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Shri
Sheetala Mata Mandir (Masani Temple)
Shri Sheetala Mata Mandir also referred as 'Shakti Peeth' is a well known temple
located one and a half kilometers in the suburbs of Gurgaon near a beautiful
pond. The presiding deity of the temple is Shri Mata Sheetla Devi also known
by the names Bhagat Lalita Ma and Masani Ma is the incarnation of Goddess Durga.
The word Sheetala refers to the disease smallpox and it is believed that the
person's suffering from this disease will be surely recovered by praying to
Sheetla Devi . The statue of the deity, weighing 4kg is made up of mixed metal
with gold polish and is kept in a wooden casket which is in turn placed on a
small marble platform in the temple.
The temple is thronged by a large number of devotees throughout the year, especially
on Mondays during the Hindu month of Chaitra (i.e in March and April). Devotees
visit this temple mainly to conduct the mundan (first shaving off the heads)
ceremony of their children and offer the crop of hair at the altar of goddess.
People suffering from small pox performs a ritual named 'Jal dema' by spending
a whole night in the temple, chanting hymns and songs in honor of the goddess.
Married couple also visit here to get the blessings of the goddess for a happy
married life. The annual Masani Fair celebrated here is a major draw attended
by thousands of devotees from far and near.
There is a legend about this temple. There was a shrine, sacred to the goddess
Devi, locally known as Masani at the village of Kesopur in the Delhi district.
Some two hundred and fifty years ago according to tradition, the Goddess appeared
in a dream to one Singha, a Jat of some influence and a resident at the village
of Gurgaon. The Devi communicated to Singha that she wished to leave Kesopur
and directed him to construct a shrine for her in his village. At the same time,
she authorised the fortunate Singha to appropriate all the offerings at her
shrine. The orders of the goddess were promptly carried out. The shrine was
built and flourished, its fame spreading far and wide.
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