The Mahakal Temple or Mahakal Mandir ( ne, महाकाल मन्दिर. Translation: The master of ''
Kaalime
Ime is a village in Lindesnes municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located on the east side of the river Mandalselva, along the European route E39 highway. Ime is an eastern suburb of the town of Mandal. Ime might be considered ...
') is a sacred
Hindu temple
A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...
located in
Darjeeling
Darjeeling (, , ) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal, ...
in the state of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
, India dedicated to the Hindu god
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 ...
, the third god in the
Hindu triumvirate. The Temple was built in 1782 by Lama Dorjey Rinzing and is perched atop the
Observatory Hill in Darjeeling and is an amalgamation of Hindu and Buddhist religions. It is a unique religious site where both religions coexist harmoniously.
History
Mahakal Temple stands as a historical edifice on the spot where a
Buddhist Monastery named 'Dorje-Ling' once stood which was built by Lama Dorjey Rinzing in 1765. Prior to that it is believed that the spot was a sacred spot of the aboriginal Lepcha folks. Later a monastery was constructed on the spot and worshipped by both
Lepchas and
Bhutias.
It was after the invasion of the Gurkha Army around 1788 that the monastery was desecrated and destroyed by the invading troops and in course of time the sacred place overwhelmingly began to represent the Hindu symbolisms of the majority Nepali community. Legend has it that three
Shiva-Lingas representing
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
,
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
and
Maheshwar (Shiva) manifested themselves at the site in 1782. The monastery itself was plundered and destroyed in 1815 during the
Gorkha invasion after which it was shifted to
Bhutia Busty
Bhutia Busty is a small town located at Darjeeling Municipality area in West Bengal. The famous Bhutia Busty Monastery is also located at this place. It belongs to the Red Sect of Tibetan Buddhist
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as ...
about a mile away and was called the
Bhutia Busty Monastery. The Temple is a much revered and visited religious shrine of the area.
Legend has it that the name Darjeeling was derived from the name of the monastery 'Dorje-Ling' itself.
Temple complex
The main Mahakal temple is devoted to Shiva and it witness devotees from all sections of society and religions most visiting the temple for both leisure or pilgrimage. Bells and hundreds of colorful prayer flags line the up-hill walk and the shrine.
The three gold plated
Lingam
A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...
s inside the main temple represent Hindu Gods
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
,
Bishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Prese ...
and
Maheswar. There are idols of
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
alongside the Lingams where both a Hindu priest and a Buddhist monk perform religious rituals and offer prayers simultaneously.
Within the temple complex is a white '
chorten' (Tibetan memorial shrine) where lies the relics of Dorjey Rinzing Lama the original builder of the site. Dotted around are many other smaller shrines and temples dedicated to
Goddess Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In this tradit ...
,
Goddess Durga, Saat Kanya Bhagavati Devi,
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
,
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
,
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
,
Shirdi Sai Baba,
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
,
Goddess Parvati,
Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...
and other Gods and Goddesses.
Location
![31a Darjeeling Tempeleingang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/31a_Darjeeling_Tempeleingang.JPG)
Mahakal Temple is located behind the
Chowrasta and encircled by the Mall Road on the ridge of Darjeeling town. The approach is an uphill narrow road about 100 yards from the Mall and is accessible by foot only.
Geographic significance
The Observatory Hill itself is rich in flora and fauna unique to the
Himalayan range of mountains and the full range of third highest peak in the world mount
Kanchenjunga
Kangchenjunga, also spelled Kanchenjunga, Kanchanjanghā (), and Khangchendzonga, is the third List of highest mountains on Earth, highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', wh ...
can be witnessed from atop the temple complex.
See also
*
Chowrasta Darjeeling
*
Observatory Hill, Darjeeling
*
Bhutia Busty Monastery
*
Dhirdham Temple
References
{{coord missing, West Bengal
Shiva temples in West Bengal
Temples in India
Places in Hindu worship
Tourist attractions in Darjeeling
Buildings and structures in Darjeeling district