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Mandir and
Devi Darshan
Shri
Chintpurni Devi Temple opening hours:
Monday to Friday 5 am - 9.30 pm
Saturday and Sunday 5 am - 11 pm
During
the Sharad Navaratri festival the temple
will be open 4 am to 6pm. These hours may
change if the number of devotees increases.
All devotees are
strongly advised to adhere to the Covid-19
guidelines such as wearing masks,
maintaining hygiene and social distancing at
all times.
Devotees
should collect their "Darshan Parchi" - entry
ticket - at one of the Chintpurni Temple Trust
designated counters - Pandit Maya Das
Bhavan (Chintpurni Sadan), MRC Parking,
Shambhu Barrier. Devotees without
computer-generated slips may not be allowed
“darshan”.
Havans may
not be allowed during Navaratras and other
special occasions when large numbers of
devotees are expected in the Temple.
Devotees
must ensure adherence to the Covid-19
guidelines issued by the Himachal Pradesh
Health Department.
Live darshan
of Shri Chintpurni Devi is available
from this official Mata
Chintpurni Devi site .
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The temple is usually open from 4.30 am to 10
pm in Summer and 5 am to 9.30 pm in winter. It is open
much longer during Navaratras and other busy days. Bhog
is offered from 12 noon to 12.20 pm. Snana is performed
from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
Devotees
usually bring offerings for the Devi. Sweets
(eg suji halwa, laddoo, barfi), kheel (sugar-coated
puffed rice), batasha,
fruits ( except coconut), chunni (red stole),
dhwaja (red-coloured flag) and flowers are some of the
offerings that devotees bring. You may bring the
prasad from home or you may buy it from one of the shops
in the bazaar.
You
may leave your shoes at one of these shops as shoes (and
other leather items) are not allowed in the temple
bhavan. Please wash your hands after taking off your
shoes. It is also customary to cover your head in the
temple bhavan with a cap, shawl or handkerchief.
As
you enter the temple main gate, on the right hand side
you should see a stone. This is the stone which Pandit
Mai Das had dug out to reveal the water spring as
commanded by the Devi.
In
the center of the Bhavan is the temple garbha
griha. The image of Mata Chintpurni Devi is
installed here in the form of a pindi (a rounded stone).
Please queue up for a darshan of the Devi, make your
offerings and seek Her blessings.
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Archana
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Mata
Chintpurni Devi image 1
Click here
for a larger image
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Mata
Chintpurni Devi image 2
Click here
for a larger image
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Now you should perform a pradakshina (circumambulation)
i.e. go around the temple in the clockwise direction.
The enclosure on the eastern side is often used by
bhajan mandalis singing kirtan and bhajans. Please spend
a few minutes in the bhavan - just sit down in
contemplation, listen to the bhajans, imbibe the holy
ambience.
Adjoining
the south wall of the temple, you can see the Vata
Vriksha (banyan tree) under which Pandit Mai Das had the
divine darshan of the Devi. Devotees often tie a mauli (kuccha
red string) to the tree and make a wish.
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| Chintpurni Temple
- Back wall |
Chintpurni Temple
- Vatavriksha
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Soodaan di Hatti
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Moving
on, towards the western side you find another branch of
the same Banyan tree. Under the tree, you see
images of Bhairav and Ganesh. Bhairav can be identified
as the black-coloured deity with a dog as his companion.
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Bhairav
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Ganesh
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Hanuman and Bhairav
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Images
of Bhairav and Langur Vir (Hanuman) are also installed
on the roof of the temple, next to the shikhar (dome)
which was gold-plated a few years ago by a devotee.
Please exit the temple bhavan in an orderly manner.
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Western
exit door
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Samadhi
of Pandit Mai Das
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As you go down the steps on the
northern side, you can see the water tank. Pandit Mai
Das's samadhi is situated on the eastern side of the
water tank.
On a clear day, you get
an excellent panoramic view of the Dhauladhar mountain
ranges which are at an aerial distance of about 50 km.
Dharamshala, McLeodganj, Bhagsu Nag, Sidh Bari
and Triund are some of the popular tourist destinations in
this part of the Dhauladhar mountains.
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