This temple in Himachal to install 2,500 kg ghee idol of goddess

Indian temples are known for its own unique offerings and rituals. If you are anywhere near the Brajeshwari temple in Himachal Pradesh, you would be lucky to see the installation of a butter idol during Makar Sankranthi, which is tomorrow. Every year the preparations for installing the butter idol begin on Makar Sankranti, which is celebrated as a week-long festival at the temple.

The goddess idol will be made of 2,500 kg of clarified butter in a famous temple in this Himachal Pradesh town. The idol of Goddess Brajeshwari Devi, being prepared by using ‘desi ghee’ after purification with holy water 101 times by temple priests, will be open for the public from tomorrow morning.

One of the busiest shrines in north India, the Brajeshwari Devi temple sees a large number of pilgrims from Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The idol would be removed from the ‘pindi’ or iconography of the goddess on January 20 and its ‘prasad’ would be distributed among the devotees. It is believed the idol butter cures chronic skin ailments and joint pain.

According to a legend, when the goddess was injured during a fight with demons, her wounds were treated with butter by gods on Makar Sankranti.