Mehandipur Balaji Temple: Rajasthan’s one-of-its-kind Temple Awaits Your Visit

With picturesque views, gorgeous landscapes, magnificent forts, and extravagance of cultures and beliefs – Rajasthan is India’s one of the most favourite places. With so many places to visit in Rajasthan, every day, tourists from all over the world flock to the state to witness the marvellous beauties that it houses. India is a land of wonders and with so many legends surrounding it, the question of whether it’s a history or mystery arises in everyone’s mind. Rajasthan, too, houses one such place that is known for both its history and mystery.

The Mehandipur Balaji Temple – A Mysteriously Historic Place in Rajasthan

Situated in the district of Dausa in Rajasthan, the shrine of Mehandipur Balaji is dedicated to the powerful Lord Hanuman, who is also known as the ‘God of Strength’. He is also known as Balaji or Maruti in many parts of India; hence, the name Balaji Temple. It is believed that the place has magical powers, making it a pilgrimage site for devotees to come and pay their respects.

And, As the Story of Mehandipur Balaji Goes

Along with worshipping Lord Hanuman, the Mehandipur Balaji Temple also has shrines for Pret Raj Sarkar and Kotwal Bhairav Ji. As per the folklore, it is said that the temple has divine power and the idol worshipped here, appeared on its own. The temple, having divine powers, is believed to have the ability to cure people who are affected by unexpected circumstances.

Journeying through the History of Mehandipur Balaji 

For its history or mystery, Mehandipur Balaji in Rajasthan is a renowned temple in India. The deities residing inside the temple are approximately 1000 years old. Like said before, the idol of Lord Hanuman is believed to have appeared on its own, amidst the Aravalli Hills. The area of the temple used to be a dense forest where Shri Mahant Ji’s ancestors started worshipping Balaji. As per the Mehandipur Balaji story, the three deities of the temple came in Shri Mahant Ji’s dream and ordered him to be ready for fulfilling his duty.

Architecting the Temple

Constructed somewhere in the 11th Century, the area of the temple was a forest, which eventually turned into a small village. Now, you can see the temple structuring between two small hills. The idol of Lord Hanuman or Balaji is self-constructed with stones of a hill and the remaining temple is constructed accordingly. The Mehandipur Balaji Temple in Rajasthan has extraordinarily amazing architecture, with its small pillared balconies boasting of the Rajput style design. The beauty of this place is pretty unique and that’s what attracts the tourists the most.

The village where the Mehandipur Balaji Mandir is located has a warm environment; however, the greens do make it a little chilly at times with the breeze. Also, the temple welcomes an impassable crowd who try to make their way through the premises to get a view of the idol. There is no escape from the crowd; it may take a longer time for you to reach the area where the idol is kept. The shopkeepers near the temple complex keep their shops open all through the day and night, ensuring that devotees can access basic needs with ease during the Mehandipur Balaji darshan.

Temple Rituals: What You Need to Know

The timings of Mehandipur Balaji Temple are 6 AM to 11:30 AM and then, 12 PM to 9 PM. The regular activities that are performed in the temple include holy rituals and offering food to the needy. Some specific rituals are to be performed by the devotees visiting the temple; keeping the darshan time of Mehandipur Balaji temple in mind, the rituals are to be done in the following sequence –

• Durkhasta

Take Durkhasta Laddoos from any of the shops outside the temple. The laddoos will be provided in two plates, once you reach the temple, hand over the plates to the priests standing in front of the shrine door. They will pick the laddoos (no specific numbers) and add them to the fire that is burning in front of the deity. It is said that the first plate is to inform Lord Balaji that you are there to seek his blessings and the second plate is to request him to guide you towards your goals. Durkhasta is offered after the prayer in the morning and before the evening prayer. You have to repeat the same for Pret Raj Sarkar and Kotwal Bhairav Ji. Once you are done with the Durkhasta ritual, you have to eat two laddoos out of the leftover ones. The container that has more bhog left in them is encircled by people around their head 7 times in an anticlockwise direction. It is then thrown away without looking backwards.

• Arzi

Once you are done with Durkhasta, the next ritual is Arzi. You have to order Arzi from any of the shops outside the temple, having a fixed price of INR 270. Arzi includes 2.25 kg Urad Dal, 1.25 kg Laddoos, and 4. 25 kg Boiled Rice. You have to offer this to Pret Raj Sarkar and Kotwal Bhairav Ji in two separate containers.

• Savamani

Before you leave the temple, if you ask for any wish, you have to tell Balaji that you will come back again to offer Savamani to him. This ritual is done on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Other Information about the Temple

Online registration and booking for Mehandipur Balaji are not yet available for morning or evening aarti. The opening time of Mehandipur Balaji gates is 6 AM and the aarti begins by 6:15 AM; if you wish to witness the aarti, it is recommended that you reach the temple by 5:30. The entry fee is free for all and the waiting time for darshan is approximately 2 hours.

What Can You Eat?

As per the rules of the Mehandipur Balaji Temple, you are not allowed to eat or drink anything inside the premises. Also, you have to be careful of food pushers and strictly say NO to them. However, once you are done visiting the temple, you can go out and have some delectable Rajasthani dishes at the restaurants near the temple. One of the most popular restaurants is Surbhi Food Plaza, where you can relish good vegetarian food. They have a live kitchen and are pretty famous for paranthas.

Things You Need to Keep in Mind

Given below are the rules of Mehandipur Balaji temple that you need to keep in mind when visiting –

• Don’t eat meat, onion, or anything non-vegetarian, before visiting the temple
• When leaving the temple, don’t turn back to have a glimpse of the place again
• Don’t talk or touch strangers inside the temple premises
• Don’t carry food items (Prasad or bhog) back with you while leaving the temple
• Strictly avoid and say NO to food pushers
• Before you leave the village, empty all the food packets and bottles, and throw them in the dustbins
• Avoid photography or videography inside the temple premises
• For ladies, carry a dupatta or headscarf to cover your heads.

The Mehandipur Balaji Temple is one of the most mysteriously beautiful temples in Rajasthan, India. Whether you visit alone or with your loved ones, make sure that you follow all the rules of the temples. They are pretty strict about that. Additionally, once you are done exploring the temple, you can explore the other beauties of Rajasthan for an amazing vacation. Make sure to include the beautiful forts and palaces in your Rajasthan tour package.