Maa Bamleshwari Devi
Bambleshwari Devi is an ancient temple located in Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh. Goddess Bamleshwari Devi is a manifestation of Goddess Durga Devi. The temple is situated on a hilltop placed at a height of thousand six hundred feet.
Devotees climb a thousandfold stair to reach the temple. This temple is also known as Badi Bambleshwari. Another temple of Chhotti Bambleshwari is situated about half a km away from the main temple complex of Goddess Bambleshwari Devi.
This temple is revered by many people of Chhattisgarh who flock to the shrine all around the year. After the renovation work, the temple structure is tiled with marble throughout with 'Gumbad' made with one-kilo gram Gold.
History of Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple
Goddess Bamleshwari Devi is a manifestation of Goddess Durga Devi. The temple was built around two thousand two hundred years ago. As per legacy, King Veersen considered the birth of his son as a blessing of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and constructed this temple for Goddess Bambleshwari Devi.
King Madansen had a son named as Kaamsen. A big battle took place between king Kamsen and king Vikramaditya, due to the love between musician Maadhavnal and Kaamkandla, who was a bayadere. Legacy says that after the death of Maadhavnal & Kaamkandala, King Vikramaditya felt guilty as it was his mistake due to which Maadhavnal & Kaamkandala lost their lives.
He thought that he was responsible for their death. He underwent deep meditation to get rid of this pain. Maa Bagulamukhi Devi appeared in front of him. King Vikramaditya requested the goddess to restore the lives of Maadhavnal and Kaamkandala. He also asked Bagulamukhi Devi to stay at this temple.
Since then, Goddess Bagulamukhi Devi has been present at this temple. After, the name changed from Goddess Bagulamukhi to Goddess Bamleshwari Devi.
Architecture of Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple
Built on Hindu temple architecture, Maa Bagulamukhi Devi is an open, symmetry-driven structure, with many variations, on a square grid of padas, depicting perfect geometric shapes such as circles and squares. To reach this holy destination, devotees have to climb 1100 stairs. There is also a ropeway path, built keeping in mind the comfort level of the devotional climbers.
