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Temples
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RAGHUNATHJI TEMPLE
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There is an interesting legend connected with the idol of Raghunathji, chief deity of valley with which its biggest festival of dussera is associated. It says that Raja Jagat Singh of Kullu who had been informed that a 'Patha' of pears was in the possession of one Brahmin named Durga dutt of village Tipri, directed his men to fetch the pearls from the Brahmin. He was greatly harassed by the Raja's men finding the torture rather unbearable, he told them that the pearls would be delivered to the Raja on the return to the village from Manikaran where he was going. When the Raja arrived at the village, the brahmin locked his family and set fire to the house. Sitting by its side, he cut his flesh with sharp blade at every leap of the fire, shouting in tone of curse "Have the pearls, O Raja". The entire family was reduced to ashes. The Raja was thereafter haunted by the spirit of the innocent Brahmin family. Stung by the qualms of the pinch of the stings and arrows of the deadly sin committed by him. He noticed crawling worms in place of rice an human blood in place of water in the tumbler. He went to a renowned Bairag saing, Shri Kishan Dass ji paihari, who lived at Naggar. He unburdened his heavily laden heart at the feet of the Bairagi and sought his advise to expiate for the wrong done. The saint advised him to embrace Vaishnava dharma and to enthrone the image of Raghunathji which at that time, was lying in a temple at Ayodhya. Raja agreed to it. Shri Damodar Dass, a disciple of the Bairagi, was deputed for this purpose. He managed to decamp with the idol long with the Pujari from Ayodhya in July 1651. The idol was installed at Raghunathji's temple at Sultanpur and the raja voluntarily donated his entire kingdom to Raghunathji and started functioning as his vice-regent of the God. |
Bijli Mahadev Shrine
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Situated at an altitude of 2,438 metres (8,000 ft) and can be reached by a tough but rewarding climb through a 6 km long trek. From the temple site, a panoramic view of Kullu and Parvati valleys is available. A sixty feet high staff of Bijli manadeve Temple glistens like a silver needle in the sun, this is a bisible even from Kullu. In this Temple of Lightening , the tall staff attracts the divine blessing in the form of lightening, it is said. with every flash iof the lightening, coming down the staff, the Shinva Ling is shattered into pieces. These are put together by the priest and covered with satto and butter. The image is restored to its original oneness till another similar flash repeats the miracle. The cycle goes on. |
Devi Jaganath Temple
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It is a beautiful picnic spot at an altitude of 5,000 ft and at a distance of about 4.8 Km from Kullu. It can be covered through a bridle path.
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