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Basically
Shri Mehandipur Balaji Temple is
Lord Hanuman Ji's Temple
Long ago the image of Lord
Balaji and that of Pret Raja
(the King of spirits) appeared
from the Arawali hills. Now
people suffering from malignant
spirits and black magic or spell
get their relief when they make
an appeal for relief to Shri
Bheruji Pret Raj Sankar who
holds his court and awards
punishment to the malignant
spirits, ghosts, goblins,
ghouls, evil eyed witches etc.
Shrine of Balaji, Court of Pret
Raja, Pooja griha, Bheruji
temple are sum of the spots
worth seeing here.
Religious ritualistic
performances, charity, feeding
the poor, homeless and
incapacitated people, water
supply for all and fodder for
cows and stray animals are the
activities of this temple.
Balaji temple at Mehandipur in
Rajasthan is one such place. It
is believed that the deity in
this temple has divine power to
cure a person possessed with
evil spirit.Hundreds of 'Sankatwalas',
as the possessed people are
refereed to in local lingo,
throng to the temple everyday to
offer prayers and have 'darshan'.
The temple has also become a
home and the last respite for
the victims.
The 'Mahant' of the temple, Shri
Kishor Puri Ji, prescribes the
treatment. It can include
reading holy texts, following a
strict vegetarian and simple
diet, and even afflicts physical
pain to one's body.
One can witness people going
through various physical
therapies like keeping heavy
stones on their body – on arms,
legs and chest – to ease their
pain. There are others who
inhale the smoke that fumes out
of the sweet Patasa’s kept on
smoldering cowpats. The ones
with serious case of spirit
possession, who tends to get
violent, are even shackled in
chains within the temple
premises.
This may appear a bit
anachronistic at the first
glance, but thousands of people
are believed to have been cured
in this way. Festival time (Holi,
Hanuman Jayanti and Dusshera
etc) are regarded as the most
auspicious time to emancipate
from the evil spirit
Medical science may discard such
approach to the ailment as
‘self-deceptions based on blind
faith’, but for the believers,
the power of
Balaji is something
supernatural, something beyond
metaphysics.
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