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Religion And Rituals In Chandigarh

A ritual is the prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies in a religion or its denomination. Although the word ‘ritual’ is generally confused with the context of worship in the church, temple or mosque, it in fact varies on the relationship shared between the religion’s philosophy and rituals based on whether it is an organized form of religion or non-committed form of spirituality, for example Upper Amazon’s Urarina people practice ayahuasca shamanism. In most of the cases, ritual shows veneration towards God or human kind because generally, rituals are closely related to veneration.

Religion in Chandigarh

Various religions exist in Chandigarh with great concordance. Sikhs and Hindus are mostly found here. Guru Nanak founded the religion- Sikhism, and preaches “Waheguru”, which means ‘Universal God’. The Khatris, Baniyas, Rajputs and Brahmans are the commonly found castes of Hindu in Chandigarh. Christians, Muslims, Jains and Buddhists also live here.

As there are many cultures n Chandigarh, thus being a reason for various religions flourishing here. People of various religions lives in the city. Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism are the different religions followed by the people of Chandigarh.

The major religion here is Hinduism as it is practiced by 75 percent of the people. The religion practiced the most after this, in Chandigarh, is Sikhism.They form around 20 percent of Chandigarh’s population. Though other religions are in minority in Chandigarh, such as, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity, still they celebrate their festivals with great zeal and enthusiasm. In Chandigarh, various religions reside with great symphony.

Places to Worship in Chandigarh

Chandi Mandir

A much known temple, Chandi Mandir, is just 15 km away from Chandigarh. This temple is devoted to Power Goddess - Goddess Chandi. Actually a Siddh Peeth, it is considered to fulfill the wishes of people. The followers visit the temple round the year and it is mostly visited in the festival of Navratri.

Mata Mansa Devi Temple

The name itself suggests that the temple is devoted to a Goddess, namely Mansa Devi. A famous Hindu myth says that Devi Sati’s head was fallen here. There are two sanctums in Mansa Devi. Mani Mujra built the primary sanctum in 1815 AD. Subsequently, a sanctuary has been built near the prime temple by Patiala’s King. A very lovely garden, in which religious plants are grown all over, is there adjacent to the temple. Exhibitions are arranged in Navratri near the Mansa Devi temple.

Nada Sahib Gurudwara

In Chandigarh, Nada Sahib Gurudwara is the most frequently visited Gurudwara. From Chandigarh, it is at a distance of about 15 km and is located near the river Ghaggar in Panchkula, Punjab. The place where Guru Gobind Singh Ji and his companions stopped while returning from their war with Mughals is now known as the Nada Sahib Gurudwara. Guru Gobind Singh Ji and his companions were welcomed cordially by his passionate follower Nadu Shah. He was blessed by Guru Gobind Singh who made him feel very happy by his affectionate services. Guru Gobind Ji also announced that the Gurudwara of that area should be kept after Nadu Shah. Each month on Purnima day, the devotees gather in the Gurudwara.

Amb Sahib Gurudwara

Another Gurudwara - Amb Sahib Gurudwara lies in Mohali in its phase 7 which is close to Chandigarh. It’s a belief that Guru Har Rai in 1659, the Sikhs’ seventh Guru, went to the Gurudwara to meet Kooram - his brother and disciple. One very impressive thing about Amb Sahib Gurudwara is a mango tree in its premises which yields mangoes in winters also, as it was a commandment given by Guru. The ‘Prasad’ given to the followers in this Gurudwara are the mangoes of this tree. In Guru’s memory, an exhibition is organized here on Sankranti festival in January.

Gurudwara Baoli Sahib

Gurudwara Baoli Sahib is situated around 10 km from Chandigarh at Zirakpur-Kalka Highway. As legend has it, in the village of Dhakauli close to Zirakpur, there lived Baba Gurditta Ji’s descendant. To appreciate the sincerity with which he meditated, Guru Gobind Singh Ji went to his village. On meeting the Guru, the devotee expressed his desire of getting the village’s supply of water restored. He couldn’t refuse the passionate devotee’s prayer and he fired an arrow to ground. Thus, miraculously there sprang a baoli (a well of shallow depth). Consequently, the Gurudwara that was built there was christened Gurudwara Baoli Sahib. In sincere veneration of the guru’s miracle, every Amavasya thousands of devotees come to take a dip in this holy water.

Gurudwara Koohini Sahib

On the way to Mansa Devi from Chandigarh lies Gurudwara Koohini Sahib, which was initially known as Gurudwara Bageecha Sahib. As legend has it, Guru Gobind Singh Ji and his devotees had a stay over here for around a week. The name of the Gurudwara is derived from the strand of history that states when Guru Ji stayed here, he took rest on his Koohini (Punjabi for ‘elbow’).

Gurudwara Nabha Sahib

Nabha Sahib Gurudwara is situated 15 km away from Chandigarh on the way to Patiala. It is believed that, in Delhi, when Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib got executed, Bhai Jaita picked the Guru’s body for cremating it at Anandpur Sahib. Bhai Jaita was requested by Dargahi Shah Faqir, a saint of Islamic background, to preserve Guru’s remains in the Gurudwara, so people can pay tribute to him. The Faqir’s Samadhi is near Gurudwara, and people come to pay tribute to him. An exhibition full of grandeur, Jor Mela, is held at Gurudwara on 21st& 22nd September each year.

 

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