Dolpa Bala Tripura Sundari, Nepal

Address

Dolpa Bala Tripura Sundari, Nepal-

Deity

Amman: Bala Tripura Sundari (Durga)

Introduction

• Location:
  • The Bala Tripura Sundari Temple is situated at Tripurakot, on the banks of the Thuli Bheri River in Dolpa district, Nepal.
• Pilgrimage:
  • Approximately 20,000 pilgrims visit the temple annually, with the majority coming during the Dashain festival.
• Historical Background:
  • The temple structure is believed to have been built in the 12th century.
  • It is located on a hill near the confluence of three rivers: Bhariavi Ganga, Tamrabarni, and Sundari.
• Deities:
  • The temple features statues of five goddesses: Barahi, Chamunda, Bhramayani, Indrayani, and Mahakali.
  • Additionally, there are eight metal idols of various gods and goddesses. However, the idols of Chamunda, Chandika, and Vaishnav have been stolen.
• Dedication:
  • The temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga.

Puranic Significance

• Legend of King Bikram Shahi:
  • The area was once ruled by King Bikram Shahi, who discovered a mystery while beating rice in an okhal (a traditional rice pounding vessel) — the rice doubled unexpectedly.
  • This phenomenon led the king to excavate the area around 1410 BS, where he found a statue of Bhagwati standing on a Sadkon Yantra.
  • During the excavation, many butterflies emerged from the pit. One butterfly settled at the location of the current temple.
• Transformation of Butterflies:
  • One butterfly was injured while villagers attempted to catch it, transforming into a statue.
  • The other five butterflies flew to different parts of Nepal, establishing various religious centers now known as Kanika Sundari in Jumla, Bagheshwori in Nepalgunj, KhairaBang Bhagawoti in Salyan, Tripureshwori Bhagawoti in Baitadi, and BadiMalika in Doti.
  • Three butterflies turned into statues during the villagers’ attempts to catch them.
• Kaji Bista’s Dream:
  • A villager, Kaji Bista, dreamed that they were the nine sisters of Durga Bhagawati and that a temple should be constructed at the site of the okhal.
  • Following this dream, the villagers built a small temple and sought to bring a Brahmin from Jumla to conduct regular worship.
• Sukdev Neupane’s Decision:
  • Sukdev Neupane, a Brahmin from Jumla, refused the villagers’ initial proposal to stay as the temple priest. However, after experiencing a miraculous blindness while crossing the Tamrawani River, he decided to stay and serve as the regular priest.
• Renaming of Tibrikot:
  • The establishment of the temple led to the renaming of Tibrikot to Tripurakot.
• Recent Renovations:
  • With assistance from the Indian Government, Mr. Laxmi Kant Upadhaya, a local resident of Dunai (the headquarters of Dolpa), dedicated his efforts to renovating the temple, which has now been completed.

Festivals

• Major Festivals Celebrated:
  • Dashain
  • Asthami Puja

Century/Period/Age

1000 Years old

Nearest Bus Station

Tripurakot

Nearest Railway Station

Raxaul and Gorakhpur.

Nearest Airport

Kathmandu, Dolpa

lightuptemple