The Tripura Sundari Temple is 3 km south-west of Gothalapani, the main market of Dasharath Chand Municipality of Baitadi. Even though Nepal’s western border is across the Mahakali River, if they come from Pithoragarh in India, the devotees have to cross the Jhulaghat on the Mahakali River and climb up a steep hill. An alternative is a tarmac road, albeit a small one. The temple is situated on the south-facing mountain range.
According to the legend of the origin of the Tripura Sundari outbreak, after Sati Devi sacrificed her body in Yajna Kund after she could not bear the insults given by Daksha Prajapati, Lord Shiva carried her body and wandered in many high mountains of Uttarakhand. Shaktipeeths started to be established wherever his limbs fell. It is believed that a special organ has fallen in the place where the Tripura Sundari temple is located.
Tripura Sundari is also known as Ransaini. According to the mythology, Bhagwati Durga took the side of the gods in the Devasura war and according to the occasion of the victory of the gods in the war, Ranma did military work, so it is believed that the name of Bhagwati was corrupted from Ransainya and became ‘Ranasaini’ in the Bait Delhi language.
According to another legend, regarding the origin of Tripura Sundari, in ancient times, Mouni of the Kshatriya caste of Kumaon Chamwat came and settled around the present Tripura temple. Due to the lack of expected growth in the newly planted areas, food had to be supplied from outside many times. In this context, Mouni named Sarang went towards Lower Sorad 9Swaraj0 in search of grain.
After reaching a place called Rodi Deval, Panch Pathi bought barley and returned to Baitadi with a heavy load. As soon as she passes Nagarjuna on her way back, Mouni suddenly has a bowel movement. When you are about to carry a heavy load in one place after defecating, it is heard in the sky that ‘You are impure, there is water nearby, only carry a heavy load if you are clean’.
In places where water is a problem at other times, water was actually found that day. As Mouni purified himself and was carrying a heavy load again, when he reached the place where the present Tripurasundari temple is in the evening, another radio station came saying, ‘You leave me here and go home, you will progress, tell the important people of the village to come to the place where I am.’ After leaving the burden there, he told all the events in detail to Bhattakaji Daftari, a well-known village official, but Daftari did not care, thinking that it might be a ghost.
Mouni has again gone to the place where he left behind. At that time Akashvani came again saying, ‘Remind Bhattakaji once again, if he does not come again, I will punish him.’ But the office will not go. As punishment, 22 of Bhatta’s buffaloes and one crocodile fell to their death from a nearby moolevir. After experiencing such a predicament, Daftari went to the place where he was sitting and asking for forgiveness. He goes before the barley weight that has turned into stone and asks for forgiveness. At that time, if you had come the first time, you would have made a fortune.
Now I will punish you. Akashvani said that Mouni Chhetri, who served me, goes before me when I take out my dola in the Yatra Utsav, even if you are a Brahmin, you should follow him. Accordingly, in Tripura’s fair 9 Jant0, Kashyap gotra Bhatt Brahmins sit behind and carry dola.
When Mouni opened the bag of barley that she had brought, she found an idol of Bhagwati in it. In the Baitdeli language, the size of Panch Pathi is called Rain, and it is believed that Tripurasundari was named Rainsayani or Rainsaini because Panch Pathi came hidden under the weight of barley. A temple is built on a site where barley has been turned into heavy rock, while the actual idol of Bhagwati is kept in storage. It is taken out only during fairs.
There is no factual evidence as to how the worship of Bhagwati started in the beginning. According to a folk legend, a childless Brahmin named Puru Bhat of Dotitir lost his sight when he reached a little below the temple on his way to Haridwar via Baitadi. At that time, a voice came from the sky saying ‘O Brahmin, serve me, I will make your future bright’. According to this instruction, Puru Bhat started serving Bhagwati. Similarly, Mouni, Markand, Bohra and Guru Thari Kshatriyas of the local area have also been instructed to join their service. In this way even today, the work of guiding the temple managers is being done by the Chand Thakuris of the Rath branch.
After serving Tripura Mai for a long time, Puru Bhat was married to a Kshatriya girl from Athabise village and the children born from her were Kshatriyas, on the orders of his mother, he could not work as a priest. Being children of priests, they started writing Pujara surname. After Puru Bhat, the worship of Tripura Mai started from the Pandeys who came from Kumaon Champawat and settled in Baitadi. Local Bhatta Brahmins were also recruited to assist the Pandeyas.
The Tripura Sundari temple is built in the middle of the chaur, which is about 300 meters long and 50 meters wide from north to south. The temple is believed to have been established three generations before the reign of Doteli ruler Nagi Malla. In the premises of the temple with a small forest, idols of Lord Shiva, Ganesha, and lions are placed and around the temple, bells are offered to the devotees for their abhishta siddhis. A huge kathe jhula (ping) is placed outside the temple.
On the Sankranti, Purnima and Amavasya days of each month, regular chanting is performed, while Durga Saptasati and Divya Stotras are recited from Ashwin Shukla Pratipada on Dasain. There is a special festival (Jant) on Ashad Shukla Navami and Dashami and Kartik Shukla Navami and Dashami. Locals who have gone from Baitadi to other places come there during Christmas and devotees also come in large numbers from Kumaon. At that time they sacrifice a goat or a goat. Once upon a time there was a custom of Deuki and that custom has disappeared now.
How to reach Tripura sundari Baitadi
Baitadi is reached at a distance of 809 km from Kathmandu. Alternatively, one can take a 70-minute flight from Kathmandu to Dhangadhi and travel 176 km northwest to reach Baitadi.