temple situated in Tanakpur, Champawat district of Uttarakhand (The Northern Himalayan state of India) at a height of 3000 mts. above sea level and just 20 km away from Tanakpur.Purnagiri Temple holds the important place among the all famous temples of Uttarakhand. It is considered as one of the 108 Siddha peeths of India. In Tanakpur River Kali descends into the plains and is known as Sharda River.

According to Hindu mythology, in Satya Yuga Parvati (Sati), the daughter of Dakha Prajapati married to “Yogi” (Lord Shiva) against the wishes of Dakha Prajapati. So to take revenge with Lord Shiva, Dakha Prajapati performed a Vrihaspati yagna where he invited all the deities except Lord Shiva & Sati. But knowing the fact that Sati was not invited, she expressed her desire in front of Lord Shiva to attend the yagna. Lord Shiva tried his best to stop her, but she was not able to understand anything, so Lord shiva had to allow her to attend the Yagna. Where, being an uninvited guest she was not given any respect. Infect, her father insulted Lord Shiva which was unbearable for Sati. So on discovering her father’s trick for humiliating her husband she jumped into the Yagna and committed suicide.

Seeing the burning body of Sati, Lord Shiva destroyed Dakha Prajapati’s Yagna. He carried the remains of her body with grief profound and danced the dance of destruction through the Universe. The places where the parts of her body fell were recognized as Shakti Peeths. In Purnagiri the Naabhi (Naval) part of Sati fell where the present Purnagiri Temple is situated. People come here to worship the Devi in large numbers round the year.

Every year millions of pilgrims visit Purnagiri Temple in Chaitra Navratri in the month of March – April. To fulfill their wishes, devotees visit Purnagiri Temple in large number at this time. It is also believed that after worshipping Mata Purnagiri, it necessary to visit Sidha Baba Temple. Otherwise Yatra will not be succeeded.

Navaratri is one of the most important festivals celebrated at Purnagiri temple with great fervor and devotion. During this nine-day festival, devotees from all over the country come to seek the blessings of the Goddess.

The celebration starts on the first day of Navaratri, when the idol of the Goddess is brought out from the temple and carried in a palanquin to her temporary abode, also known as ‘pandal’. The pandal is
beautifully decorated with flowers, lights and other decorative items.The celebrations are marked by a series of rituals and customs, including ‘Havan’, ‘Arti’, ‘Bhog’ and ‘Kanya Pujan’.

On the eighth day of Navaratri, also known as ‘ashtami’, a special ‘bhog’ is offered to the Goddess, which includes a variety of dishes such as ‘puri’, ‘chana’, ‘halwa’, ‘sabzi’ and ‘kheer’. This is followed by the ‘kanya pujan’, where young girls are worshipped as the embodiment of the Goddess.The celebrations come to an end on the ninth day of Navaratri, also known as ‘Navami’, when the idol of the Goddess is taken back to the main temple with great fanfare and celebrations. The festival is concluded with the ‘Visarjan’ ceremony, where the idol of the Goddess is immersed in a nearby river.