Before setting up a Hanuman temple at Hanumangarh, about one and a half
k.m. from Nainital, Babaji had established Hanuman temples at Babania
in Gujarat and at Neebkarori. But the temple built at Bajranga Garh was
the first in Uttarakhand. Babaji selected a gravel hill at a place
named Ghati for this temple at Nainital. The hill was so weak that
there was always a land slide and was a danger to the nearby places and
the road down below. Besides, the children and adults who died of
Small-Pox were buried in the adjacent Manora hill. After sunset none
dared to go there alone. The phosphorus emitted by the bones lying
there sparked off here and there at night and made the place look more
frightening.
Babaji very well knew that the local people might not suddenly be
inspired to build a temple there. He, therefore, sat on the road-side
parapets one by one in the evening everyday after Kisanpur, a place
about 1 km. from Nainital. The devotees also gathered there, tea was
made by the road-side, and bhandara was arranged with the prasad
brought. Maharajji often spent the night there with a few devotees.
This system continued for many days. One day he climbed up the gravel
hill by a footway. He sat firmly there and the devotees also began
coming there. Mais also taking a great variety of prasad went there
during the day. The small bhandaras were also arranged, on that
burial-ground, tea was made and prasad was distributed. The crowd
increased day by day, and the chanting of devotional songs, Kirtan,
recitation of Sunderkand and Hanuman Chalissa began. All went back home
in the evening, but Babaji along with a few close devotees spent nights
in the open there. When that place was thus purified, Baba told some of
his devotees to lay foundation by digging a small piece of land on the
coming Tuesday and install the Hanuman Murti made by Harda (Shri Hari
Datta Kandpal).
In this way, the foundation of Bajranga garh (Hanuman garh) was laid.
It is a long story but briefly the devotees carrying puri, other fried
delicacies, sweets, incense, fruit flowers, bells, conch, spade and
pick-axe went to that hill on Tuesday evening. After having dug the
loose gravel for hours, they made room for Hanumanji and installed his
Murti with the sound of conch and bells and applausive sounds 'Glory to
Hanumanji'. By the time the ritual was over the gong of the nearby jail
struck twelve of mid-night.
After having offered prasad, when the Aarti was being performed, two
bulls (one black and the other white) having very big homs appeared
there and bowed to Hanumanji. A devotee cried with fear and one of the
bulls disappeared at once, b the other vanished only after eating
prasad of puris.
In this manner, Hanumanji settled himself in his miniature form at
Hanumangarh. Since then, the prayers and Aarti were performed every
morning and evening. When Babaji came there on his next visit, people
narrated him the whole episode. He said, "you did not recognize them,
they were the two elevated souls who had come to say pranams to
Hanumanji."
In due course of time, Hanuman garh developed in its present form and
the Raghunath temple of Shri Sita, Rama-Lakshamana, and a temple of
Shiva were also built. By and by some other buildings also came up and
by Maharajji's inspiration the non-stop Kirtan continued for many
years. Today the temple is well recognized for the fulfillment of the
wishes devotees and has also become a main tourist-spot. There many
incidents associated with the foundation of this temple well as with
other temples/ ashrams which are very interesting and speak of Baba
being a Super-Being and of his inner force, such as:
(1) The local people were filled with doubt about the place where the
temple was being constructed. They were not certain that a temple could
be built on that loose gravel or if raised would remain stable. But
even the Nature was helpless before Baba's spiritual force. Instead of
one, three more temples and some other buildings were built that have
held out firmly for the last 43-44 years (till 1966). It is not all, a
concrete road up to the gate of the temple has replaced the gravel
footway and the trucks are driven on it.
(2) The Hanumanji's Murti was made with cement by Maharaj's command,
the name of Rama was written on Bhojpatra (the bark of birch tree) in
lacs, the papers were cut into pieces and mixed with mortar but
Hanumanji's face did not take the shape. The devotees felt disappointed
at this. Then, one day his devotee Shri Shiv Datt Joshi's daughter, who
was then a child, heard an oracle in her dream, in the voice as that of
Maharajji's. It was commanded that non-stop recitation of Ramayana, the
each verse of which braced with the verse - 'daihik daivik bhautik
tapa, Ramaraj nahin kahu vyapa' - be performed. The innocent girl
narrated all this to her simple-minded mother. Babaji's command was
literally followed and Hanumanji's face was completed within a week.
(3) There was a plan made for a big bhandara on the occasion of the
installation ceremony of Hanumanji's Murti. But there were no
electricity, water, wood, provisions, utensils, or a proper road to
bring these things up the hill. There were merely two days left for
bhandara and it started raining heavily day and night. The devotees who
were with Babaji were in a fit (some might have doubted his intention
also). When the rain stopped for a while in the morning, Babaji told
some people "go down to the road, a truck is standing there bring all
material therein up". The devotees went down by the footway and saw a
truck loaded with things. How to carry all those things by the slippery
track was the problem? Then they saw a group of Dotiyals (hill-labour)
passing by. They were hired and things were carried up in no time. How
did the labour arrive there at that time? Babaji only had the answer.
(4) It started raining heavily once again and all work came to a stand
still. Then, Babaji came out of his hut and told one of his devotees, "
Puran, she is furious" (probably he hinted at Shitala devi ) looking
upwards, he removed his blanket with both of his hands and in a
thundering voice said, "Pavan tanay bal Pavan samana" (son of Wind is
as powerful as Wind). The rain stopped in no time and the sky became
clear.
(5) Then the prasad for Bhandara was prepared in large quantity for one
and a half day. But on the day of bhandara such a large number of men,
women, old and young turned up to partake prasad that it had to be
cooked on that day also.
Meanwhile the ghee was about to be finished. Babaji got the
information. He, in feigned anger shouted," How so much ghee got
consumed? Someone has hidden it among the cans of water, look for it
there." When a search was made, ghee was found there among the cans. By
his spiritual powers Babaji turned water into ghee.
When the construction of temples and other buildings was complete,
Babaji expressed his desire for another big bhandara, the purpose of
which he did not disclose. It was winter season and there
were only a few migrants there. Hence, all arrangements were made
accordingly. Babaji came and seeing the small quantity of food, went
back dissatisfied. Then the things were arranged in a grand way and
everyone was curious about the large quantity of food. But when the
bhandara began, people appeared all of a sudden in hundreds among whom
there were a large number of children. In the end no food was left.
Babaji then told some of his close devotees, "All dead here (in
burial-ground at Manora) are gratified today. It will now remain
peaceful." Then all came to know the secret of this unscheduled
bhandara. Shri Ramnavmi and Guru-Purnima are the main festivals
celebrated here.
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