Laxman Mandir Bharatpur

Laxman Mandir is a prominent shrine in the city of Bharatpur in Rajasthan and is believed to be around 400 years old. The temple is situated in the middle of the city and is a tribute to Laxman, the brother of the Hindu God Ram. As per popular legend, the temple was established by a sage who worked for humanitarian causes, known as Naaga baba.

Location:

It is situated in the centre of the market area. The architecture is that of Rajasthani region and the temple plays host to many thousands of devotees each year.

The temple is currently maintained by one of Naaga Baba’s descendants. The upkeep of the temple is not great and is looked after by him. He also sings many a ceremonial hymn each day during the “aarti” in front of the gathered throngs. The time it remains open is usually between 7am till 7pm on all days.

History

The temple has another temple of Lord Laxman nearby which had been made by Baldev Singh, the founder of the city of Bharatpur. It is believed popularly that a sage Sant Dass is said to have inspired the king to have the temple built. This temple has idols of both Lord Laxman and his wife Urmila. The idols themselves draw a lot of attention since they are made of the typical combination metal known as “Ashtdhaatu” which means a combination of eight metals. Idols of a smaller size of Hanuman, Shtrughan, Bharat and Ram are also present here. This temple is about 3 centuries old and is built of marble and sandstone. The temple is believed to have been built to quench the thirst of victory in battle which the King had had and thus saw regular prayer offerings from the king himself.

The deity idols were enshrined in the Vikram Samvat and the temple remains open till late evening 10 pm from 5 am every day. Both the temples host many events of the Hindu calendar all year when the gathering increases. These temples remain a popular must visit in the to-do list of tourists always.