Prachin Daridra Bhanjan Mahadev Mandir Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Haridwar is not called a religious city for nothing. There are many temples here which have many stories hidden behind them. One such temple is the temple of Daridra Bhanjan Mahadev in Kankhal, which is called the in-laws house of Lord Shiva. There are different mythological beliefs regarding this temple. It is said that by lighting a lamp continuously for 40 days and performing Jalabhishek, one gets the desired results.
Situated at Kankhal Rajghat, this temple is believed to be 200 years old. It is said about the Shivalinga situated in the temple that this Shivalinga is self-manifested which had appeared on its own under the Peepal tree. It is said that the place where the present Shiva temple is situated used to be inhabited by snakes. This is the reason why even today snakes are sometimes seen in the temple.
The beauty of Daridra Bhanjan Mahadev Temple is worth seeing in the month of Sawan. Shiva devotees come here from far and wide for darshan. People of faith flock to the Daridra Bhanjan temple near the Daksh temple and the crematorium in the month of Sawan to have the darshan of Lord Shiva. On the occasion of Monday of Sawan, queues of devotees start forming in the temple early in the morning. Devotees perform Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva and pray for happiness and prosperity. Although the temple is often decorated, but on the Monday of Sawan, the decoration of the temple fascinates the devotees.
There is another specialty of Daridra Bhanjan Mahadev Temple which makes it different from other Shiva temples. There is also a tomb of Pir in the self-styled Daridra Bhanjan Mahadev Temple. Devotees who come to the temple to have darshan of Lord Bhole also pay obeisance at the tomb. No one has the correct information about this tomb yet. But people believe that this is the tomb of Fakir Baba who was the first to have darshan of Swayambhu Shivalinga.
Pir’s tomb along with the temple is very special in itself. According to temple priest Krishna Sharma, this tomb has been present with the temple since long. People who reach here pay obeisance at the shrine along with the temple with full devotion, due to which the devotees get the blessings of Fakir Baba along with Bhole.