''Golu Devta'' ( Kumaoni: गोलज्यू) is the God of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

state of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and is their

deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

. The Chitai Golu devta temple is the most celebrated temple dedicated to the deity and is about from the main gate of Binsar wildlife sanctuary & about from

Almora Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of the ...

. The other famous temple is located near

Bhowali Bhowali ( Kumaoni: ''Bhoāli'') is a town and a municipal board in Nainital District in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is situated at a distance of from the city of Nainital, the district headquarters; at an average elevation of from sea l ...

, next to the Sainik School, Ghorakhal. Golu dev used to travel far distances on his horse and used to meet people of his kingdom, in a practice called ''Golu Darbar'': Golu Dev used to hear the problems of the people and help them in any way possible. He had a special place for people in his heart and he was always ready to help them. Due to his complete dedication to people, he led a very simple life, following the principles of ''brahmacharya''. Golu dev still meets with his people and in many villages the practice of Golu darbar is still prevalent, where Golu dev appears in front of people, listens to their problems and helps people in every way possible. In present times, the most common form of Golu Dev Darbar is ''Jagar'

Golu Dev always had a special place in his heart for his white horse, and it is believed that he still rides his white horse to travel around. He is worshipped as the god of justice and he serves it well. HIs mantra is the follwoing: "Jai Nyay Devta Goljyu Tumar Jai ho. Sabuk lije dain haije" (Translation: 'Hail the God of justice: Goljyu! Blessings for everyone').!

Origin

Golu Devta is considered to be an incarnation of ''Gaur Bhairav'' (

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

), and is worshipped all over the region. He is regarded as the dispenser of justice by the devotees with extreme faith. Historically, he is considered as the brave son of king Jhal Rai and his wife Kalinka, and a general of Katyuri king. His grandfather was Hal Rai and great-grandfather was Hal Rai. Historically

Champawat Champawat ( Kumaoni: ''Champāvat'') is a town and a Nagar Palika Parishad in Champawat district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Champawat district. The town was the former capital of the Kumaon Kingd ...

is considered as the origin of Golu Devta. His mother Kalinka is believed to be the sister of two other local deities: Harishchand Devjyun (the divine spirit of Raja Harish of the Chands) and Sem Devjyun. Both deities are also regarded as Lord Golu's uncles. Tales about his birth differ from place to place, the most popular story about Golu talks of a local king who, while hunting, sent his servants to look for water. The servants disturbed a woman who was praying. The woman, in a fit of anger, taunted the king that he could not separate two fighting bulls and proceeded to do so herself. The king was very impressed by this deed and he married the lady. When this queen gave birth to a son, the other queens, who were jealous of her, replaced the boy for a stone, put him in a cage and cast it into the river. The child was brought up by a fisherman. When the boy grew up he took a wooden horse to the river and on being questioned by the queens, he replied that if women can give birth to stone, then wooden horses can drink water. When the king heard about this, he punished the guilty queens and crowned the boy, who went on to be known as Golu devta.Aditya, Malik. "Is Possession Really Possible? Towards a Hermeneutics of Transformative Embodiment in South Asia". In: Fabrizio M. Ferrari (ed.). ''Health and religious rituals in South Asia''. Routledge, 2011. pp. 30-31 (footnote nr. 13). . Golu Devta is seen in form of Lord Shiva, while his brother Kalva Devta is in form of Bhairava and Garh Devi is form of

Shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and rep ...

. Golu Devta is also prayed as a key deity (Ista/Kula Devta) in many villages in Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand. Normally three days pooja or 9 days pooja is performed to worship Lord Golu Devta, who is known as Goreel Devta in

Chamoli District Chamoli district is a district of the Uttarakhand state of India. It is bounded by the Tibet region to the north, and by the Uttarakhand districts of Pithoragarh and Bageshwar to the east, Almora to the south, Pauri Garhwal to the southwest, Ru ...

. Golu Devta is offered

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

, milk, curd, halwa, poori, and pakauri .Golu Devta is offered with White Cloths, white ''pagari'' and white ''shaal''. There are many temples of Golu Devata in Kumaun, and the most popular are at

Chitai :''"Chitai" is also a common name for the river loach '' Schistura montana. Chitai or Jethai is a village on the Almora-Pithoragarh highway, {{convert, 6, km, mi from Almora in Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttar ...

Ghorakhal Ghorakal is the place situated in the Nainital district of the Uttarakhand state of India Ghorakhal means pond for water to horses. It is the picturesque site at the height of more than 2,000 m. It is situated near Bhowali and is the seat ...

, Chamarkhan (Tehsil Tarikhet, District Almora). It is popular belief that Golu Devta dispenses quick justice to the devotee. Many devotees file a lot of written petitions daily, which are received by the temple. Goljyu is most respected god of Uttarakhand as he is like lord Ganesh of Uttarakhand. In every puja or any religious activities, the goljyu is invited.

References

Literature

* ''The History of Kumaun'' by Jay Uttarakhandi * ''Golu Devata The God of Justice of Kumaun Himalayas'' * "Kumaon:Kala,Shilp aur Sanskriti"

Origin

References

Literature

Further reading