Journey to Divinity: Exploring the Mystique of Badoli Devi Temple in Bilaspur
Badol Devi Temple stands proudly on a hill in the village of Badol, situated in the Bilaspur District of Himachal Pradesh. Positioned just 3 km away from Gehrwin on the Gehrwin – Dhanathar road, this sacred site is dedicated to Goddess Durga, revered locally as Badol Devi, representing the embodiment of Mother Shakti.
A fascinating legend is intertwined with the history of this temple. It is recounted that an elderly villager named Bhura made a peculiar discovery when his cow consistently shed her milk at a specific location. Perplexed by this unusual occurrence, Bhura attempted to prevent the cow from returning to that spot. Despite his efforts, the cow persisted in reaching the same place daily to shed her milk. Fearing some enchantment, Bhura decided to take drastic measures and wielded an axe.
To his astonishment, as he struck the cow, milk flowed from her wounds instead of blood. The cow fled, and in his attempt to follow her, Bhura lost his eyesight. Strangely, upon his return home, he discovered that his vision had been miraculously restored.
Upon sharing this extraordinary incident with the villagers, it was collectively decided to excavate the spot where the cow had shed her milk. To their amazement, they unearthed a ‘pindi’ representing Goddess Durga.
The King of Bilaspur had two wives, and each of them constructed a temple at the location where the idol was discovered. A dispute arose over which temple would house the pindi of the Goddess. Legend has it that the younger wife built the temple out of deep faith, while the elder one acted out of envy. One night, the pindi mysteriously became installed in the younger queen’s temple and resisted any attempt to be moved.
Thus, the pindi and its corresponding temple became renowned as Goddess Badol Devi, representing one of the manifestations of Mother Shakti or Goddess Durga.
