Sheetla Mata Mandir

The Shri Sheetla Mata Mandir is one of the important shrines of Hindu pilgrimage in the country and located on the banks of a pond in the City of Gurgaon. It is said that Gurgaon can trace its history as far back as the Mahabharata and it was the abode of the Guru Dronacharya. Devotees' throng the temple in large numbers, throughout the year and most also refer to it as 'Shakti Peeth' or the 'Symbol of Power' as Shri Mata Sheetla Devi is the presiding deity of the temple.

The Legend of Sheetla Maata

As is the case with legends there is no end to them. You can find many legends associated with the building of the temple of Shri Mata Sheetla Devi.

Legend One: The Victorious Prince

In Farukh Nagar, there lived a poor carpenter who had a beautiful daughter of marriageable age. The Mughal emperor heard of her beauty and expressed a desire to get married to the woman. However, the carpenter rejected the proposal as he did not want to marry his daughter to a person who followed a different religion. In order to find support for his case, he appealed to the King of Bharatpur, Surajmal. However, the King did not come to the rescue of the carpenter citing that the matter was beyond his jurisdiction. The carpenter then put his case in front of the Prince of Bharatpur, who in turn tried to convince his father, but to no avail. This led to the prince revolting against his father and also deciding to attack the Mughal Emperor whose seat was in Delhi. On the way to the battle, he passed through the village of Gurgaon and pledged that if he was victorious then he would build a proper temple to honour Shri Mata Sheetla Devi. As can be imagined, the prince won and the he honored his pledge by building the temple.

Legend Two: The Horses and the Goddess

The second legend also stars the Prince of Bharatpur as the central character. It is said that when the prince was traveling towards the aforementioned battle with the Mughal King his entourage and the army decided to rest at Ballabhgarh. However, when the time came to move on, the horses refused to do so! No amount of effort could get them to move from there. The court astrologer, having been summoned to explain the strange behaviour of the horses, told the prince that since no obeisance was paid the Shri Mata Sheetla Devi, while passing through Gurgaon, it resulted in the strange behaviour exhibited by the horses. The Prince then arranged an elaborate worship of the Goddess and took the aforementioned pledge.

The Holy Month

The month of Chaitra, which is a month in the Hindu calendar that corresponds to the months of March and April, is the time when thousands of pilgrims make their way to the Sheetla Mata Mandir. During this time, the premises of the temple and the areas that immediately surround it resemble the Kumbh-Mela. Mondays are heavily packed affairs and almost all pilgrims who make their way here, take a dip in the holy pond. Though this temple attracts pilgrims throughout the year, not may people visit the temple between August and September, these months are referred to as 'Shravan' in the Hindu calendar.

The Statue of Shri Mata Sheetla Devi

The statue of the deity is in the possession of the priest of the temple and it is only during the important occasions, that it is moved to the shrine. Quite a number of people come to the temple to perform the 'First Hair Cutting' ceremony or what is known as the 'Mundan'. The crop of hair is offered to the Goddess to incur her blessings for the children. Another reason why people come to the temple and offer their obeisance to the deity is to invoke blessings for a happy married life.

Facilities and Services

» Satsang Bhawan for devotees : religious programs, Yoga & meditation programs
» Bhandara Bhawan for devotees
» Singh Dwar-Administrative Block
» Prayar Hall for devotees
» Hospital, Post Office/ PCO near complex
» Local Guides are easily available near the complex
» Drinking water ( 6 water tanks )
» Sulbah Sauchalaya ( 15 Bath rooms & 41 toilets)
» Parking Facilities available for devotees