Siddhapeeth Shri Salasar Dham
Salasar or Salasar Dham is an eminent Hindu pilgrimage site. The temple is located at Haislasar locality of Salasar town, near Sujangarh in the Churu district of Rajasthan.
Shri Salasar Balaji Temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman, reverently called here as Balaji or Baba by the devotees. It is considered to be one of the Shakti-Sthal (Place of Power) and has great importance because the idol of Salasar baba here is believed to be Swayambhu (Self incarnated).
Salasar Balaji Temple History and Significance
The Story behind Self-incarnation of the Salasar idol is very interesting. Once A farmer of village Asota in the Nagaur district of Rajasthan was plowing his field, when all of sudden the plowshare collided with a hard, stony material with a metallic sound. He dug up the place and found an idol covered with sand and mud. Paying no heed, he put aside the idol and restarted plowing. Suddenly an intense pain occurred in the farmer’s stomach.
At that time his wife saw the condition of her husband groaning in pain. Realizing the mistake, she took the idol and with devotion cleaned it with her saree.
It was an idol of Lord Hanuman carrying Rama- Laxman on his shoulders. She installed the black stone statue near a tree and offered a sweet dish called ‘Choorma’ made of Bajra (pearl millet) as the first offering to the idol of Balaji and begged pardon for the blunder. Instantaneously the farmer stood up healthy. Since then, ‘Bajra Churma’ is always offered to & enjoyed by Balaji Maharaj.
The farmer couple handed over the idol to the Thakur of the village. That night Lord Hanuman appeared in Thakur’s dream and instructed him to deliver the idol to Pandit Mohandas of Salasar. On the same night, Mohandas Maharaj also received divine inspiration from Lord Balaji informing him about the digging of the idol in Asota village and installing the idol in Salasar. He immediately sent a message to the Thakur.
Mohandas Ji Maharaj was a great devotee of Lord Hanuman. He, along with his sister Kanhi Bai, used to worship Balaji with extreme devotion and it is said that Mohandasji received Balaji's darshan daily.
The Thakur of Asota village immediately made all the arrangements to deliver the auspicious idol to Salasar in a decorated bullock cart.
The cart reached Salasar on The Auspicious Hindu Day of Shravana Shukla Navami, Saturday, Vikrami Samvat 1811 (1754 AD), nearly 266 years ago from now. On the same day, two Muslim artisans – Noor Mohammad and Dau were called upon to construct the temple using mud & stone.
Why is Salasar Balaji’s Idol different from all other Hanuman idols?
The miraculous Shri Balaji temple of Salasar has special significance. Here, the idol of Lord Balaji has a distinctive appearance compared to all other statues of Lord Hanuman all over the world. The idol has a round human face with a moustache and beard like a young man of 20 years. This makes the idol most unique. Vermillion is grafted all over the face because Hanumanji loved sindoor (vermilion) the most.
On Shrawan Dwadashi (12th day of Sharawana month) Tuesday, Mohandas Ji was so absorbed in the devotion of Hanuman, that he completely immersed the idol with ghee and vermilion. At that time Balaji‘s earlier form, carrying Rama – Lakshman on his shoulders, disappeared. Instead appeared a face with beard, moustache, a tilak on the forehead, formidable eyebrows, beautiful eyes, wearing a mace on the mountain.
It is also said that Lord Hanuman once visited him in the form a sadhu sporting a moustache and beard, which is the reason for the bearded idol of Salasar Hanuman Ji.
Architecture of Salasar Balaji Temple
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| The entire walls and the roofs are embellished with gold and silver plated statues of Lord Hanuman. |
The present temple building has been constructed by the jagirdar of Sikar. It took almost 2 years in completing this magnificent temple and further renovating it with the bricks, cement, lime mortar, stone, and white marble by his descendants.
The entire walls and the roofs of circular parikrama path, the wide prayer hall, and the Sanctum Sanctorum or garbha griha have continuously been embellished with exquisite statues of Lord Hanuman & other artwork made of Gold and Silver. The mandir has a silver porch, silver doors, and silver puja & service utensils for Lord Balaji. The principal gate has a carving work of white marble. The temple shrine and the sanctum are adorned with floral paintings and inlaid in gold and silver giving it a majestic appearance.
The entire walls and the roofs of circular parikrama path, the wide prayer hall, and the Sanctum Sanctorum or garbha griha have continuously been embellished with exquisite statues of Lord Hanuman & other artwork made of Gold and Silver. The mandir has a silver porch, silver doors, and silver puja & service utensils for Lord Balaji. The principal gate has a carving work of white marble. The temple shrine and the sanctum are adorned with floral paintings and inlaid in gold and silver giving it a majestic appearance.
The temple area is around 3000-4000 square meters. It has an open central verandah, some trees are there which are occupied by a large number of chirping & singing tiny birds. There is a hawan place in the open, a couple of halls for the devotees’ to meditate or recite sundarkand, Hanuman Chalisa & other Bhajans and for the general utilities of organization. The main office is also located in this central area.
The main temple hall is 700-800 square yards in an area having a height as high as a 3 storied building.
Important Customs and Rituals of Salasar Dham
1. Visiting Mohandas ji Maharaj’s Samadhi Sthal
In the year Samwat 1850 (1794 A.D.) Mohan Das Maharaj took Samadhi near the temple making a stone pillar his witness. The Samadhi is a must visit for all the devotees visiting Salasar temple. Your Darshan remains incomplete without doing the Darshana of this place. |
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2. Havan Kunda in Salasar Temple
Another historically important point in the temple complex is the eternal fire(dhuni) lit by Mohandasji in samvat 1815 (1758 A.D.) which is running constantly till date. This fire is considered sacred and consuming a pinch of its ash (called vibhuti) is believed to cure all diseases. Mohandasji used to do dhyana and jap (name chanting) her. A devotee must sit here for few minutes and meditate.
3. Tying Coconut
Initially, the Salasar Ji temple was made very small near a Jati tree. With the passing of time and blessings of Balaji, today there is a huge gold-silver built temple. The ancient Jati tree is still in the complex. The devotees tie coconuts with the sacred red threads for the fulfillment of their wishes.
4. Watching Temple flag
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The auspicious & massive red flags or patakas of Balaji are mounted atop the temple continue to hover amidst all kinds of weather. One should have the darshan of this flag, whenever he visits Salasar. |
5. Anjani Ma Temple darshan
The temple of Maa Anjani, mother of Lord Hanuman, is located at a distance of approximately 1 km from Balaji Mandir. It is a strong belief that for the fulfillment of the wish desired at Balaji temple, one must get darshans of maa Anjani and if possible, offer Prashada before departing Salasar Dham.
The mata mandir is famous for the fulfillment of the wishes of married women and newlyweds. They offer coconut covered in red cloth and honey for a successful married life. Ma Anjani gets the first marriage invitation from the people to be virtually present in the marriage.
Managing Body of the Salasar Temple
Descendants of Shri Mohandas Ji, who are the brahmins of the Dadhicha clan are the priests of this temple. Daily traditional offerings (bhog) and aarti of Shri Balaji are performed by them only.
The management & maintenance of the temple is done by the trust of the temple ‘Hanuman Sewa Samiti’ which apart from temple maintenance also performs many private & public works such as Road construction, Water supply, Charitable Hospitals in Salasar.
Salasar Balaji Dham Darshan & Aarti Timings
Salasar Balaji’s temple remains open for the visitors from 4:00 A.M. till 10:00 P.M.
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Special days and Celebrations in Salasar
1. Hanuman Jayanti/Janmotsav: This festival is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Bajrang Bali lord Hanuman. This auspicious day falls on the full moon day during the Chaitra month of the Hindu calendar.
2. A grand celebration is also held on the 13th day of the dark half of Ashwin to observe the death anniversary of Pdt. Mohandas.
3. Saturdays and Tuesdays are the special days of Balaji, Bhajan, and Prayers are offered to the Hanuman Ji. Melodious musical recitations of Hanuman Chalisa, Sunderkand, Ram Charitmanas, and other Hanuman Bhajans are the major attractions and hence devotees increase many folds on these days compared to other weekdays.
4. Many devotees offer Savamani to Balaji. Savamani is an offering of 50 kg of food in the form of Churma, Laddu, Chakki, Peda, Boondiya. All arrangements of savamani are available within the temple premises. This food is first offered to the deity and then distributed among the devotees present in the mandir complex. The balance could be carried to home for further distribution to relatives and friends.
5. As a tradition, the first hair shaving ceremony of a child, called Jadula, is also performed in the temple complex.
6. Another incredible feature of the temple is a nonstop Ram Kirtan (praising chanting of Lord Rama) going on for the past 20 years.
How to reach Salasar
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The nearest airport is Jaipur International Airport ( JAI) (Distance covered is appx.185 km)Thereafter, Luxury buses and /or Prepaid taxis /cabs are available to & from Salasar. |
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• By Road |
Luxury RSRTC and private buses run regularly connecting Salasar Ji to the major cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Churu, Didwana, Ratangarh, Agra, New Delhi, etc. For more comfortable journey taxis, cabs are available. Distance: New Delhi- Laxmangarh- Salasar 320 to 350 kms Jaipur–Chomu–Sikar–Saalasar 171 kms Agra - Chomu – Sikar- Salasar 514- 445 kms |
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• By Train |
The nearest railway station is Sujangarh ( 27 km), well connected with the major railway stations of New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Didwana, Sikar, Churu, Ratangarh, Nagaur, to name a few. Other nearby stations to reach Salasar are: Sikar ( 57 km) Laxmangarh ( 31kms ) Churu ( 45 km) Didwana( 42 km) |
Salasar Dham is situated in the religious periphery of the Khatu Shyamji Temple and Rani Sati Dadiji (Jhunjhunu) Temple. These three Prominent Pilgrim Centres are close to each other and attract countless devotees & worshippers throughout the year.
Best time to visit Salasar
Generally, round-the-year, pilgrims throng Salasar Ji. However, it is better to avoid summer months to survive the scorching heat-waves of Rajasthan.
The most pleasant time is the visit during the celebrations of festivals and fairs to enjoy the fullest.
But care must be taken to book or reserve the Dharamshalas & Hotels well –in-advance because of the huge crowd gathering on those occasions
Facilities/Amenities available in Salasar
1. Mandir Rasoi & other Bhojnalayas: A big Rasoi (kitchen ), hygienic and well maintained by mandir trust, is there for the guests and special pilgrims only.
Various other good quality bhojnalyas & restaurants are available in the vicinity of Temple that is easily accessible.
2. Market : The market is congested with the shops on either side. These shops mainly include small tea & breakfast, fruits & vegetables, Prasad & puja items, gifts of various types, spices & pickles from Rajasthan, ready-made wears, etc.
Salasar’s markets are very famous for colorful bangles, Rajasthani spices, churan, and kids’ toys
3. Dharamshalas & Hotels: There are various good hotels and more than 100 dharamshalas for the visitors.
4. Medical: In case of a medical emergency, there are hospitals near Salasar Ji, which are professional, well-led, safe, and friendly to people’s needs and open for 24 hrs.
5. Banks: There are several ATMs and banks of repute which are in the vicinity of the temple and are easily accessible to the public.
Miracles and Blessings of Salasar Balaji
There is a wide belief among devotees that if one visits Salasar Balaji Temple and offers prayers with loyalty, devotion & sincerity in their hearts, then the almighty fulfills the wishes of its worshippers.
In fact, over the years, the temple is applauded for several miracles as well. It is said that the potable water (drinking water) available in the wells of the Salasar town is only because of the grace and blessings of Lord Hanuman.
Salasar Balaji's miracle stories are numerous. Here are few incidents that made me and my family the devotee of Balaji.
(i) Both the kidneys of my daughter were damaged and doctors recommended a kidney transplant as soon as possible. Her mother volunteered for her kidney, but whenever the doctors fixed a date for the transplant, some dilemma and obstacles would have arisen and the transplant had to be postponed every time. Seven months have already passed like this. Everyone got upset. In the end, we decided to visit Salasar Balaji. We placed an application before Saint Mohandas requesting him to get Baba's blessing to get my daughter’s kidney transplanted as soon as possible.
And what a pleasant surprise! within one month of Baba’s darshan my daughter was happily & effectively got her kidney transplanted. After18 years, with the grace of Balaji Maharaj, both mother and daughter are safe and happy.
(ii) About 15 years ago, I, with my family went to Salasar for Baba’s darshan. We had the quiet Dharam Darshan (standing in line with all other pilgrims). During the parikrama, my wife fanatically tried to have the garbh griha darshan (a special darshan granted to some specific pilgrims on fulfilling some mandir conditions), but she always failed. Even on one occasion, she entered into a group of such devotees, but at the entrance was stopped and denied by the pujari when he came to know she did not belong to that group. Seeing this, she became very depressed and tears rolled out of her eyes. I enquired with a pujari serving there about the process of having such darshan. He told me that on contributing a specific amount of cash or gold/ silver worth that amount (running in a minimum of five figures) to the mandir trust, one could enjoy such darshan. For us, it was a Hercules task so I consoled my wife that if she wishes Baba’s GarbhGriha Darshan with a pure & true heart, then Baba will definitely call and give darshan to you.
After about 30 minutes or so, someone from the central office came and asked me to meet the chief administrator in his office. Shocked, I accompanied him. The admin there stood at once and respectfully welcomed me with a wide smile & Namaste. Then asked me whether I recognize him. On my refusal, he then introduced himself and told me that his father was the chief priest of Temple in the place where we lived.
I immediately recognized him. He then took all of us with him to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and not only did we get Baba’s darshan for a long time but were also fed bhog (prasad offered to Balaji) in the temple mess. I looked at my wife and saluted this miracle of Baba.
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