Located around 15 km away from Rishikesh after Narendra Nagar, hidden in the mountains at an altitude of 1650m, Kunjapuri Devi Mandir offers breathtaking views of the sunrise and sunset above the Himalayas.
The temple is dedicated to deity Durga (the Universal Mother or Goddess Mata Durga Bhawani) and its legend is connected to goddess Parvati, Shiva’s wife. Details of the legend further below.
Kunjapuri is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas – places of worship consecrated to the female entity Shakti, the female principal in Hindu mythology and giver of life and fertility.
From the temple you get panoramic view across the Himalaya snow peaks – one can see almost all the peaks of Garhwal Himalayas e.g. Bandarpoonch (6316m), Swarga Rohini (6252m), Chaukhamba (7138m).
Recommended: instead of driving back, there is a beautiful and easy trek back to Rishikesh (3-4 hours).
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The legend: Sati, the consort of Shiva, was the daughter of king Daksha Prajapati, one of the Brahma’s sons. She had married Shiva against her father’s will. One day the vain Daksha performed a great yajna at Kankhala, to which he invited all of the gods and goddesses except his son in law Shiva and Sati. Sati wanted to attend this ceremony anyway, but Shiva refused his consent, he told her that her father would not treat her well, that his mind is tainted with malice due to excessive arrogance and anger. She was longing to see her mother and sisters though, so eventually Shiva agreed to let her go but sent an entourage of his ganas as bodyguard. (check also the Das Mahavidyas legend!)
As foreseen by Shiva, Sati being an uninvited guest was not given any respect, moreover her father Daksha insulted Shiva: during the ceremony she found that offerings had been made to all the gods except Shiva, which was a deliberate insult. So she went forward and told her father that he was cursed because he had not made obeisance to Lord Shiva. She said that she would give up her body which had been born from him and she had the name Dakshayini which meant, daughter of Daksha but she could not bear to be called that any more.
“No one, except you, father, would antagonize Lord Shiva who is unsurpassed and to whom no one is dear or hateful, who is the beloved Self of all embodied beings. People like you discover faults even in the virtues of others but there are some pious souls who never do so. My dear father, you are committing the greatest offense by envying Lord Shiva, whose very name, consisting of two syllables, shi and va, uttered with the tongue even once and that too casually, purifies one of all sin. His command is inviolable. Lord Shiva is always pure, and no one but you envies him. Him whose lotus feet are resorted to by great devotees, honey-bees as it were in quest of the nectar of the bliss of Brahman, to Him who is the friend and benefactor of the universe, to Him who showers every kind of blessing on those who seek it from Him, to Him you have added insult to injury.”
And Sita goes on like this: “I cannot bear to continue in this body born of you. This body of mine is now despicable. Persons like you who engage in fruitive activities by performing great sacrifices are concerned with satisfying their bodily necessities by eating foodstuff offered as a sacrifice. We can exhibit our opulences simply by desiring to do so. This can be achieved only by great personalities who are renounced, self-realized souls. Do not entertain a false notion that you are rich and powerful. I am ashamed to be called Dakshayani any more”.
So saying she sat down, invoked air and fire by yoga and her body was consumed by the fire so generated (she lifted her prana to the sahasrara chakra and gave up her life).
The ganas flew back to Shiva and gave him the news. He was furious and dashed a portion of his hair on the ground (out of which two fearsome figures called Bhadrakali and Virabhadra appeared). He went to the yajna venue place along with his ganas and not only destroyed the whole yajna but also killed Daksha. The gods then went to Vishnu and begged him to be allowed to complete the yajna. Shiva relented and he agreed to come along with them to give back life to Daksha, but now with a goat’s head. All of them went to the yajnashala to complete the ceremony. Lord Vishnu announced at the finale of the yajna as follows: “I am known as the supreme cause of the worlds, its soul, its ruler, the witness of everything, the self-effulgent being and attributeless Absolute. But in truth I am both Brahma and Rudra. I assume different names appropriate for the creation, sustenance and dissolution of the universe. He attains eternal peace who does perceive no difference among us three”.
Though Shiva had forgiven Daksha, he was filled with sorrow over the death of his wife. Grief stricken he carried around her lifeless body and was inconsolable. This launched the whole world into sorrow and no one knew how to get out of it. Then the gods went once again to Vishnu and begged him to restore order in the world and to stop Shiva. So Vishnu went after him and cut off Sati’s body with his disc, the Sudarshana chakra (disk-like weapon with serrated edges, used for the ultimate destruction of an enemy, considered to be the most powerful weapon in Hindu mythology). Sati’s body was cut into 108 pieces which fell down at different places which are the Shakti peethas – concentrated places of the divine mother’s energy.
According to hindu mythology the manifestation of the Sati Mata idol was done by Vishnu in 108 parts, however, the 51 Shakti Peeths are specifically sanctified spots, where a particular portion of the great Goddess’s body fell to earth.
At last when nothing more was left, Shiva came to his senses, but refused to talk to anyone, went to the Himalayas and started intense tapas. Kunjapuri is the place where Sati’s breast has fallen. Kankhal near Haridwar is where the Daksha yagna was done.
The saga goes on: the daughter of Daksha, after giving up her body was born anew and again chose Lord Shiva as her beloved husband.
