Image Source: Rachit Panwar
About Lakshman Temple
The Lakshman temple is located in Deval village, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. At a height of 4000 meters above sea level, the temple is 14 kilometres south of Pauri, and one has to walk further to the temple site. Because the temple is situated in a village called Deval, it is also called Devalaya, meaning abode of gods. It was constructed by Swami Ramanujcharya.
The Vaishnav group of temples is situated in the village of Deval. They are made of black stones constructed in different time periods. Some are constructed in the 11th / 15th century, while those constructed in the 18th/19th century are dedicated to Laxman & Lord Shiva.
Mythology and History
The Lakshmana temple, like other temples in the region, is associated with a legend. According to the legend, Lord Rama was performing an Ashwamedha yagna. But Brahmins who are accompanying him told Rama that the yagna will be incomplete if Sita is not present here. Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, went to the spot where Sita had disappeared and asked her to come out.
But unfortunately, Sita refused to come out to Ayodhya, where Lord Rama had banished her. She said to Lakshmana that once she returns to the womb of mother earth as a rock, he can take it as a symbol to the yagna and return the rock to its original place after the completion of the ritual.
In the village of Phalsari, this incident is believed to have happened. Today, the rock exists, which is associated with the sita by local villagers and worshipped.
The Temple of Lakshman is built at the same spot where Lakshmana asked his sister-in-law, Sita, to come out.