Shri Sidhbali Dham! The Lord Hanuman Temple, Kotdwar, Uttarakhand
While transiting through the picturesque hill station, Lansdowne, one can also visit a very well known Lord Hanuman’s temple, famously known as Shri Sidhbali Dham, at Kotdwar. Kotdwar, a small town, is located on the foothills of Garhwal Himalayas. It is one of the prominent gateways to the hill state of Uttarakhand. The place also serves as a major commercial market for the locals as well as for the people residing in surrounding areas, and to the ones situated high up in the hills.
Mere thought of visiting the Lord Hanuman temple was so alluring enough that we decided to take an en-route halt, for an hour, at Kotdwar. Shri Sidhbali Dham is situated right on the banks of a large stream, locally known as river Khoh, descending down through the mountains. An expansive concrete bridge, over the river, connects the temple to the national highway 119.
Multiple stairs leads us all up to the temple complex. A huge bell, hanging on the gateway, welcomes you to the temple. The complex is very well maintained by its custodians and is kept nicely, neat and clean. Standing on the terrace, view of the surroundings of the temple is quite green, offering a grand view of the flowing stream, nearby structures and the road on the other side leading up to high hills.
Inside, stands a life size statue of Lord Hanuman, well decorated and in traditional red and saffron clothing. In India, these colours are synonymous with the almighty’s attire and appearance. The side walls of the temple, on the upper floor, are fixed with godly tiles, all made of silver metal, depicting engraved pictures of Lord Rama, Lord Hanuman, Sri Krishna, Jai Maa Kaali and other deities. The ceiling is also decorated with colourful, checkered, rhombus, square and round shaped reflective mirror work.
We offered our pious and heartfelt prayers and the traditional Bheli Prasad (Jaggery & Coconut) to the almighty and sought divine blessings. Religious fervour was at its peak inside the temple, with devotees queued up for a sight of the deity, and performance of the rituals. Truly, one gets absorbed in the holy and spiritual settings by just sitting there in one corner for a while in the shaded courtyard. The enchanting chanting of mantras by devotees is immensely soulful to the ears and eyes. No wonder, it is all peace of mind and soul, in true sense. You feel very light, floating, easy, calm and much heavenly indeed.
The temple has a small lotus pond too with many blooming flowers emerging out of the thick leaves. Outside the temple complex, there lays a small market well stocked with brass-made deity idols, offerings like jaggery cubes, coconuts and red bandanas, artefacts, knick-knacks, other assortment of items and eateries. An adequately sized parking lot, with uneven surface which I am sure will be evened out soon, is also there, very next to the temple complex.
A must visit for everyone, especially the devout devotees of Lord Hanuman.
Here comes the roaring chant…..Jai Bajrang Bali!
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