Maa Sureshwari Devi Temple.
Amidst the dense forests of Ranipur in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, there is a mysterious temple situated on Surkoot mountain whose mystery is related to the time of the gods. Maa Sureshwari Devi Temple, situated within the restricted limits of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, is known for its immense spiritual power. It is also counted among the Siddhapeethas. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga and Goddess Bhagwati. But for the last two days, instead of its peace, this holy place has been in the headlines for a high-profile wedding and the legal dispute arising out of it.
According to the information, when tents and luxury chairs loaded in trucks started reaching this reserved forest area on Saturday for the wedding of Anuj, son of Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Khajan Das, the ears of environment lovers stood up. This is the same area where the trumpeting of elephants and the sound of buzzards are common. According to forest rules, any kind of noise or big pandal is strictly prohibited in this silence zone.
As soon as the videos of VIP pomp went viral on social media, the forest administration came into action. Reaching the spot on Sunday morning, the officials not only stopped the preparations but also registered a case against the temple committee and uprooted the huge pandal set up in the middle of the forest.
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Mythological mystery: Where Indra became an ordinary human
The history of the temple about which there is so much uproar today is recorded in Kedarkhand of Skandpuran. Temple priest Trilochan Tiwari and Ashish Marwari of the temple committee say that this is no ordinary place. According to the legend, when Devraj Indra was expelled from the heavenly world and he hid in Kshir Sagar in fear of the sons of King Raji, then Lord Vishnu advised him to go to this Surkut mountain and do penance.
Indra practiced hard here like an ordinary human being. Pleased with his devotion, Mother Bhagwati appeared before him and blessed him for victory. Since one name of Indra is Suresh, hence this favorite goddess of the gods was named Sureshwari. It is believed that just by visiting here, skin diseases and leprosy are cured and children are blessed with happiness.
Also read: Minister’s son’s VIP wedding was to be held in the forest; pandal uprooted amid ruckus, function completed in just 7 rounds
Simplicity of 7 rounds and minister’s argument
Seeing the controversy increasing, Minister Khajan Das clarified that his son’s health had improved only due to the blessings of Mother Sureshwari, hence he wanted to get married here only out of devotion. Terming it a political conspiracy, he said that he was not informed about the rules. Ultimately, on Sunday afternoon, amid huge uproar and strictness of the forest department, the grand wedding program was severely limited. The minister’s son simply took 7 rounds of the mother’s court amidst the peace of the forest and offered prayers.
Pain and unresolved questions of devotees
While on one hand the VIP rituals were going on, on the other hand common devotees looked worried. Be it devotees from Gujarat or local residents, many people were turned back from the gate itself. The big question is that when this is a restricted area of the Tiger Reserve, how did the forest personnel posted at the gate allow trucks and tent goods to go inside without permission? Are the rules only for the general public or do the forest laws dwarf the VIP influence?
