Chitai Golu Devta Temple

Introduction to Chitai Golu Devta Temple

Chitai Golu Devta Temple is a well-known temple situated in Falsima, 8 km from Almora, Uttarakhand. Golu or Goljyu is an incarnation of Shiva in the form of Gaur Bhairav. People recognize the temple by the presence of huge numbers of different-sized copper bells on its premises. Chitai Golu Devta Temple stands on a hill with many pine and Mimosa trees.

Legend of Chitai Golu Devta Temple

The Chitai Golu Devta Temple has many interesting legends around it. According to a legend, once a King went to the forest for hunting. He felt thirsty and ordered his servant to fetch some water. When he was bringing water, the servant disturbed a female saint who was in meditation.

The woman angrily taunted the King that he could not separate two fighting bulls. The King accepted her challenge and eventually failed. Then the lady did it herself. The King got impressed by this, and he married her.

After seeing this new queen, the other queens became jealous. So, they stole the newborn child of the queen and replaced it with a big stone. They kept the child in a cage and threw it in a lake, where a fisherman found the baby.

Later the boy realized his original identity. So, he decided to fight against the injustice done to his mother. He went to the lake with a wooden horse and tried to make the horse drink water from the lake. Seeing this, the King asked the boy how a wooden horse could drink water. He replied to the King that if a woman could give birth to a stone, a wooden horse could drink water. The King realized his mistake and accepted him as his son. This boy was later known as Golu Devta.

According to another story, Golu Devta was a General in the army of Chand Raja, Baz Bahadur (1638-1678). He met with a hero's death in battle. Local people say that Chitai Golu Devta Temple was established in his honor.

The Architecture of Chitai Golu Devta Temple

It is believed that the General of the Chand dynasty built Chitai Golu Devta Temple in the 12th century. The Katyuri dynasty rulers ruled here from the 7th to the 12th century. Its architecture is simple and traditional.

The temple is built on a rectangular-shaped raised platform. Slates cover the temple's roof. The outer walls of the temple are made of stones. The temple's entrance has a small door that leads to a narrow passage. Inside the Chitai Golu Devta Temple, the sanctum sanctorum houses the idol of Golu Devta.

The idol is made of wood and wears clothes and jewelry. Numerous bells adorn the walls of the sanctum. These are the offerings made by devotees whose wishes were fulfilled by the deity. There is a courtyard in the temple where devotees sit and offer prayers

The unique feature of the Chitai Golu Devta Temple is that thousands of devotees write petitions and letters and hang them on the walls. They firmly believe that the Golu Devta reads all their written petitions and fulfills their wishes. The temple's unique feature of hanging petitions adds to its mystical and religious significance.

Festivals in Chitai Golu Devta Temple

Navratri, Makar Sankranti, Diwali, and Holi are well-celebrated in Chitai Golu Devta Temple. Nanda Devi festival, Uttarayani festival, Bageshwar, and Dussehra festival are the notable festivals here. The Golu Devta fair is the most important festival celebrated here, occurring annually in Chaitra month (March-April). During the Golu Devta fair, thousands of devotees from different parts of the country flock to the temple to offer bells and receive the blessings of the deity.

Benefits of Worshipping at Chitai Golu Devta Temple

Pilgrims believe that Golu Devta is the deity of Justice. Every day, hundreds of believers submit their wishes on paper (sometimes on stamp paper) in Chitai Golu Devta Temple. They strongly believe that the deity of Justice will accept all requests made with a clean conscience. When the wishes are fulfilled, devotees express their gratitude by tying bells around the temple premises.