Explore the Spectacular Spiritual and Natural Wonders of Budhinanda in Bajura, Nepal

Bajura district is a district with great potential from religious, cultural, historical and tourist point of view. There are various types of culture, lifestyle, costumes, arts, literature, creativity, language, style and tradition. Religious tolerance, unity and harmony are maintained.

Bajura district is behind in the human development index, but it is rich in terms of religious, cultural, historical, touristic, water, land and herbal resources. A musk has sin in its navel, but just like a musk does not recognize its habitation and sin in its body, because Bajura cannot identify and publicize the resources and resources within it, it has proved to be like a crow’s belch.

If the political parties, people’s representatives, leaders, social workers, intellectuals, civil society and conscious citizens of Bajura district unite and take initiatives to make the Bajura district known from the religious, cultural, historical and touristic perspectives, there is a lot of potential for tourism. Among the areas and places with touristic, religious, historical, cultural and mythological potential in Bajura district, Budhinanda is a famous religious and touristic place.

Historical background of Budhinanda

The famous religious and historical Budhinanda shrine located in Budhinanda Municipality Ward No. 4 of Bajura District is considered to be religiously, touristically, mythologically and historically important. Himali rural municipality of Bajura district to the east, Gaumul rural municipality and Saipal Himal of Bajhang to the west, Phulaigumwa and Ranisain of Himali rural municipality to the north, and ward no. of Budhninda municipality to the south. 4 Kuru and upper area Ward no. 3 includes Taligothi and Nuri settlements.

If we look at the meaning of Budhinanda, Budhi means elder, Nanda means unmarried girl. It is said that Budhinanda Mai Bhagwati is the eldest among the nine Mother Goddesses. Since the goddess is also a goddess and unmarried, the proverb is called Budhinanda Mai. It is said that Budhinanda Mai became an incarnation of Sati Devi because her big toe fell off, but this is not mentioned in the Purana.

According to Sukdev, the son of Vyasa Rishi, in the fifth chapter of the 8th Skanda of Sukhsagar, Sage Swayambhu Manu, before the birth of man, performed penance in Paduka in order to see Lord Vishnu. It is said that the name Paduka has remained because Lord Vishnu fell on his feet.

After the death of Manu Rishi, Rishi’s wife Satarupa went sati. It is mentioned that after the sage’s wife Satrupa passed away, she was born in the form of a golden deer and went to Budhinanda.

In this way, as time passes with the development of mankind, after a long time, the then ward no. Dajbhai named Danepallane 8 had a house in a place called Motedhunga. They were great hunters. They used to kill deer with bows and arrows.

In the custom of that time, it was customary to put poison on the tip of the arrow and hunt. One day, while two brothers were hunting, the poison in Bankotuppa fell on the land where barley was grown in a place called Mote Dhunga. Thidajubhai has predicted whether the barley crop will grow or not. Barley is very old. After bringing in the barley crop in the month of Ashadha, those brothers have gone back to hunting. At the same time, the wife of his house threw the barley brought to the house. When the barley was about to be dried, a deer came and ate all the barley.

Seeing this, the deer ate all the bisque that the wives of both of them had left to dry at home. You go to play deer hunting. The wives of both of them asked and informed that the deer did not keep anything. Both of them have prepared a dog in their house, waiting for the deer to be hunted, saying that they will come to eat the deer tomorrow. The deer has come to eat the dried bisque as usual.

Both of them are not going to shoot the deer. Even when the dog was prepared, it was unable to kill the deer and chased it away. While the chased deer is tricking, sometimes seen and sometimes not seen, Kasturi disguised as a deer was seen at Chowkilake and they reached Chowkilake chasing the deer. This is also where Bhagwati lives.

Even there, unable to kill deer, both hunting brothers and hunting dogs chased them and reached a place called Chundhuska. There too, they reached a place called Musepani after not being able to kill the deer by shooting arrows. From there, they reached Chapre chasing deer. The musk deer has disappeared from here. It was night when we reached there. While looking for shelter here, they found a big den and stayed there. The night passed and the morning dawned.

Above here, the front of the hunter is seen again. What was the surprise of the hunter brothers when they saw the musk deer. It was definitely a hoax. They shot arrows to kill this musk deer anyway. Not even an arrow. Even a hunting dog taken along cannot hunt.

While Kasturi was chasing the deer, the deer ran away and went to graze in Launi Vinayak Patan. Even after reaching there, the deer reached the cowshed without being able to shoot the arrow. When you reach here, disguised as a deer and disguised as a hermit father, you came in front of those two hunter brothers. Where are you going?

This is the place where Bhagwati bestows blessings. Here, if you ask, you will be rewarded according to your wishes. They went back and forth to kill the begging musk deer as they wished. Chani Dah has reached from there. While going there, the deer went around Chanidah and reached a place called Dhanbhandar. When the hunter brothers go before the deer and then the hunters follow, that form has been hidden by the deer and hastily entered in the manner of an unconcerned deer.

The two hunter brothers are very tired and hungry. They are sitting there. There comes a weed and kill it with an arrow. The elder Dai Dane sleeps due to hunger and fatigue. The younger brother Pallane is still awake.

Why did a man come and kill my llama deer immediately after incarnating like a llama? Chanting the poison mantra, seeing that he took the dead bush with him, you can take the deer that we killed and the man in the form of a lama said that this is a deer in the form of a lama that is coming in front of me. Instead, I will give you the child of Banabhaisi. Banavaisi’s children have left.

After a while Dane Shikar woke up. A deer in the form of a deer gives a dream to a hunter who wakes up from sleep. I am not a deer in my dreams. I am Budhinanda Devi. I will give you a vision tomorrow morning. Establish a temple and worship at the place I chose and lived. You are my wife. Don’t kill me, I’m not a deer. I took shape. Every year on the full moon day of Chaturdashi, I did not become invisible.

Dai Dane, who woke up from that dream, told brother Pallane that he had a dream. The brother also came and took away the dead Jharal, who was killed by a mantra, after pouring poison on him. He told Dai that he had left Banvaishi. That night both the brothers stayed at a place called Dhanbhandar and slept.

Tomorrow morning, when the red musk deer appears, from Ankantar Bhir Dhanbhandar, pass through Sunalisni, Bhujdali, Mashtadah, Veral Dah, climb on the deer, and from there, cross Ankantar Bhir Pahad, Himal Mountain, pass the fallen tree, Dudhkund, Hom Kund and worship Budhninda Mai. Sunanda went to the temple. Both brothers were surprised by this. Now this musk deer should not be killed.

Later on, when the brothers went to the temple where Sunanda was worshiped, Budhinanda Devi appeared as Chaturbhuj Devi as the four-legged goddess. Those two brothers who were hunters had a direct darshan of Mai and established a temple in this place according to what I had chosen in my dream. You are my wife.

If you don’t kill me, every year on the Chaturdashi day of Janai Purnima, I will give the requested boon to all the devotees who remember me and come to my puja. Those brothers worshiped as much as they could, offered the shildhunga of my mother, brought Tilak, Toran, Phulakshta, children of Banabhaisi, cut down Sunalisni and asked for a boon according to their wishes through Vinayak. Prasad was brought into the house. Those two hunter brothers became the matriarchs and priests of Budhinanda Devi, Dane Pallane.

According to Budhinanda Devi, every year on Janaipurnima’s Chaturdashi day, there is a tradition of worshiping in the temple of Budhinanda Mata from tradition until now. Budhinanda Mata’s priest was Bohra and Humara, who was formerly Regmeethi of Kolti, but currently Timilsina Upadhyay of Bandhu. At present, there are Boshara family including Srilal Bohra, Ratnchandra Bohra, Gagan Bohra and Levara Upadhyay, Deepchandra Upadhyay and Kripa Upadhyay Lagat as Humaras.

According to Puranas, as mentioned in the 11th chapter of Shree Swasthani Vratakatha, the legendary book of Kedarkhand of Skanda Purana, Shakti Daksha Prajapati daughter of Shiva, the wife of Shiva, the beloved god of Hindu religion, Sati Devi, could not bear the slander, hatred and humiliation of her husband Shiva from her father Daksha Prajapati. Perhaps Sati Devi’s body should have been burnt by fire and cremated in the Havankunda, but Agni could not burn Sati Dev’s body due to the fear of Mahadev.

Yaddapisatidevi gave up her life after saving her life. When Bholenath Mahadev came to know about that news through Maharishi Narada, he could not contain his anger and created Mahavira Virbhadra and Mahakali from his own Jata and destroyed the Yagya of Dakshaprajapati who had slandered him and inspired his own daughter to commit suicide.

After that, unable to bear the pain of separation and separation from his beloved wife, he became mad and began to visit the earth carrying the body of Sati Devi on his back. After a hundred years of maddened Shiva visiting the earth with his eyes closed, an ounce of the dead body Shivaji was carrying rotted. But Bholenath could not come from unconscious state to conscious state.

In this way, during Shivaji’s visit to earth, Sati Devi’s limbs began to fall from Pithyu. Shakti Peeth was established at the place where Sati Devi’s limbs fell. At the same time, when Shivaji reached Malla Giri, a part of Sati Devi fell, from this Mallika Giri Pichaseshwar Mahadev was established and Shiva remained in the form of Shakti.

Similarly, while coming to visit Vadimalika, the other five Shakti Peetha Chhatara Mai, Khalatuppa Mai, Chakumai, Gahtadevimai, Juddayalnimai on the Panchkoti route were also established due to the fall of Savidevi’s limbs. However, since the parts except the 150 Peethas mentioned in the Puranas have collapsed, these Peethas are not discussed. However, the devout devotees who go to Malika and Budhinanda through this route after darshan at these peeths feel a distinct joy from the darshan of Panchkoti.

It is believed that while carrying the dead body of Sati Devi and closing her eyes for one hundred years, while circumambulating the earth, the body of Sati Devi was wrapped in flesh and limbs, while the head fell on the right side of Manasashwarovar Kavilas, on the left side of Kum Malika in Chaya Nath, and it is believed that devotees gather and perform prayers in Badimalika.

In the same way, in Budhinanda Nagar Palika, Jagannath, Himali and Swamikartik Khapar Village of Bajura District, Paduka is located on the Dovankosiran of Karnali River and Baddi River.

That is why a big fair is held at Triveni Dham in Paduka on the day of Mahashivaratri. Devotees of Yodin Shiva, Shraddhalur Vratalu, have a tradition of taking a bath in the river Dinkarnali and Baddi river and worshiping at the Paduka temple on Mahashivratri. In

alone, it is mentioned that 108 limbs of Sati Devi are in the form of Shiva Shakti. Budhinanda Mai is said to have originated from Sati Devi’s big toe falling out of the 108 limbs, but this is not mentioned in the Purana.

The temple of Budhinandamai Bhagwati is located at an altitude of about 16,000 feet or 4581 meters above sea level. The famous religious and historical Budhinanda Mai Bhagwati Temple and Budhinanda Lake are located in this area, so after the federalization of the country, the name of the municipality was renamed as Budhinanda Nagar Palika.

Budhinanda Lake in Budhinanda Municipality of Bajura District is the second highest lake in the country at about 16,000 feet. Along with the Budhinanda Devi temple, there is a large lake in the middle of the rock itself. There are 9 other lakes around it. The height of the main lake is 4581 meters above sea level. Budhinanda area is a unique example of natural beauty. This lake is in the middle of big mountains in a round shape. Budhinanda Lake is big in this area. Other lakes include Sunanda Tal, Charital, Kailash Tal, Raksheshital, Lankari Dah, Phuldah, Mashtatal and Veraldah.

Historical and mythological beliefs

It is customary to walk barefoot in the area for about half a day near the Budhinanda Lake and temple. There is a legend that when Sati Devi’s big toe fell off, Mai Bhagwati gave a boon to the old woman who went barefoot. Meanwhile, there is a religious tradition of walking on the rock itself. Every year on the day of Janaipurnima, they walk barefoot to visit Budhinanda. There is a popular belief among the residents of this area that by worshiping and worshiping Budhinanda Mai, all the sins will be washed away by taking a bath in Budhinanda Lake.

Religious and Spiritual Significance

1. The iconic Budhinanda Mai Temple and Lake: Regarded among the holiest Hindu shrines in Nepal, myths say Budhinanda Mai incarnated from the big toe of Sati Devi, Shiva’s companion. Set dramatically atop a towering 4581m, the scenic lake and temple draw pilgrims who find profound peace and have their prayers answered miraculously.
2. Triveni Dham, Paduka: The holy confluence of the Dinkarnali and Baddi rivers where devotees ritually bathe on Mahashivaratri. Associated with legends of Lord Vishnu and Manu Rishi.
3. Panchkoti Route Temples like Chhatara Mai, Khalatuppa Mai, Chakumai etc. originating from fallen body parts of Sati Devi attract zealous devotees throughout the year.

Natural beauty

The best time to visit Budhinanda is in the month of July and August. Budhinanda area is a unique example of natural beauty. When you reach old age, your heart is happy. Budhinanda is a place that every nature lover must visit once. On the way to Budhninda temple and lake, the big waterfalls and the colorful flowers of many species in the ponds give a glimpse of the beautiful gardens of the world. When you reach Budhinanda, the mine of beauty, you will be happy, you can also see herds of horses, sheep and cattle sheds.

Natural Wonders

Abundant nature makes Bajura a scenic paradise for nature tourism. Some top attractions include:

1. Rara Lake: Nepal’s deepest lake with crystal clear blue waters set dramatically within Rara National Park, haven to unique Himalayan flora and fauna.
2. Khaptad National Park: A biodiversity hotspot, this is one of Asia’s important habitats for endangered wildlife like musk deer, Himalayan black bear and over 300 bird species.
3. Viewpoints like Martadi Bhanjyang and Pugem View Tower offer sweeping vistas of the panorama of mountains, rivers and settlements.
4. Gushing rivers and waterfalls cascading along verdant hills provide picture-perfect frames everywhere.

Biodiversity

On the way to the place where Budhanndia Lake is located, the big waterfall, the colorful flowers of many species give a glimpse of the beautiful gardens of the world. Its importance has also increased as it is a stopover area for tourists going to Rara through Khaptad National Park. Budhinanda is a habitat for endangered wild animals and birds. While walking on the road, you will find herds of deer, valuable herbs, hundreds of herbs including Yarsagumba, Katuki, Hattajri, Bahrajri, Bikh and Jatamsi.

Tourism promotion

Budhinandam area and lake, which is full of religious beliefs and the beauty of immense natural shades, has started expressing interest from other parts of the country. The shepherds have been welcoming tourists and visitors on the way.

Tourist potential

This unusual geography, which looks like the changing clouds, beautiful flowers and green Triveni, has the potential to become a world-class tourist destination. After the fact that the lake in the Budhinanda area, which is important for religious beliefs and the beauty of the immense natural shades, is the second highest in the world, interest has started to increase. To give the district a good income, tourism development and maximum use of local resources should be used for the promotion and development of tourism in Bajura. It seems necessary.

Attractions: Lauri Binayak, Kehitibeti, Bar Magne Dando, Gai Goth, Dhauligad, Dhanbhandar, Chapre Patan etc. are attractive places in Budhinanda.

How to reach budhinanda

To reach this area in Budhinanda Municipality, you have to walk for four days from the headquarters Martadi. You have to walk barefoot for almost half a day to reach the place where the lake and temple are located. You have to stay for two days on the way, that too in natural caves. There is a religious tradition of walking on rocks. Air travel to Kolti via Nepalgunj is easy to reach Budhinanda. Kolti is reached in two and a half days.

You can reach here by staying in the locals’ kharks, Dharamshalas and natural caves in some places. One can reach Budhinanda in 3 to 4 days from Kolti in Bajura and return.

Budhinanda in Map

Road to Budhininda:

Budhinanda temple and lake are reached from Martadi in the capital via Dhamkne, Kalajagra, Kuru, Chaprepatan, Dhaulibhandar, Sunalisni. Kolti, bus travel from Nepalganj via Nepalganj Surkhet via Kolti and Martab via Kolti. Tourists who come from Kolti with a team including priests reach Budhinanda Mai’s temple and lake via Kolti, Motedhunga, Chowkilek, Chundhringa, Chapre Patan, Dhaulibhandar and Sunalisni.