The Mehandipur Balaji Temple is a Hindu temple in the Mehandipur village of the Dausa district in Rajasthan dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The temple is famous for ridding people of evil spirits and black magic. There are reports of curing incurable diseases as well. Millions of people visit the temple yearly. The place is overcrowded on Tuesdays because Tuesday is the day of Lord Hanuman per Hindu beliefs.
Why is a Hanuman Temple Named After Balaji?
Tirupati Balaji is the richest and one of the most popular Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Therefore, most Hindus think that Balaji is the name of Lord Vishnu only. But in many parts of India, Lord Hanuman is also called Balaji. The child form of Lord Hanuman is known as Bala. Therefore, despite being dedicated to Lord Hanuman, this temple is known as the Mehandipur Balaji Temple.
The temple is also known as Ghata Mehandipur Temple because it is located in a valley (ghati) formed by two mountains.
You May Also Like To Read: Names of Lord Hanuman
History of Mehandipur Balaji:
The history of the temple is about 1000 years old. There was a dense forest in place of the temple before. Once, the ancestors of the present Mahant (priest) of the temple, Ganeshpuriji Maharaj, had a dream, and he started sleepwalking. He reached a weird place where he saw thousands of lamps were lit and an army. The chief of the army stopped at a place and paid respect to the place. Then, the army went away.
The scared priest returned home. Then he had one more dream in which he saw three gods and a magnificent temple. He also heard a voice that told him to serve the gods, but the priest did not pay attention to the dream. Therefore, Lord Balaji appeared before him and ordered him to serve him.
The next day, the priest told about his experiences to villagers. The villagers dig at the place and found an idol of Lord Hanuman there. They built a small temple there and started worshipping.
Idols in the Temples:
There are idols of three main deities in the temple. One is of Lord Hanuman. The second one is of Pretaraj Sarkar, and the third one is of Bhairava Kotwal. None of the idols is created by humans but are part of a mountain.
The Specialty of Balaji Idol:
The idol of Lord Hanuman is carved into a mountain and hence is immovable. It has a hole in its left chest from where water flows continuously. This water is collected in a tank at its feet and is distributed as Tirtha among devotees after mixing some water in it. Some devotees believe that it is the perspiration of Lord Hanuman. The idol is situated in such a way that it always faces the idols of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita.
Unwritten Rules to Follow Before and After Visiting the Temple:
1. One should not eat non-veg, onions, or garlic or drink alcohol for at least a week before visiting the temple.
2. Do not talk with or touch strangers because there might be possessed people around the temple and it can affect you.
3. Don’t give or take anything from anyone, let it be Prasadam also.
4. You must eat the Prasadam in the temple only. You cannot take any eatables outside the temple. One should also not take any drink or fragrant material with you.
5. Don’t look back while leaving the temple.
6. Those who do Arji in the temple should not eat onion, garlic, or nonveg or drink alcohol for 41 days after visiting the temple.
7. You cannot offer anything from outside in the temple.
8. Don’t apply oil to hair or use soap because evil spirits are attracted to fragrance.
No Prasadam is Offered by the Temple:
Generally, in Hindu temples, the priest offers prasadam to devotees, but in this temple, there are different rules. Here, one needs to buy their own prasadam from the shop on the premises only. From that prasadam, some part is given back to the devotees.
Black-Colored Balls:
Many shopkeepers try to sell black-colored balls made of food. The devotees buy them because refusing it is considered bad. Then the devotee needs to take it around his body five times and throw it in the ritual fire.
Arji and Darkhwast:
Arji and Darkhwast are two of the most important rituals in the temple. All devotees need to put Darkhast, but only those who have some kind of problem and seek resolution should do Arji.
To know how to do Arji and Darkhast, please read this article.
Sawamani:
It is another ritual in the temple. Devotees, who want their wish to be fulfilled, promise god to offer Sawa Man (50 kg) laddu in return after their wish is fulfilled. The story behind this offering is as follows:
Once, there was a jeweler named Seth Hiralal in Jaipur who was blessed with a child after 12 years of his marriage. As he was his only son, Hiralal and his wife used to love him a lot. Once while playing, he fell from a roof and became unconscious. They tried everything they could to cure him, but everything was in vain.
Then, he came across an ascetic who advised him to do Arji in Mehandipur Balaji Temple. He went to the temple and promised to offer 50 kg of a gold throne to Lord Hanuman if his son is cured. Crying and devastated, he slept in front of the Balaji Maharaj idol. Then, Lord Hanuman came in his dream and told him that his son was cured, but he should offer 50 kg of laddu instead of gold because other devotees might not be able to offer that much gold to him.
When Hiralal woke up, he found that his son was cured. Therefore, he offered 50 kg of laddus to Lord Hanuman. The offering of Sawa Mann laddu by Hiralal is known as Sawamani Prasadam. Since that time, the devotees whose wishes are fulfilled offer 50 kg of laddu to Lord Hanuman.
Other Things to See Around the Mehandipur Balaji Temple:
There are three main places to worship; the main temple, Samadhiwale Baba Mandir, and Teen Pahadi Mandir. There are many other small temples around the main temple.
Samadhiwale Baba Temple is dedicated to Ganeshpuriji Maharaj, who was the first priest of the temple. He likes jalebi. Therefore, devotees offer it to him.
Don’t Get Scared if you Hear People Screaming:
As the Mehandipur Balaji Temple is famous for exorcism, many victims came to the temple, and the people appointed by the temple authority help them get rid of spirits. But the techniques used in the temple might sound barbaric and unscientific to some people. The exorcism is not done in the temple itself, but there is a separate place to do it. Many victims are tied by chains to the rocks and beaten. No food or water is given to them until the spirit leaves the body.
But these methods are used in extreme cases only. Many times mantra chanting and music are used to drive away evil spirits.
How to Reach Mehandipur Balaji Temple?
By Train: You can reach Bandikui, which is the closest railway station to the temple. You will need to travel 50 minutes from there to the temple.
By Air: You can reach Jaipur Airport by airplane and reach the temple by hiring a cab from there.
By Road: There are buses available to reach the temple from Delhi and Agra. Jaipur to Balaji distance is 110 km and can take around 2 hours to reach by taxi.
Places to Visit Near Mehandipur Balaji Temple:
If you visit the temple, you can also enjoy visiting some places in Dausa.
1. Gatolav Bird Habitat.
2. Gopinath Temple.
3. Harshat Mata Temple.
4. Bara Baoli.
6. Fort Madhogarh.
7. Someshwar Temple.
8. Giriraj Dharan Mandir.
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