A flood of devotees throngs the Lemboiyya Hill Temple, a famous pilgrimage site in Chatra

Jharkhand/Chatra : Preparations for the worship of Goddess Durga during the Sharadiya Navratri are complete in temples across the country. Chatra district, Jharkhand, also boasts several ancient temples where worship has been performed during the Sharadiya Navratri for centuries. The Mata Bhagwati Temple on Lemboiyya Hill in the district is also immense and illustrious. There are many ancient traditions and beliefs associated with this temple.

Lemboiya Hill is a famous religious site in Chatra (Jharkhand), where Goddess Bhagwati resides in the form of Chamunda and is considered the Siddhapeetha of the eyelids of Goddess Sati's left eye. It is renowned for fulfilling vows, and devotees from far and wide come here to visit during Navratri.

Yugeshwar Prasad, Executive Chairman of the Temple Management Committee, stated that the eyelids of Goddess Sati's left eye fell here. Even today, devotees offer gold and silver eyes when their wishes are fulfilled. The tradition of offering gold and silver eyes has been prevalent here for centuries. This is a Siddhapeetha (siddhapeeth) site. For centuries, the Goddess Bhagwati has been worshipped here during Navratri. Goddess Dakshineshwari Devi is enshrined here in the form of Chamunda. This temple is renowned for fulfilling wishes.

Temple Secretary Basudev Tiwari explained that over time, this area has been renowned for Tantric rituals. Even today, people offer gold and silver eyes to the Goddess when their wishes are fulfilled. At the top of the hill, there is a magnificent and rare black stone statue of Goddess Bhagwati in a fierce posture, as if fighting in a battlefield. The statue has three heads and seven eyes. Chanda and Mund are placed beneath her feet. The Goddess is worshipped according to the Vaishnavite tradition. Worship is performed here from dawn to dusk. Although devotees visit the temple year-round, the Sharadiya Navratri festival sees a massive influx. The surrounding villagers worship Goddess Dakshineshwari as their family deity.

Treasurer Udaynath Singh, Kedar Ram Dangi, and Baleshwar Dangi stated that the idol of the Goddess enshrined in the temple dates back to the 8th to 10th centuries. It was discovered by shepherds. A grand temple has been constructed by the management committee and villagers on the site of the ancient temple. This temple attracts devotees from far and wide. Several attempts have been made to steal the Goddess's idol, but the Goddess's glory is so great that no one has been able to take it away to this day.

Those associated with the temple stated that the Sharadiya Navratri festival has been celebrated on Lemboiyia Hill for centuries. The Ramgarh royal family conducted the puja here. The tradition was to offer the first offering and sacrifice in the name of King Kamakhya Narayan Singh of Padma. The Brahma Rishi community worships the Goddess as their family deity. He said that the people of the surrounding area start every auspicious work from this temple. This temple is full of many ancient traditions and mysteries. The natural environment here attracts people. Apart from the five feet tall statue of Mother Bhagwati in the main temple, ancient statues of many gods and goddesses are also installed. This temple has been there for centuries. The temple is also mentioned in the last survey khatian.

This temple is located one kilometer east of the block headquarters, on the banks of the Pathalgarh-Hazaribagh main road. The temple is connected by a paved road to the divisional headquarters Hazaribagh, the district headquarters Chatra and the sub-divisional headquarters Simaria. The nearest railway stations are Katkamsandi and Hazaribagh Town.