SA Travel Diaries: The Daandi Temple of the Ghosts, Kotkhai, Shimla by Shaurya Negi

The view from Daandi

The temple at Daandi is placed inside the dense forests of Kotkhai and Balsan tehsils of district Shimla . It can easily be reached by vehicle from Shimla and is approximately  60 k.m. from the main city.

The forest belt of Daandi with adjoining villages of Kotkhai

This temple has been constructed amidst the deep forests and can be reached by vehicle. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is built in a ground. The main temple is made up of stone and cement as it was reconstructed in late 1970’s. Earlier it was made up of stone and wood.

According to the locals the temple has its origin since early 1900’s. On festivals like Nag Panchami, Shivratri, Dusshera and beginning on the Monsoon season which according to Hindu religion is dedicated to Lord Shiva the temple is lit up with diyas and lights.

The Daandi Temple of Lord Shiva

About 50 meters from  Daandi  in the adjoining forest is a shrine built up which is known as the  Bhoothnaath Temple by the village folks. It is made in a premises marked by small pebbles engraved in sand mould. The shrine is surrounded by trees and greenery on all sides.

 The surrounding greenery of the shrine

Inside the square shaped small ground stands a shrine which is in the form of a cave with a small hole on the front face to keep the sacred thread or mauli, fruits and other offerings. The top or Shikha of this shrine has a bell made up of copper and this bell slides down and rests in this hole. Nobody is allowed to touch the Shikha of the temple as it is sacred except for the head priest who is incharge and head of the temple. The shrine is made up of stone put together with the help of wet sand and till date stands intact. It dates back to the Satyug or the era where gods and devils existed according to the locals.

   The stone figurine of the Bhootha

This shrine is dedicated to the Aghori or Bhooth avatar of Lord Shiva. It is sacred to people who believe in Lord Shiva. People often believe that it is necessary to visit this shrine as many times as they visit the main temple. The story behind the shrine and the temple dates back to the age when gods and devils existed parallel to humans. It is believed that the forest of Daandi was haunted by a ghost and he also hunted down the passengers he thought indulged in some kind of bad activity. Then Lord Shiva himself killed the ghost or the Bhooth of Daandi and gave him the powers to act as the guard of the entire area. It is said that the Bhooth of Daandi  till dates guards the villages around from all negative powers. Then he was turned into a shrine made up of stone and the entire structure of the body was made in a manner that the body parts were upside down or facing the opposite directions.

                    

Initially there was a small shrine or a structure of stone that was laid down in a small ground of the region and it was called ‘Goomtti’. Then an initiative was taken up by the ‘Negi’ family of village Halaila of Kotkhai to built a temple in Daandi and construct a proper temple in Daandi. The locals of the area say that if a coin is thrown in a pit which is right below the shrine of the Bhooth, it creates some kind of sound which echoes and  can be heard for a long time.

 The front face of the Shrine

                                                

Another striking feature of Daandi  is Badher. This place can be reached by climbing up the hill for about 4-5 k.m from Daandi. Badher is a ground with grass and weeds on all of its surface and a small puddle. It is believed that the protagonists of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Pandavas came here while they were on exile. They celebrated Diwali in this area. Till date it is said that one who visits Badher still finds pieces of diyas. Also common amongst the locals is that if a person visits Badher  to seek Diyas, he or she never finds one. A person who believes that he will find them and believes in good deeds always finds them!

The grounds of Badher

                                                      

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It is the rich heritage that Himachal Pradesh and the inner areas of it tend to carry in heart.

Whether true or not, incidents have happened which support the faith of these locals. One incident which is common among the locals is that once a lady who turned into a witch visited the village and many cows along with small kids were eaten alive by them. The Bhooth of Daandi came down to the village with a Trishool, a weapon of Lord Shiva to unt down the witch. The witch was made to run off and then killed outside the village areas.

It is the faith and belief of the people which keeps the heritage and traditions alive!