Shri Bharat Mandir Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

SHRI BHARAT MANDIR
Situated in the heart of the city Shri Bharat Mandir is the most ancient and the most famous temple. The history of the temple is the history of Hrishikesh indeed. The glory of this ancient temple is described in Kedar Khand (Vide Chapters 115 to 120)

In the seventeenth Manavavtar, Lord Vishnu pleased by the hard penance of Raibhya rishi Himself said “I will reside here for ever as Hrishikesh Narayan and this place will be known as Hrishikesh.” Those who worshiped me as Varah in Satyug, as Parashuram in Treta Yug, Vaman in Dwapar and Bharat in Kaliyug are certainly entitled for liberation.
Raibhya rishi practised penance at this place. Lord Vishnu appeared before him seated on a mango tree, which bent down due to the weight. Therefore it is known as kubjamrik, the mango tree with a tilt. (Vide Varah Puran Chapter 122.)

Raibhya was a great sage and a friend of Bharadwaj Rishi. He had two sons -Arvavasu and Paravasu. It is said that once due to some misunderstanding Bharadwaj Rishi cursed Raibhya Rishi, so to expiate his sin, Bharadwaj Rishi left his body, Arvavasu, Raibhya Rishi’s son brought him back to life again by the power of his penance and prayer.

According to Srimad Bhagawat, King Dushyant’s son Bharat looked after the needs of Bharadwaj Rishi. Bharat performed fiftyfive Ashwamedh Yajnas and Rajsuya Yajnas on the banks of the Ganga and Yamuna. This place is one of these holy places. The story of Dronacharya is also related to Dehradun.
The glory of this supreme Tirth is sung in Mahabharat epic. It is equal to thousands of offerings of cows. Prahlad, a great devotee while on his way to the pilgrimage of Badrikashram, worshipped Lord Hrishikesh Narayan here.
It is the dearest and most sacred Place of Lord Hrishikesh (Vishnu) according to Narsingh Puran. In Satyug, the great ascetic Som Sharma, performed penance here and attained the Darshan of Lord Vishnu at this place and witnessed the miracles of His Maya here. This temple also could not escape the attack of the foreign invaders and athiest, from time to time, reconstruction and renovation of the temple continued.
History And Sculpture
The idols of Lord Tirupati, Lord Badrinath and Lord Hrishikesh Narayan are carved out of the same Shaligram rock. In Badrik dham Lord Narayan lives alone and here also the four-armed idol made from the black Shaligram rock is alone.

The temple was constructed with big stones. Its walls are 7′ to 8′ feet wide. The 5′ high idol of Hrishikesh Narayan is made of a single piece of black Shaligram stone. Beside it, lies the idol of Lord Varah in a piece of rock.
The outer structure of the temple was reconstructed by Maharaja Yashwant Singh Malvendra Bahadur of Nabha state in 1832 A.D. (1889 samvat). The top of the dome of the temple is made of a single piece of rock which weighs 125 tonnes. There are sixteen corners in the main temple. The outer structure has nine domes which stand in three’s in a line.

As is the tradition of the temple, only a few selected renounced seekers, sadhakas, learned scholars and pundits after having a holy bath & purification of body Angnyas are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum in the interior of the shrine. The edict in Pali/Prakrit language inscribed in the Parikarma of Lord Narayan indicates that a certain king renovated the temple even before the twelfth century. According to the archaelogists, the original temple is older than Shankaracharya. The pieces of rocks used in the construction of the temple also testify this as they are worn out by the storms and showers for several centuries. The temple is built on a raised platform to protect it from the floods which implies the river Ganga flowed quite near by the temple in the past.
The excavation work done by the archeological department of the Garhwal University found bricks and earthern pots underground which also testify it. The banyan tree in front of the main gate of the temple is also very old.

The idol of Sun God in the temple indicates that it was prevalent in the Shak period. The last Shakya king Rudradev was defeated by Chandra Gupta-II in third century therefore this idol indicates that the temple existed in two or three century B.C.

SRI YANTRA
In the beginning of the 9th century at the time of the renovation of the temple Guru Adi Shankaracharya installed the Sriyantra at the sanctum sanctorium in the interior dome of the temple above the idol of Lord Hrishikesh Narayana in order to harmonise a synthesis of five Vedic rituals and methods of worship between Shaiv, Shakta, Vaishnav, Ganapatya and Saur. The holy installation of Sriyantra was performed with distinct and mystical rituals and was meant for few selected Sadhakas for their spiritual upliftment.
This Sriyantra is worshipped and glorified by various Sampradayas (sects), Shaivs and Vaishnavs. This Sriyantra is very grand and splendid and bestows all powers, success and prosperity. It has also added to the spiritual grandeur and mystical power to this ancient shrine.
Historical Significance
Hrishikesh is one of the most ancient pilgrim places. It is an abode of the Gods, a place of worship and penance of the sages and saints. The celestial stream Ganga descends down here from the foot-hills of the Himalayas making it the most pious pilgrim place. The mystical powers of the earth and water, the spiritual effect, the penance of the sages and Gods make Hrishikesh the supreme holy place.
There are many stories about this holy place in the scriptures. Lord Vishnu appeared before Raibhya rishi in penance, leaning against the mango tree and asked him for a boon. The great sage prayed to Lord Vishnu to dwell in this place for ever. Lord Vishnu was pleased and granted him the wish saying that He will be present here forever as Hrishikesh and will be known as Bharat in kaliyug. Adi Guru Shankaracharya will re-install me here in the due course of time.

HRISHIKESH: Its Meaning
The root words “Hrishik” and “ish” join together to make “Hrishik+ish, Hrishikesh; “Hrishik” means “senses” and “ish” means “master” or “Lord”. Hence the word means the one who has mastered his senses. Raibhya rishi conquered his senses and attained Lord Vishnu. Hence the place is known as Hrishikesh. However, later on in due course of time it was started pronouncing as Rishikesh. In Skand Puran, this area is also known as kubjamrak as Lord Vishnu appeared here leaning against the mango tree. In religious rites this name is still used even today.

Another legend says that a fierce fire broke out here so Lord Shankar got angry with Lord Agni and cursed him. Agni then prayed here for the expiation of his sins therefore this place is also known as Agni Tirth-The holy place of penance of Lord Agni or Fire God.
According to the Puran Kedarkhand Lord Hrishikesh Narayan pleased with the tapasya of the sage Som Sharma granted him the boon and even gave him the darshan of his Maya. In medieval period very few people lived here. Only a few poets and sages resided in the area. The pilgrims visited the place only during the pilgrimage season. It was surrounded by the mango grooves and shrubs of bamboo and Ber.

There are signs that there were many temples here during eighth century but were destroyed due to the floods in the Ganga, earthquakes and iconoclasts.
About Bharat Mandir
Situated in the heart of the city Shri Bharat Mandir is the most ancient and the most famous temple. The history of the temple is the history of Hrishikesh indeed. The glory of this ancient temple is described in Kedar Khand (Vide Chapters 115 to 120)

In the seventeenth Manavavtar, Lord Vishnu pleased by the hard penance of Raibhya rishi Himself said “I will reside here for ever as Hrishikesh Narayan and this place will be known as Hrishikesh.” Those who worshiped me as Varah in Satyug, as Parashuram in Treta Yug, Vaman in Dwapar and Bharat in Kaliyug are certainly entitled for liberation.
Raibhya rishi practised penance at this place. Lord Vishnu appeared before him seated on a mango tree, which bent down due to the weight. Therefore it is known as kubjamrik, the mango tree with a tilt. (Vide Varah Puran Chapter 122.)

Raibhya was a great sage and a friend of Bharadwaj Rishi. He had two sons -Arvavasu and Paravasu. It is said that once due to some misunderstanding Bharadwaj Rishi cursed Raibhya Rishi, so to expiate his sin, Bharadwaj Rishi left his body, Arvavasu, Raibhya Rishi’s son brought him back to life again by the power of his penance and prayer.

According to Srimad Bhagawat, King Dushyant’s son Bharat looked after the needs of Bharadwaj Rishi. Bharat performed fiftyfive Ashwamedh Yajnas and Rajsuya Yajnas on the banks of the Ganga and Yamuna. This place is one of these holy places. The story of Dronacharya is also related to Dehradun.
The glory of this supreme Tirth is sung in Mahabharat epic. It is equal to thousands of offerings of cows. Prahlad, a great devotee while on his way to the pilgrimage of Badrikashram, worshipped Lord Hrishikesh Narayan here.

It is the dearest and most sacred Place of Lord Hrishikesh (Vishnu) according to Narsingh Puran. In Satyug, the great ascetic Som Sharma, performed penance here and attained the Darshan of Lord Vishnu at this place and witnessed the miracles of His Maya here. This temple also could not escape the attack of the foreign invaders and athiest, from time to time, reconstruction and renovation of the temple continued.