Bansi Narayan Temple - Chamoli, Uttarakhand

Bansi Narayan Temple - This Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and it is located at a distance of appx 10 Kms from Bansa Village and surrounded by beautiful grassy meadows of urgam valley in the Joshimath region of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

The Most Surprising Fact of the temple that the temple is open just for a single day on the auspicious day of rakshabhandan for all the other days of the year temple remains closed. This temple is also considered to be the Temple of Lord Krishan Hence  "Bansi" & Narayan temple. according to local folks, the real devotee of Lord Krishna can even hear the sound of flute here also it is even associated with Krishna ras Leela place in other tales.

 The Temple considered to be built in between 06th to 7th century, with a height of only 10 feet from the ground temple is constructed in "Nagar architecture" the ''Grabh Grah(where idols are placed) is Square shaped, the temple consists the idol of '' Chaturbhuja'' idol of lord Vishnu (four hands idol of lord Vishnu) in which one can even depict the lord shiva Image also the other idols of god-like Ganesha could be seen.

The popular myth which goes around this temple is that Narad : Rishi himself used to pray here all the time of Lord vishnu for rest of the day only one day when temple get opened human is allowed to pray here, the story behind the same is that when Lord  vishnu incarnated as "Vaman Avatar" and took entire land & the universe in his just two steps for the third step King Bali offered Lord Himself and offered Him as his head to place his third step, its than Bali Got the kingdom of Patal Lok.

He requested Lord for his safety and urge lord himself to be his gate-keeper lord vishnu accepted this and went with him in his kingdom of  " paatal lok" 

For some days when Ma Lakshmi didn't see God, she asked Narad Muni the whereabouts of Vishnu .Narad ji took her to the palace of Raja Bali and showed her how, bound with the devotion of bhaktas, Prabhu Vishnu was serving as a Dwarpal

it is said only here Maa Lakshmi cames to this temple where Narad ji was offering daily prayer to lord vishnu, only that one day  he could not offer prayers when he went with maa lakshmi to paatallok to rescue the lord itself.  maa lakshmi tied the Raksha-Bandhan on the wrist of king bali. and he in return as a gift he got the god released from the duty.

 

                                                             Bansi Narayan Temple

for that one Auspicious day of Raksha-Bandhan Humans are allowed to perform prayers, for the rest of the days of the year it is still considered that Narad ji do prayers
for all other days of the year, on Raksha-Bandhan when temples get opened only priests from the nearby villagers perform prayers.

 also, local villagers around the temple girls tied here first the raksha-sutra to lord Vishnu and then only after that they tied raksha -sutra to his brothers

This is also a beautiful trek bansi Narayan trek which is quite famous among trekkers. the trek begins from Devgram (6,614 ft), a village in the Urgam valley.Trek to Mulakharak and than further to bansi Narayan temple. ghanta karna mandir (chertrapal bhumiyal ) temple is also in between the way.

Laatu Devta Temple - Chamoli, Uttarakhand

Latu Devta Temple- Many of us would not have heard of the diety name but Latu Devta is considered to be important diety which is been worshipped in Uttarakhand There are many stories behind the same, Latu Devta Temple is located at Malla Suya, block-Dewal, Chamoli, Uttarakhand which opens only for One Day  in a whole year on Baishakh Purnima.

Laatu Devta Temple

There are popular Myths of the origin of this temple which is associated with Lord Parvati(Nanda Devi) it's been said there was no brother of Devi Parvati Hence she always wished to have a brother so to get the regular news and sweets from his home on her intentions Lord Shiva  suggests Parvati to Make a Dharam Brother(Brother by rituals) from Kanauj king son He got two Sons So Lord Shiva Suggested  to make younger latu as his  brothern listening to this Devi, Parvati got very Happy and she decided to go to her Home (Maayke)which is in risasu and from thereafter taking the permission of her mother & father she leaves for Kanauj where Maina Devi the wife of Kanauj king see her after seeing her she becomes very happy as she always wanted a daughter on the request from Devi Parvati to Make her as a daughter and Latu as his brother she agrees after a little thought She Filled with Hapiness and joy since he got a borther now and returned to his parents home along with his brother Laatu

Now after some days spending at her home its time to return to Kailash on this not only his brother latu but the whole region comes along to bid farewell to Devi Nanda en-route there was a river at vaan village where Devi Parvati decides to take a bath, while Lattu accompanying her felt thirsty so he approaches one old person in the village to quench his thirst the old person point two Large pots (one was filled with water but other with liquor) and advises him that one  is filled with water he can drink from the same, on this Laatu quickly approaches the Pot and start gulping it and complete the entire Port at once but he mistakenly Gulps out the entire liquor instead of water at this he completely loosen up his control and start making trouble in the village 

After seeing the acts of his Dharma Bhai (Laatu) Maa Nanda Devi get offended and she becomes very furious and decides to punish his brother and advises the people to Lock him inside a room for entire his life as a punishment Here. later on, when Laatu comes up in senses he filled with very much guilt on his acts and Nanda Devi too she realizes her Mistake while judging too fast and hence 

 She gives a boon to Laatu that He would be worshiped as a deity in this very temple and every after 12 Years when Nanda Devi Rajjat Yatra procession will occur he would be worshiped too along with Devi and from vaan village he in fact would lead the procession until Hemkund.

                   

                          Nanda Devi Raj- Jat Yatra Uttarakhand

This occurs every 12 Years the procession of Maa Nanda Devi Raj-Jat yatra the longest procession pedestrian of Uttarakhand  (Devotees have to travel around 280 km by foot. The  procession starts from Nauti village in Karanprayag and passes through various rituals, village and temples.)its 12th Halt here at Vaan Village from where his brother Diety Laatu leads the procession until Hemkund.

One of The other astonishing fact about this temple is one cannot enter inside the temple in-fact priest when enters temple he enters the temple with his eyes nose mouth covered with a piece of cloth so that he cannot see anything inside this is because it is considered that Laatu is Still present in this place but in the form of '' Nagaraj" (king of Serpents)along with its Mani (Diamond) the reason behind is so the priest could not see since the view of same as the crystal Shine is so much that it could make one blind also Nagaraj should not sense any of the Human presence in form of smell or utter word hence these precautions.

Even the Devotees cannot visit inside they can only feel the deity presence with a range of 75 feet away from the temple on every year on Baisakh Purnima when the temple open for worship there is fair which took place Here and a large number of devotees come across the regions not only from the state but from the country to pray at this place and take the blessing of Deity Laatu.

 

Laatu Devta Temple