Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, a city of ancient temples with architectural marvels, never fails to amaze its visitors. The city which attracts various devotees across the nation has a unique 'Bandi Devi Temple' where followers instead of offering flowers and garlands offer locks and keys to the Goddess. Located at the banks of Dashashwamedh Ghat, it is believed that people who visit this sacred place not only get rid of their hardship but also does not suffer pain in the future.
While offering prayers, devotees keep the locks in the temple and take away the keys with them. And when a person's wish is fulfilled, he/she comes back to the Bandi Devi temple again to open the locks. After the rituals, both the lock and keys are flown into the holy water of Ganges.
According to Hindu Mythology, a visit to Bandi Devi temple guarantees total freedom from lawsuits, ailments and even from the impending hanging. People say that a visit to the temple is a panacea to all problems and this is the reason why people throng to this temple in large numbers. Especially during Navratri, people visit Bandi Devi temple in large numbers.
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It is also said that Mata Bandi has been taking care of her devotees since the age of Treta. Also known as 'Patala Devi', according to beliefs, Mata Bandi sits in Patal Lok and when Ahiravan took Ram and Lakshman to the ‘Paatal Lok,’ then Bandi Devi had freed them from the clutches of Ahiravan. Since then, she has been revered as the Goddess, who frees her devotees not only from hardships but also fulfils their every ambition.
The head priest of the temple Sudhakar Dubey said that the people who are troubled because lawsuits, imprisonment for committing any offence or even the capital punishment, they come here to worship. They worship the goddess for 41 days. When their desire is fulfilled, they offer one lock and key to the goddess. They get freedom from the crisis. Dubey said the mother responds to the pleas of her devotees quickly.
It is worth mentioning that there is special worship of goddess Bandi Devi Mata on every Tuesday and Friday. The priest of the temple said that Bandi Devi Mata gets devotees from across the country and even abroad. They are from all walks of life. He said that many film stars have also performed puja in the temple and they have been freed from all hardships.
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