Mehandipur Balaji Temple
Many cultures, from all around the world, incorporate possession into their beliefs. Possession deals with some kind of entity inhabiting, controlling and essentially taking over someone’s body and mind. Typically, the main cure for possession is to endure an exorcism. While the details of possession and process to expel spirits from a body differs between countries, it is typically a terrifying and privately conducted practice. The Mehandipur Balaji Temple in India is unique in this regard, existing as a place where live exorcisms are performed.
This particular place is a Hindu Temple located in Rajasthan, India. It sits in a small village, which is quite remote, being perched in the countryside. The temple is dedicated to the deity Lord Hanuman, who is the God of strength and is thought to be quite an old place. Legend has it that this area was once a dense forest and a place where someone was visited in a dream by Lord Hanuman. Following this, the temple and village were created in this deity’s image, and today it remains a very popular place.
Exorcisms at the Mehandipur Balaji Temple
Thousands of people make the pilgrimage to the Mehandipur Balaji Temple each day. The area, as well as the temple, are thought to have some kind of special magical properties that can be healing. In addition to this, many believe that this temple is a place that can help with the exorcism of demons, ghosts or djinns that may be inhabiting the body or an individual. It is even thought to help those affected by black magic who may be suffering from bad luck or curses.
Plenty of people visit the temple to offer up gifts to Lord Hanuman and the other deities that are worshipped at the temple. These are typically burned by priests as they pass through. Others will either bring themselves or loved ones, who they deem to require an exorcism. Within the temple, these people will typically have exorcisms performed on them in the main hall. This process largely consists of chants and rituals.
It is incredibly difficult to say whether everyone who visits the temple is actually being affected by some kind of possessing entity, and not acting a certain way due to other issues such as those related to mental health. Regardless, there have been many people to visit the temple and claim to feel either unexplainable chills or unseen presences around them.
Visiting the Exorcism Temple in India
The Exorcism Temple can be easily reached by hiring a driver and traveling about an hour out of Jaipur. Once the village is reached, one will need to walk about a kilometer down the main street to reach the Mehandipur Balaji Temple. Offerings to take into the temple can be purchased by the street vendors who surround the temple. Shoes will need to be removed to enter and street vendors are typically happy to look out for them.
There will likely be a line up to enter the temple, where people will push up to you. This likely isn’t a place that someone who is claustrophobic would enjoy visiting. Scenes that are present inside the temple may be very disturbing as those who are supposedly possessed act in confronting ways. It should also be mentioned that this is far from a tourist destination.
If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about the haunted Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur.
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