Bhairav
Bhairav (Photo: Prashant_sh via Flickr)

By rupesh sehgal

What is so unique about the Prachin Bhairon Mandir?

Prachin Bhairon Mandir is the name given to the most famous Bhairav temple in Delhi. The deity known as Bhairav is one of the forms of Lord Mahadev or Lord Shiva and is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage centres in the country. One of the most unique features about this temple that cannot be found anywhere else is the fact that liquor is given to the deity as a holy offering. Devotees bring in local and international brands of liquor like beer, brandy, scotch, whiskey etc. and offer it to Lord Bhairav. This is then distributed to the devotees as the local Prasad.

Why liquor is offered?

History has it that the Bhairon Baba who is the main deity here was once a demon who was killed by the Goddess Durga. However, due to his good nature, he was cleared off from the consequences of all his sins by the Goddess during his final moments. This Baba was very fond of liquor, which is why even today, many people offer the same to the deity here. After offering these drinks to the Lord, the devotees can either take the remaining with them back home or give it off to the priests of the temple. Sometimes, devotees also offer meat to the main deity here. This temple witnesses the maximum number of visitors during Sundays. During this day, the temple premise is full with bottles and cartons of liquor. This is one of the main temples in Delhi.

Music and dance around Kaal Bhairav
Music and dance around Kaal Bhairav (Photo: Tushar Pokle via Flickr)

Important tourist attraction

The Bhairav temple in Delhi is located just behind the main tourist spot of Purana Qila and Pragati Maidan. This is an important tourist spot not only because  of the special and unique offerings made here, but also because this temple was constructed during the age of the Pandavas, thus being one of the important reflections of the city’s ancient heritage. It is believed that devotees who offer liquor here get their wishes fulfilled at some point of time in their lives. During the morning hours, this temple is quite similar to other temples in Delhi. However, the temple takes a different form during the evening puja hours. Everybody keeps pouring tons and tons of liquor into a big bowl and offers the main deity amidst lots of celebration and music. Devotees who have experienced this puja are of the belief that the prayers and music during the evening hours bring about a lot of positive energy within one’s mind. This is the temple that gives the foreign tourists a feel of the authentic Indian culture and spirituality.

Architecture and deities

The architecture of this temple is purely North Indian in style. Marble is used extensively in the interiors of this building, which gives the temple an elegant look and makes it a huge tourist attraction to the international and local tourists. All the idols found in this temple are constructed in marble, which gives the temple a very regal look. The main deity of the temple, Lord Bhairav, contains only the face and has very big eyes. Overall, the look of the deity is very fierce and Bhairav is believed to bless his devotees abundantly always. Some of the other idols found here are Kali, Ganesh, Ram, Sita, Lakshmi, Shiva, Raghunath, Tirupati Balaji, Hanuman and Radha Krishna. Most of the devotees coming here also find it easy to visit the reputed Kalkaji temple nearby.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/bhairav-temple-in-delhi-where-one-of-the-most-unique-offering-is-made-6983516.html

About the Author

Rupesh Sehgal, the writer of this article, trip to one of the Prachin Bhairav temple in Delhi , he narrates his part of story to the readers. In this temple, liquor is the main prasad offered to the deity.

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