The Bakreshwar Temple, located in Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality-2, Manakamana, has been emerging as a significant center of religious faith. The temple has garnered attention due to the long-held belief that children who are unable to speak begin to talk after visiting the temple for worship. This belief has led to a growing number of devotees choosing Bakreshwar Temple as a destination for their prayers.
“Many parents bring their children here who have not yet begun to speak,” shared the temple priest, Phadindra Bahadur Lamichhane. “After performing the rituals and prayers, many of these children start to speak, which strengthens the faith of the parents.”
Due to this belief, devotees from India have also started visiting the Bakreshwar Temple. According to Priest Lamichhane, there have been cases where individuals up to the age of 25, who had never spoken before, began to speak after visiting the temple, which is situated in a dense forest near the famous Manakamana Temple.
In addition to helping children speak, the temple is also visited by those who are struggling academically or seeking children, as they believe that praying at the Bakreshwar Temple will help fulfill their wishes. “Most of the devotees come here to pray for speech,” said Priest Lamichhane. “We have witnessed many who have spoken for the first time after worshiping Bakreshwar Devata.”
Devotees who make vows at the temple often offer items such as Bel leaves, cow’s milk, Janai (sacred thread), yellow cloth, conch shells, bells, and Rudraksha malas to the deity Mahadev at Bakreshwar Temple. Animal sacrifices, including ducks, chickens, sheep, buffaloes, and goats, are also common offerings. The temple holds daily rituals in the morning and incense ceremonies in the evening. Special fairs are organized during the Shivaratri and Teej festivals, and on Mondays in the month of Shrawan, special worship is conducted.
According to the priest, the Swasthani Bratakatha mentions that when Lord Mahadev was carrying the lifeless body of Sati Devi, her tongue fell in the Bakreshwari forest, leading to the creation of Bakreshwar Mahadev at this site.
Despite support from the Manakamana Area Development Committee in constructing the temple structure, Priest Lamichhane expressed concern that the local government has not paid adequate attention to the temple’s development. Local residents have emphasized the need for the local government to plan and implement upgrades to the road and the construction of a proper pathway to the temple.
