Idol made of pure ghee to be installed for Makar Sankranti celebrations at Kangra’s Bajreshwari Temple

On Tuesday, the temple authorities at the Bajreshwari Devi Temple in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, started preparations for the installation ceremony of an idol of Hindu deity Durga, made of 2100 kg of clarified butter (ghee).
According to the news reports, the idol has been prepared by using "desi ghee" post purification with sacred water by the priests. Reportedly, the temple authorities will permit devotees and visitors to behold the idol Wednesday onward, which also happens to be Makar Sankranti Festival.

The Bajreshwari Devi temple is a prominent shrine in Himachal Pradesh. A lot of pilgrims from Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh visit the temple of the goddess to offer prayers.


Reportedly, the idol will be removed from sanctum sanctorum of the goddess on January 20 and will be distributed as prasad to the devotees. It is believed that the sacred butter used for crafting the idol would cure chronic skin diseases and joint pain.

The Bajreshwari Devi Temple is situated 11 km away from Kangra railway station. The Kangra Fort is located nearby. The shrine is located near Chamunda Devi temple and 16 km from Nagarkot. Interestingly, there is an ancient Vajreshwari Devi Temple, at a namesake place located about 75 km from Mumbai city in Maharashtra that was built by a local king.

Legend has it that after fighting a demon, when Bajresjwari Devi sustained some minor injuries, she healed them by applying clarified butter. It is the faith of the locals in this legend that has kept the tradition of making butter idols alive till date.