Divine Mystery of Exorcism- Mehandipur Balaji Temple

I belong to a Hindu family and where every child is taught the importance of Puja and how it can help you to stay away from negative energies around. India is a  religious country with many different  beliefs one such is supernatural powers like Bhoot/ Ghosts, spirits or a bad soul. I remember how badly I  used to get scared in the dark and it happened because I was scared of ghosts or  Bhoot (Bhoot in Hindu culture means a supernatural creature, usually the soul of a deceased person). This was all in stories and movies and it was believed  that if we go out during the dark under a certain kind of tree the Ghost will come to you and enter your body and won't go away. This was considered serious and dangerous for someone's life if not cured. One such ritualistic healing place was Bala ji Temple in Rajasthan state of India. 

I had heard about Balaji temple in the northern part of India that was known for its exorcism rituals. Balaji is the name of a deity identified with Lord Hanuman, the monkey god who was a dedicated follower of the Lord Rama in the Ramayana epic of Hinduism (It is called Bala ji which means the Childhood form of Lord Hanuman ).

My father and my other siblings have visited Mehandipur Bala ji Temple but they were never sure if I must visit, me being a scary cat. The curiosity was building up but in my mind I had decided to visit one day .

 So finally the day was here. During my last visit to Delhi India I decided to visit Jaipur as the temple is not very far from Jaipur. 

The approximate distance from Delhi to Mehandipur Balaji via Jaipur is 325 km followed by NH-8 (Delhi-Jaipur Highway) till you reach Jaipur and then take the road to Dausa, Rajasthan 

The devotees believe that this place has magical powers and attracts many pilgrims and among those some are here to find relief from black magic or evil spirits. 

Some like us visit to worship Lord Hanuman and know more about the stories of the magical powers. 

We parked our car in a parking area and  had to walk for like 5 to 10 minutes . Cameras are not allowed and try not to carry anything with you and if you do leave in your car. While walking towards the temple I was very nervous and I was approaching the temple and could see a long queue of devotees. Outside the Temple the shopkeepers were trying to sell prasad to everyone 

It is believed not to refuse Prasad and the Prasad was some kind of black-coloured balls that is not meant to be eaten but thrown into fire inside the temple.

Then was the time to enter and as soon as I entered I couldn't believe what I saw. Never ever in my life witness something like this. All those moments are still engraved in my memory. I can still feel that moment. One of the most shocking and strongest experiences of my life.

As I entered I could hear the loud sound of the bells along with the crying and screaming of men and women. 

The first two chambers have idols of Lord Hanuman and Lord Bhairon, where we were  asked to throw the black-coloured balls into the ceremonial fire. The legend here says that by doing so, you keep all evil forces at bay. It was a scary environment for me with so many crowded people staring at us and some were even crying and had very scary looks. On reaching the other part of the temple I  saw Men and women banging their heads on pillars, some women poured hot water over themselves , some beating and hurting themselves without feeling any pain. There's one chamber where not many visitors came and the reason was very obvious when I saw. Many of them were tied up with big heavy  chains and were said to be treated for evil spirits and were those with very serious problems.I was speechless with goosebumps all over my body. It was like something I never saw and imagined I would see in a temple. After some time 

I was finally out of the mandir but yes shocked and hard to believe. I was thinking to myself, did I really make it . I worshiped Lord Hanuman and yes all what I saw was people with some kind of serious problems that was causing them pain and suffering and needed ritualistic healing to cure . Neither am I a pundit nor a doctor so I cannot comment on what I saw. Every religion has some beliefs and I completely respect that. 

The temple is a safe place to visit but would suggest not to take children with you. 

After I left the temple I walked back to the parking lot but on the way  I saw some really nice shops selling hand embroidered scarves and dupattas. There was no way I would pass by without buying the beautiful colorful hand embroidered by the local ladies of that village. Women in villages of India are expert in threadwork and sometimes work hard for long to earn very little money. So we all must try buying such handcrafted items from the village whenever possible. This helps them to encourage and earn. 

I was happy and excited after my visit at Balaji . I am thankful to my friend who encouraged me to visit and help me take away the fear that stopped me from visiting this temple. Otherwise I would have never been able to worship this famous mysterious temple of Rajasthan.