Rani Sati Temple: 400 Year Old Pilgrimage Commemorating Queen’s Act of Bravery
Rani Sati Temple is a 400-year-old pilgrimage located in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. This is the largest temple in India that is dedicated to Rani Sati who committed self-immolation when her husband died.
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Rani Sati Temple is a 400-year-old pilgrimage located in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. This is the largest temple in India that is dedicated to Rani Sati, who lived sometime between 13th and 17th century. She is known for her act of bravery as she committed self-immolation on the death of her husband. She is also referred to as Narayani Devi and Dadiji.
The story of Rani Sati
The story of Rani Sati dates back to the time of Mahabharat when she expressed her wish to marry Abhimanyu and to be Sati in her next life. Lord Krishna granted her the wish and she was born as Narayani, the daughter of Gursamal, in the Dokwa village. Meanwhile, Abhimanyu was born as Tandhan Bansal, the son of Jaliram in Hissar.
The two got married and lived happily until one day when king’s son forcefully tried to acquire Tandhan’s horse and challenged him for a fight. Tandhan was killed in the battle after which Narayani fought with king’s son and killed him to avenge the death of her husband.
After that she commanded Ranaji, the caretaker of the horse, to set her ablaze along with the dead body of her husband. Since Ranaji fulfilled her wish, she blessed him and told him that he will be remembered and worshipped along with her name.
About the Temple
The temple is built of white marble and features magnificent, colorful wall paintings. A striking feature of the temple is that there are no idols or statues of the Gods and Goddesses. There is a portrait of Rani Sati in the Pradhan Mand and a trident depicting power and force is worshipped by the devotees.
Apart from the main temple, there are twelve smaller temples dedicated to several Gods like Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, and Lord Hanuman. The centre of the complex has a statue of Lord Shiva surrounded by gardens on all sides. Talking about the interiors, the temple is adorned with exquisite murals and glass mosaics narrating the history of the place.
Timings of the Temple
The temple opens at 5 am in the morning and closes at 1 pm in the noon. Then it remains closed from 1 pm to 3 pm after which it opens up again until 10:30 pm. Every day, there is a Mangal Aarti and Sandhya Arti performed at the temple at sunrise and sunset. Besides, there is a special celebration on the occasion of Bhadra Amavasya.
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