Shree Om Bakreshwor Mahadev
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Lord Hails You All
Nearby the Manakamana temple, there is a shrine of Lord Mahadev
By Dil Bahadur Basnet
“Shall we visit Manakamana?” asked my intimate colleague Bishwo Mani Upreti, a resident of Kuleshwor on the New Year’s Eve. I replied, “I have an assignment for a feature article to be mailed by Friday. So, I can’t.” He convinced me, “There is Bakreshwor shrine, just half an hour of walking ahead of Manakamana temple, which could be a good topic for your undertaking.” His idea helped me in brainstorming, and we had a trip to Manakamana early morning of the New Year 2007.
We reached Manakamana around 10:00 am but we could worship Goddess Bhagawati at 11:30 am due to the long queue of devotees. Since our ultimate destination was Bakreshwor shrine, we didn’t waste a single moment.
Shree Om Bakreshwor: Mahadev shrine lies at Manakamana VDC-1 of Gorkha, and about 1500 meters above the sea level. Stones of Shree Ganesh, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Parvati, Indrayani, Bramrayani, Saraswati, Bageshwori, Panchabhairav, Bajrabhairav, Uttarayani, Bindabasini, Gadoor, Nagnageni are at the shrine. There are four hills with Chhimkeswori temple above Aanbukhaireni (Tanahun) in the south-west, Ichchhakamana temple above Kuringhat (Chitwan) in the south-east, and Manakamana temple in the south of Bakreshwor.
“Wherever the organs of Satyadevi dropped, there emerged Shiva Linga. Accordingly, as the tongue of Satyadevi happened to drop here, Bageshwori along with Mahadev emerged here. It can be heard distinctly even in sacred hymns of swasthani.Hence, it is calledBakreshwor Mahadev,” informed a 61-year old priest Fadendra Bahadur Lamichhane Chhetri.
He is of the view that he belongs to the seventh generation of priests paying homage to Bakreshwor. He further said that people who cannot speak or those who stammer can be cured once they visit the shrine. There is also a faith that the desires are fulfilled if any promise made to offer something to shrine is duly carried out.
In case of unprecedented happenings (e.g., casualties, mourning, sickness), Lila Bahadur Aryal Chhetri undertakes all the responsibilities.
By the time, the priest Lamichhane was relating about the history, backwardness and potentiality of shrine, Nawaraj Lamichhane, one among the two pilgrims from Cheres, nearby Kurintar, came to the holy place. He opined, “I’ve come with a conviction to fulfill my dreams following my worship.”
The priest Lamichhane said that from five to fifty-five pilgrims would normally call on the shrine everyday. Saturdays and all the seasons except the Rainy one have proved to be proper time for many God/Goddess followers to drop in on the shrine. Moreover, pious people swarm throughout swasthani brata. Fair is organized on the occasion of Teej and Shiva Ratri. Students, teachers and people from all walks of life have also started thronging to the site to celebrate picnic. Unfortunately, there are also moments no one looks up the shrine!
“The Guthi had been taking care of all the management before the restoration of democracy in 1990,” the priest Lamichhane bemoaned, “Currently, I have been bearing all expenses incurred in reverence for the last several years.”
“Though we approached Chiranjibi Wagle, MP with a request for the renovation of guthi and development of shrine, we have received no reply till date,” complained the priest Lamichhane.
There was a collection of Rs 475,866 from Din Bandhu, a son of late pundit Narayan Prasad Pokhrel, who held a weeklong Bhagwat. Similarly, the contribution of Rs 333,333 by a Kathmandu-based organization named Tettiskoti Debdarshan Jamat. It is learnt that the total amount shall be invested for the construction of Bakreshwor temple.
The shrine owns around three ‘ropanis’ of land, covered by useful trees like Rudraksha, Lali Gurans, Chilaune, Rubber, and flowers like Chameli, Gulaf, Samundra, Bahramase, Wakali, Sano Jai, Thulo Jai among many varieties. There is a huge Kabro tree, with two huge branches already broken, at the western corner of the Bakreshwor. Its new shoots are used for making pickle.
There is a Ganesh temple at the Bakreshwor premises built five years ago. Nearby, there is a Bageshwori cave, and fifteen minutes further there is a cave of late Siddha Lakhan Thapa (the first priest of Manakamana temple).
Shree Om Bakreshwor: Mahadev is there to hail you all visiting to Manakamana temple for your well-being.
(Basnet is an internee)
