Mansa Devi Temple is situated at Bilaspur in
Panchkula District. It is one of the
Shaktipithas dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi who is the form of
Parvati, the consort of
Lord Shiva.
There are two temples here. It is believed that the then ruler of Mani Majra built the older temple. According to legend, the temple was a part of the princely state of Nahan. Some hill people cut off the stream which supplied water to this temple. This affected the pilgrims. So goddess appeared in the dream of Gurbaksh Singh, the ruler of Mani Majra, and asked to construct a temple at this place.
The temple is decorated with thirty-eight panels of wall paintings. Floral designs are painted all over the ceiling and the arches leading to the temple. The paintings on the walls depict the themes from the Markandeya Purana, which is dedicated to Mother Goddess.
Festivals are celebrated in March to April and September to October. The other temple was built by Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala to celebrate his victory over the Gurkhas.
Mansa Devi Temple is 3 km east of Mani Majra. Buses are available from Chandigarh Central Bus Station (15 km) and Panchkula Bus Station (4 km). Nearest airport and railway station are at Chandigarh.
