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Gauri Shankar Temple |
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| The 800 year old Gauri Shankar Temple is located
next to the Digambar Jain Temple on the main Chandni Chowk road
amidst the mixed fragrance of numerous flowers displayed for
sale in the nearby flower shops. One of the most important temples
of Shaivism (a sect of Hinduism that worships Lord Shiva) in
the country, it has an 800-year-old brown lingam (phallus stone)
encased in a marble representation of a female organ. Surrounded
by snakes made of silver, the lingam according to Hinduism represents
a 'cosmic pillar, the center of universe, the life itself'. |
| As the legend goes that a Maratha Hindu Soldier,
Apa Ganga Dhar who had always worshipped Lord Shiva was badly
injured during a battle and the chances of his survival were
very bleak. He prayed to his deity and promised to build a temple
if he survived. Miraculously he survived against all odds and
built this temple. His name is inscribed in Hindi at the lower
end of the spire near the main entrance. However, the present
building of the temple is new, probably constructed in 1959
by Seth Jaipuria, as the other inscription in Hindi over the
windows declares. |
| The entrance of the temple, which has a flight
of marble steps and flanking pillars carved with chains and
bells, leads directly to the courtyard. Always bustling with
the activities of the devotees, the courtyard has all the necessary
items of the puja for Lord Shiva like sandalwood paste, flowers,
bilva leaves and rice, on sale for the devotees to buy. The
unique attraction of the courtyard is a marble chair of Bhagat
Swaroup Bramachari, a Hindu saint who spent more than 50 years
in the temple. It is his portrait and sandals that are kept
here with his teachings about methods to achieve enlightenment. |
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| Inside the temple are idols of Lord Shiva, his
consort Parvati (Gauri-Shankar) and their two sons, Ganesh,
the elephant headed and Kartik, the god of war. The idols of
Lord Shiva and Parvati, wearing real gold jewellery are situated
just behind the lingam under the silver canopy. The lingam too
has a silver water vessel above it from which droplets of water
continuously fall. The other attraction here is the wall behind
the idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati, which has beautiful silver
paintings depicting the scenes from the life of Lord Shiva.
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| Visitors would definitely enjoy their visit,
as they will come to know about a lot of interesting things
and facts about the temple, Hindu religion and the different
and unique ways of devotees trying to connect to the 'Supreme
Soul' in their own way. |
| The temple also has a free homeopathic clinic. |
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