The historic Trishuli Devi Temple in Jaleshwar, Mahottari, has opened to devotees with the commencement of Sharadiya Navaratri, offering an opportunity to the worshippers to adore the goddess during the Dashain festival. The temple, which is closed to the public for most of the year, is traditionally opened only during Sharadiya Navaratri and Basanti Navaratri, attracting devotees from across Nepal’s Mithila region and the neighboring districts of India. The temple will remain open throughout the 10-day Sharadiya Navaratri period until Vijaya Dashami. The annual opening of the shrine is an important religious event in Jaleshwar, drawing devotees to come and offer their prayers at the shrine.
Trishuli Devi Temple Opens for Navaratri Worship
The temple has opened with the beginning of Navaratri, with Ghatasthapana being performed as per the traditional Hindu rituals. The daily worship and religious offerings to Trishuli Devi will continue throughout the festival following the time-honored customs at the shrine. According to Upendra Pathak, chief priest of Jaleshwarnath Mahadev Temple, the Trishuli Devi Temple is opened to the public on only two occasions each year. During the Sharadiya Navaratri, it is open for all 10 days, while during the Basanti Navaratri in the bright fortnight of Chaitra, the devotees are allowed to visit from Pratipada until midnight of Navami. The restricted opening of the temple makes the Navarathi periods particularly significant for the worshippers.
Religious Significance of Trishuli Devi Temple
Trishuli Devi is believed to have been established along with the sacred Shiva Lingam of Jaleshwarnath Mahadev, as per the local religious tradition. The shrine holds special significance during the Navarathi, where the devotees worship the goddess with prayers, offerings and other customary rituals. Throughout the festival, the priests of Jaleshwarnath Mahadev Temple perform the daily worship of Trishuli Devi, preserving the temple’s time-honored traditions while reinforcing its importance as a place of worship for the local community and the devotees from the wider Mithila region.
Temple Attracts Pilgrims from Nepal and India
The Trishuli Devi Temple attracts the devotees from Mahottari and the neighboring districts of the Mithila region, as well as Dhanusha, Sarlahi and Siraha. The worshippers also travel from the nearby Indian districts of Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Sheohar and Jhanjharpur to visit the shrine during Navarathi. The annual opening of the shrine emphasizes its importance as a religious destination, highlighting the shared cultural and spiritual traditions of the communities on both sides of the Nepal-India border. The influx of pilgrims during the festival also offers an opportunity to promote Jaleshwar’s religious heritage as well as the significance as a destination for religious and cultural tourism.
Source-RSS
