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Mahasu Devta Temple
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Mahasu Devta Temple
Mahasu Devta Temple (Mahasui: 𑚢𑚩𑚭𑚨𑚱 𑚛𑚲𑚦𑚙𑚭 𑚢𑚫𑚛𑚮𑚤, Hindi: महासू देवता मंदिर) is located on the left bank of the River Tons, on a hill slope in the village of Hanol, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, India. The temple is dedicated to a local deity known as Botha Mahasu (the 2nd eldest of the Mahasu brothers), who is considered the most sacred god in the Jaunsar-Bawar region.
The original temple (of which only the sanctum has survived) stands on a plain surface and features a curvilinear Shikhara in the Nagara style. Architecturally, the original mulaprasada is much older and is assigned to the 9th–10th century CE. The mandapa and mukhamandapa were added later and have undergone many changes over the centuries.
Mahasu Devta Temple is one of the rare examples of a harmonious blend of stone and wood forming a single, grand composite edifice. The temple was built in the Kath-Kuni or Koti-Banal style of architecture, and it is included in the Archaeological Survey of India's list of ancient temples under the Dehradun Circle, Uttarakhand.
Mahasu Devta Temple stands on the eastern bank of the Tons River (Tamas) at Hanol village, near Chakrata, about 190 km from Dehradun, 156 km from Mussoorie, and about 140 km from Shimla.
The worship of Mahasu has originally evolved from time to time in the Himalayan region. He is worshipped with different forms and different names in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Which states that an ancient active cult dedicated to a deity was present in the Western Himalayan region. But it changed and evolved itself from time to time. In the deitydom, Mahasu Devta is not only the sole arbiter over the mortals, he also reigns supreme over the innumerable indigenous gods and goddesses. He exercises his authority over the religious dispensation of people and secular matters. Disputes among the people are settled through a unique Lota Pani adjuration. For this purpose water is ritually filled in a metallic goblet in the name of Mahasu Devta by a neutral person, then the disputants are asked to drink that water in the name of Mahasu Devta. The party who has given the false statement suffers on drinking the water.
The age-old theocratic governance of Mahasu Devta, although acceptable to people and local rulers, was not taken kindly by the British authority. One of their officers, Major Young, found the authority of Mahasu Devta 'a great nuisance'. During land settlement of the territory under the British control in 1827 AD, he felt that the traditional twelve-year sojourning of Mahasu (the Chalda Mahasu) with his large entourage to deitydom was extremely burdensome and exploitative to common people. To check the practice, Young passed a summary order in Kalsi in an assembly of the Senyanas banishing the Chalda Mahasu and his deputy attendants (birs) from Jaunsar and Bawar Parangna. That order, however, did not have lasting effect because the people regarded the Rohru tehsil for his verdict. The deity decision is always regarded as final and irrevocable.
Mahasu Devta is very touchy about the disposal of gold or gold ornaments by anyone of his subject to outsiders. The person involved in such offence may suffer the loss of property, a serious disease, or even life until he gets it back intact. However, that does not absolve the defaulter from the crime. As a punishment the defaulter is obliged to deposit the article in the treasury of deity. Therefore, the people in the deitydom have to be very careful about the transaction of silver and gold articles outside his realm. It is believed that the bullion in the Mahasudom, even if in the possession of people, belongs to the deity. If such gold goes outside his deitydom the person doing so provokes the ire of Mahasu Devta.
Mahasu Devta appears in quadruple form as the four brothers. There are many legends regarding Mahasu. The most famous of these is the story of how the Mahasu brothers came from Kashmir to the place they now rule. The legend tells when Krishna disappeared at the end of Dvapara Yuga, the Pandavas followed him. They cross the River Tons. Yudhishtra was fascinated by the beauty of place and asked Vishwakarma to build a temple here and stay with Draupadi for nine days. The place subsequently came to known as Hanol, after the name of Huna Bhatt.
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Mahasu Devta Temple
Mahasu Devta Temple (Mahasui: 𑚢𑚩𑚭𑚨𑚱 𑚛𑚲𑚦𑚙𑚭 𑚢𑚫𑚛𑚮𑚤, Hindi: महासू देवता मंदिर) is located on the left bank of the River Tons, on a hill slope in the village of Hanol, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, India. The temple is dedicated to a local deity known as Botha Mahasu (the 2nd eldest of the Mahasu brothers), who is considered the most sacred god in the Jaunsar-Bawar region.
The original temple (of which only the sanctum has survived) stands on a plain surface and features a curvilinear Shikhara in the Nagara style. Architecturally, the original mulaprasada is much older and is assigned to the 9th–10th century CE. The mandapa and mukhamandapa were added later and have undergone many changes over the centuries.
Mahasu Devta Temple is one of the rare examples of a harmonious blend of stone and wood forming a single, grand composite edifice. The temple was built in the Kath-Kuni or Koti-Banal style of architecture, and it is included in the Archaeological Survey of India's list of ancient temples under the Dehradun Circle, Uttarakhand.
Mahasu Devta Temple stands on the eastern bank of the Tons River (Tamas) at Hanol village, near Chakrata, about 190 km from Dehradun, 156 km from Mussoorie, and about 140 km from Shimla.
The worship of Mahasu has originally evolved from time to time in the Himalayan region. He is worshipped with different forms and different names in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Which states that an ancient active cult dedicated to a deity was present in the Western Himalayan region. But it changed and evolved itself from time to time. In the deitydom, Mahasu Devta is not only the sole arbiter over the mortals, he also reigns supreme over the innumerable indigenous gods and goddesses. He exercises his authority over the religious dispensation of people and secular matters. Disputes among the people are settled through a unique Lota Pani adjuration. For this purpose water is ritually filled in a metallic goblet in the name of Mahasu Devta by a neutral person, then the disputants are asked to drink that water in the name of Mahasu Devta. The party who has given the false statement suffers on drinking the water.
The age-old theocratic governance of Mahasu Devta, although acceptable to people and local rulers, was not taken kindly by the British authority. One of their officers, Major Young, found the authority of Mahasu Devta 'a great nuisance'. During land settlement of the territory under the British control in 1827 AD, he felt that the traditional twelve-year sojourning of Mahasu (the Chalda Mahasu) with his large entourage to deitydom was extremely burdensome and exploitative to common people. To check the practice, Young passed a summary order in Kalsi in an assembly of the Senyanas banishing the Chalda Mahasu and his deputy attendants (birs) from Jaunsar and Bawar Parangna. That order, however, did not have lasting effect because the people regarded the Rohru tehsil for his verdict. The deity decision is always regarded as final and irrevocable.
Mahasu Devta is very touchy about the disposal of gold or gold ornaments by anyone of his subject to outsiders. The person involved in such offence may suffer the loss of property, a serious disease, or even life until he gets it back intact. However, that does not absolve the defaulter from the crime. As a punishment the defaulter is obliged to deposit the article in the treasury of deity. Therefore, the people in the deitydom have to be very careful about the transaction of silver and gold articles outside his realm. It is believed that the bullion in the Mahasudom, even if in the possession of people, belongs to the deity. If such gold goes outside his deitydom the person doing so provokes the ire of Mahasu Devta.
Mahasu Devta appears in quadruple form as the four brothers. There are many legends regarding Mahasu. The most famous of these is the story of how the Mahasu brothers came from Kashmir to the place they now rule. The legend tells when Krishna disappeared at the end of Dvapara Yuga, the Pandavas followed him. They cross the River Tons. Yudhishtra was fascinated by the beauty of place and asked Vishwakarma to build a temple here and stay with Draupadi for nine days. The place subsequently came to known as Hanol, after the name of Huna Bhatt.
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