Uttarakhand celebrates numerous religious festivals and fairs all year round. One of the important pilgrimage and festivals is the Raj Jaat Yatra of Goddess Nanda Devi, organized every 12 years.
ॐ हिमाद्रिका हिमांगिनी नगाधिराज वासिनी
बिन्ध्य नाम नंदजा नंदा कोट वासिनीम्।
The heritage of Uttarakhand, enriched with culture and traditions, is so enormous that it cannot be confined within the boundaries of any literature. Uttarakhand, so aptly called Devbhumi or the land of Gods, is blessed with Panch Kedar, Panch Prayag, and Panch Badri in their perfectly natural surroundings.
Panch Kedar is five famous Shiva temples including Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar. Prayag is the confluence of two or more rivers, where ablutions before worship take place. Panch Prayag includes Vishnuprayag, Nandaprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag and Devprayag. Panch Badri, five famous temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu, are Aadi Badri, Badrinath, Bhavishya Badri, Vruddh Badri, and Yogdhyaan Badri.
Nanda Devi
As per folk history, Nanda Devi was the family deity of the kings of Garhwal as well as the Katyuri dynasty of Kumaon. Being the family deity, she was addressed as Raj Rajeshwari. Nanda Devi is also known as Devi Parvati’s sister. However, in many places, she is worshipped as an incarnation of Devi Parvati herself.
Legend says that once Nanda Devi returned to her maternal home. Due to some reasons, she could not go back to her in-law’s house for 12 years. She was then sent to her husband’s house with great reverence. Raj Jaat Yatra signifies the journey of Mother Nanda, leaving her maternal home and going to Kailash. Mother Nanda is considered Lord Shiva’s wife. Lord Shiva’s abode is Kailash in the Himalayas. Raj Jaat Yatra begins on Bhadrapada Shukla Ekadashi every year, which roughly falls in September.
Patti Chandpur and Shree Guru Kshetra
In this pilgrimage, Patti Chandpur and Shree Guru Kshetra of Chamoli district are considered Devi Nanda’s maternal region and Badhan Kshetra (Nandak Kshetra) as her in-law’s home. Nanda is Shiva’s consort and Himalaya’s daughter. As per the traditions, the goddess visits her maternal family after every twelve years. After…
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