India, the land of 64 crore gods and goddesses, is considered one of the most religious countries in the world. Here, you can find temples and shrines in almost every corner of the country. While most of us are familiar with the practice of worshiping Lord Shiva and Vishnu, we are not aware that religious Indian beliefs go beyond this. Here is a list of unusual temples in India.
1. Sonia Gandhi Temple, Telangana
We don't know about the parliament, but Sonia Gandhi, the former president of the Indian National Congress Party, took her seat in one of the temples in the state of Telengana, simply because she helped in the formation of the state.
Apart from Sonia Gandhi, there is also a statue of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. It would be wrong to say that this temple is dedicated to the Gandhi family.
2. Hidimba Devi Temple, Himachal Pradesh
Situated in the forest of Manali, this temple is unusual because there is no idol except a stone which has the footprint of Hidimba Devi.
According to mythology, Hidimba is the wife of Bhima. When he returned from exile, Hidimba did not accompany him. Instead, she meditated in the forest to attain the status of "Devi".
3. Kal Bhairav Nath Temple, Varanasi
In Holy Varanasi, Kal Bhairav Nath is the reincarnation of Lord Shiva. What makes it unusual is that devotees offer alcohol in the form of 'prasad'. Unlike any other shop outside the temple that sells flowers, the shops outside this temple sell alcohol with government permission.
4. Dog Temple, Karnataka
We all know how wonderful dogs are. Their quality of loyalty, devotion and unconditional love sets them apart from most creatures. To honour these qualities in a dog, a community in Karnataka has built a temple where a dog is a deity. It is believed that the worship would transfer the dog's qualities to humans, making them better for humanity.
5. Bullet Baba Temple, Rajasthan
Situated in the Palli area of Jodhpur, people here worship the Royal Enfield Bullet 350cc for their safety on the roads.
There is an interesting story behind the Bullet. In 1988, Om Singh met with an accident while riding a bullet and died instantly. The authorities then took the bullet to the local police station for investigation. The next morning, the bike went missing from the station and was found at the accident site. Even after the police seized the bike, it was found at the same accident site. Seeing this, the locals built a temple around it.
6. Gurudwara Plane, Punjab
This gurudwara in Jalandhar is known to fulfill the desire of devotees for 'wanderlust'. Here, devotees offer miniature airplanes and pray for the fulfillment of their desire to travel abroad.
7. Visa Temple, Hyderabad
This is the Balaji temple located in Chilkur village in Hyderabad. The devotees who are going for Visa interview visit the temple.
It is said that in the 80s, a group of students from Chennai faced problems getting US visas, they offered their prayers there which were answered and since then the place has been called the 'Visa Temple'.
Source: traveltell.ru
