CURATED BY – MOHMMAD MUNEER | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Umaria, Maa Jwala Uchehra Dham Shakti Peeth is situated 4 km north of Naraujabad railway station in Umaria district, which is famous not only in Madhya Pradesh but in the whole of India for its specialties and divine power. This place existed in a extinct state since ancient times in the midst of a dense and huge forest on the banks of the Ghorakshatra river. A decade ago, the Maa Jwala Dham temple was rebuilt at this very place by the residents of Uchehra. It is said that Bhandari Singh, a resident of Uchehra village, is a great devotee of Maa Jwala, who used to go to worship Maa Jwala every morning and evening in the dense and huge forest on the banks of the Ghorakshatra river. Maa Jwala was very pleased with his faith and devotion and one day when Bhandari Singh was sleeping, Maa Jwala came in his dream and said, "O Bhandari, wake up. I am very pleased with your devotion. Ask for what you want." Bhandari Singh first folded his hands and greeted Maa Jwala and said, "Maa, I have no concern with wealth and worldly pleasures and fame. Maa, my life has been blessed by getting your darshan. Maa, you have fulfilled my devotion by giving me darshan. Apart from this, I do not want anything else." Maa said, "The devotee who worships and serves Maa Jwala with a true heart, I fulfill his every wish and give him the desired result. Therefore, you also have the right to get this boon." Bhandari Singh said, "Maa, give me wisdom so that I worship and serve you like this all my life and bless me that you are always present among us in the form of Shakti so that there is never any decrease in my faith and devotion." Maa Jwala said, "It will be so." O Bhandari, I will appear again on the banks of the Ghodakshatra river where I was present in ancient times. You build a temple of Maa Jwala at this place and keep worshipping me selflessly like this and spread the word of Maa Jwala Shakti Peeth Dham in the country and the world. I will keep paving the way ahead. Bhandari Singh said, Maa, your orders will definitely be obeyed. Maa Jwala said, the devotee who will make any wish with a true heart at this place, his wish will definitely be fulfilled. No devotee will return empty-handed from this place. Bhandari Singh bowed to Maa Jwala and said, your leela is infinite, Maa, I bow to you 100 times. Maa Jwala disappeared saying Amen.

Maha Yagya organized..

Thereafter, Bhandari ji presented the words of Maa in front of the villagers and wanted to know their consent. The people of Uchehra village assured to provide all possible help in the construction of the temple to fulfill the wish of the mother. Maharaj ji and the villagers, following the orders of the mother, went to the banks of the Ghodakshatra river and cleaned the place of Maa Jwala, which was situated in the dense forest since ancient times near the Karonda tree and its surroundings, where the idol of Maa Jwala was installed under the Karonda tree and at this place a Maha Yagya was organized in the name of Maa Jwala, in which Pandits and priests were called from different parts of the country. In this Maha Yagya, lakhs of devotees, saints and sages came.

Maa Jwala's monthly ride..

After this Maha Yagya, the miracle of Maa Jwala Dham Shaktipeeth started increasing in the country and the world. Since then, hundreds of devotees come to this place to see Maa Jwala every day. Special Ardaas and Bhandara are organized every Monday in the temple of Maa Jwala. On this occasion, offerings are made in the havan kund, collective Satyanarayana worship of Lord Vishnu is done. Devotees keep their prayers in front of Maa Jwala and those whose earlier prayers are fulfilled, they circumambulate Maa Jwala with special pomp and show. Once a month, on Tuesday or Saturday after the full moon, Maa Jwala's procession comes in which devotees pray for getting a child, patients suffering from diseases, job, business, marriage and financial problems. Maa Jwala's monthly procession is led by Mata's devotee Shri Ram Nath Panda Ji, resident of Uchehra. By the grace of Maa Jwala, all devotees get their desired results.

Three types of prasad are offered in the bhandaar...

Every year on the first of January, the annual festival of the establishment of Maa Jwala temple is celebrated. On this day, special worship of Maa Jwala is done and a tableau of Maa Jwala is taken out and a feast is organized. Devotees organize feasts every Monday. Three types of prasad are offered to Maa in the feast. The first is Raj Bhog which includes khichdi prasad, the second is Mohan Bhog which includes kheer made from milk and the third is Devi Bhog in which halwa-puri prasad is distributed among the devotees. At night, a Jagran ceremony is organized for Maa Jwala in which singing, dancing and cultural programs are organized for Maa Jwala by different religious artists of the area. Navratri Puja is organized twice a year in Maa Jwala Dham. Barley-Jayanti Kalash is installed in Chaut Navratri and Ashwin Navratri and the nine forms of Maa Jwala are worshipped with full devotion on the nine days of Navratri. All the religious worships and festivals of Hindu Sanatan Dharma like Vaisakhi, Sawan Somwari, Krishna Janma, Ganpati Puja, Deepawali, Makar Sankranti, Saraswati Puja and Mahashivratri, Holi etc. are celebrated with great pomp in Maa Jwala Dham. All the religious functions organized in Maa Jwala Dham are smoothly completed by the sevadars under the guidance of the President of Maa Jwala Seva Samiti and Chief Priest Maharaj Bhandari Singh Ji.

Maa Jwala Dham Shakti-Peeth Darshan..

For the journey, devotees from North India can get down at Narojabad station from Nizamuddin station of New Delhi by train and reach Maa Jwala Dham by jeep and taxi. People from East India can reach Katni by train, from there local train service is available for Narojabad at regular intervals. Devotees coming from West and South India can reach Narojabad via Bhopal. From Narojabad you will easily get non-government vehicles for the darshan of Maa Jwala in Uchehra. On reaching the temple premises, there is a huge main gate of Maa Jwala Dham. Through this main gate, you reach the temple premises where there is proper parking arrangement. You can park all types of vehicles like two-wheelers, four-wheelers etc. in the parking premises. Along with the parking, there is a locker facility for slippers and shoes. You can keep your slippers, shoes and other belongings safe in this locker room. There is a toilet facility at some distance on the right side of the vehicle parking where you can purify yourself by bathing and meditation. There are many shops in the parking premises. These include prasad, chunri, makeup related shops for women and refreshment house. You can buy prasad and other worship materials from here for the worship of Maa Jwala. There is a path from the parking premises to the main temple of Maa Jwala Dham. Walking on this path, you reach the main gate of the temple where the idol of Shani Dev and Bhairav ​​ji is installed. After worshiping Shani Dev and Bhairav ​​Dev at the main gate, the devotees enter inside the temple. Devotees worship the idol of Maa Jwala installed in the form of Pindi in the temple with devotion. Pandit ji is serving for the worship of Maa Jwala. A huge idol of Hanuman ji is seated near Maa Jwala. Devotees worship Hanuman ji and become a part of his blessings. There is a Peepal tree in the temple since ancient times. Devotees worship the Peepal tree. There is a way to go out of the temple from near the Peepal tree. There is a house for plucking coconuts outside the temple where the temple's sevadars are present to serve in plucking coconuts. The temple of Radha-Krishna ji is very attractive at a little distance to the left of the coconut plucking. After worshipping Radha-Krishna ji, the devotees proceed towards Kailash Dham. Lord Shiva is seated on the banks of the Ghodakshatra river in Uchehra village. After worshipping Lord Shiva in Kailash Dham, the devotees proceed towards Bharat Mata temple. There is a temple of Bharat Mata near the parking complex. Bharat Mata ki Puja - Aarti..

From here, devotees can go to the Gaushala of the temple which is near the huge main gate of Maa Jwala Dham. There are currently 58 cows in this Gaushala. After worshipping Gau Mata, the worship of the devotees is completed. There is a proper arrangement of Dharamshala for staying in the temple premises. The temple premises are completely under CCTV surveillance. Apart from this, security guards have been deployed in every corner of the temple. Proper arrangements have been made by Maa Jwala Dham Temple Committee for water, toilet, food, drink and stay. So that you do not have to face any kind of difficulty.