Mahavir Temple Patna
Mahavir Temple Patna is one of the most sacred Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Hanuman in Patna, Bihar, India. This is one of the best and oldest Hanuman temples in the country. Mahavir Temple is the most famous temple in North India. Lakhs of devotees visit the temple every year. The statue of Sankat Mochan holds a special place in the hearts of the devotees. Many people come to this temple on the holy occasion of Ram Navami.
This famous temple is a symbol of devotion and spirit, and devotees come here every day with their wishes, believing that Sankat Mochan will grant them every wish. Many devotees recite the Hanuman Chalisa inside the temple. The temple is conveniently located just outside the Patna Railway Junction, making it a popular destination for both devotees and tourists.
Significance of Mahavir Temple Patna
The Patna Mahavir Temple is best known for celebrating Hanuman Jayanti, Lord Hanuman’s birthday, which attracts thousands of pilgrims and culminates in a grand festival. Furthermore, Tuesdays and Saturdays are considered especially auspicious, resulting in a high footfall on these days every week.
On Saturdays and Tuesdays, lord Hanuman’s traditional worship days, the temple has long winding queues. Thousands of people visit Mahavir Mandir during Rama Navami and New Year celebrations. On Rama Navami, queues can be more than a kilometre long.
History of Mahavir Temple Patna
According to the Patna High Court’s 1948 decision, the temple has existed since time immemorial. However, based on historical facts and traditions, it appears that Swami Balanand, an ascetic of the Ramanandi sect, founded this temple around 1730 CE. This temple gained popularity in 1947 when a large number of Hindu refugees arrived in Patna following India’s partition.
The temple was then rebuilt as a concrete house before being demolished in 1987 to make way for a massive marble temple. The idol of Sankat-Mochan, a Hanuman avatar, stands inside.
The architecture of Mahavir Temple Patna
The present temple was renovated between 30 November and 4 March 1985. The area of the temple is spread over 10 thousand square feet. All the necessary facilities are provided to the visitors and devotees in the temple complex. After entering the temple complex, there is a series of stairs on a platform on the left side which leads to the main area of the temple called Garbhagriha, where the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Hanuman is located. There is a corridor around it that houses Lord Shiva.
The first floor of the temple has four sanctum sanctorums of deities. One of these is the temple of Lord Rama from where the story begins. Near the Ram temple, there is a depiction of Lord Krishna in which he is preaching to Arjun. Next to this is the temple of Goddess Durga. After this are the statues of Lord Shiva, meditating Maa Parvati and Nandi sacred bull which are placed in a wooden enclosure. The Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva is installed in the wooden enclosure.
There is a temporary Ram Setu on this floor. This bridge is kept in a glass vessel. The specific gravity of this stone is only 13,000 mm whereas its weight is about 15 kg and it is floating in water and never sinks. The second floor of the temple is used for ritual purposes. Sanskar Mandap is present on this floor. Here chanting of mantras, jaap, recitation of holy scriptures, Satyanarayan Katha and other religious rituals are performed. Various scenes from Ramayana are also displayed on this floor.
After crossing the Dhyan Mandap on the first floor, the idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Buddha, Lord Satyanarayana, Lord Rama and Sita and Goddess Saraswati on the left-hand side bless the devotees. In front of these deities, under the Peepal tree, there is a temple of Shani Maharaj which is built in the shape of a cave which looks very attractive.
The main complex of the temple has an office, a religious goods shop and a bookstore where religious-style books are available. The complex also has an astrologer a handicraft centre and a gemstone centre which fulfils the needs of the devotees with proper guidance.
Facts about Mahavir Temple Patna
- Patna Mahavir Temple, one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Hanuman, is in Patna, Bihar, India. Millions of pilgrims visit the temple each year, making it the second most visited religious shrine in North India.
- Acharya Kishore Kunal serves as the secretary of the Patna-based Mahavir Mandir Temple Trust.
- The Mahavir Mandir Trusts have the second highest budget in North India, following the well-known Maa Vaishno Devi shrine. Mahavir Mandir now earns an average of ₹1 lakh daily.
- The Mahavir Mandir Trust, known as Shri Mahavir Sthan Nyas Samiti, oversees the temple’s operations and development.
- The Trusts also run human welfare organisations such as the Mahavir Cancer Institute and Research Centre, the Mahavir Vaatsalya Hospital, and the Mahavir Arogya Hospital, as well as several hospitals and orphanages throughout Bihar’s agricultural and rural areas. The trust submitted its 2008-09 budget of ₹35.13 crore.
- Floating stone has been brought in from the famous Ramsetu, which never sinks in water. It is available for public display.
- Another specialty of the temple is its Prasadam which is offered to the presiding deity. The Prasadam is given in the form of “Naivedayam” which is prepared by experts from Tirupati and Andhra Pradesh.
- Mahavir Mandir Naivedayam is synonymous with Laddus which is offered to Lord Hanuman. In the Sanskrit language, Naivedayam means offering food items to the deity. This Prasadam is prepared by the experts from Tirupati.
- This Prasadam is made of gram flour, sugar, cashews, raisins, green cardamom, Kashmiri saffron and other flavours which are cooked in ghee and made into a ball shape.
Famous Festivals In Mahavir Temple Patna
Millions of people visit this Prachin Hanuman Mandir every year to celebrate all of the festivals that are held here. Some major festivals held here are
- Hanuman Jayanti – Hanuman Jayanti is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of the Hindu deity, and one of the protagonists of the Ramayana, Hanuman.
- Shri Ramanavmi – Rama Navami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Rama, one the most popularly revered deities in Hinduism, also known as the seventh avatar of Vishnu.
- Diwali – Diwali is one of the most admired and auspicious festivals in the town. A very famous Mela (fair) is conducted near the temple every year.
- MahaShivratri – Mahashivratri, “The Great Night of Shiva” is the most significant event in India’s Hindu calendar.
- Other religious functions at the Mandir include Lakshmi Puja, Saraswati Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi etc.
How to Reach Mahavir Temple Patna
By Air: Patna International Airport is the nearest airport and the distance from the Airport to Mahavir Temple Patna is 5 KM.
By Rail: Patna Railway Station is the nearest railway station and the distance from Station to Mahavir Temple Patna is only 20 meters.
By Road: You can reach this temple by any mode of transportation. Regular bus and cab services are available in the city.
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Location
Facilities
- Drinking Water
- Pooja Item Shops
- Prasad Shops
- Restaurants Nearby
- Resting Room