Situated at the highest peak of Jakhu hill, the Jakhu temple is a century old structure dedicated to Lord Hanuman (Hindu god). One of the famous pilgrimage centers of Shimla, Jakhu temple attracts devotees as well as adventure freaks tourist, who indulge themselves into trekking and mountaineering activities organized by the Himachal Pradesh government.
Location : The Jakhu Temple in Shimla is situated on the top of Jakhu Hill, at an altitude of 2.5 kms.
Famous For : The Jakhu temple in Shimla is dedicated to lord Hanuman, and is said to be existing from the times of Ramayana.
The Temple
The Jakhu Temple in Shimla is situated at an altitude of 2455 Mts. The temple is dedicated to lord Hanuman, the monkey god in Indian mythology. Hanuman was the most faithful aide of lord Rama (India’s most revered mythological hero). The temple of Hanuman is in the thick forests of Jakhu hills, and is on top the Jakhu Hill. Jakhu is derived from Hindi word Yakhsa. Yakshas are the mythological character in Hindu mythology, who are a link between human and gods. The original dates of temple is not known, but it is believed to be existing from the times of Ramayana, a pre historic event as per ancient Hindu texts. The Jakhu hill is the highest peak around Shimla, and is famous for its trekking options. The Jakhu hill offers excellent views of sunrise, sunset, mountains and town. The hill is full of narrow paths and roads which are an enjoyable walks.
The Legends
The Jakhu temple is said to be formed when lord Hanuman visited Jakhu hill. As per legends, Hanuman visited this place during the famous Rama - Ravana fight. Lakshman, the younger brother of Rama, was critically injured during the fight and the only medicinal herb which could have saved his life was available in the Himalayan range. Hanuman came to Himalayas, but got confused, so as to which was the particular herb. Out of desperation, he dug out the whole mountain, which contained the herbs and flew to Lanka, where injured Lakshman and his doctor were waiting for him. On his way back, Hanuman rested on the Jakhu hills, and the top of the mountain got flat by his and mountain’s weight. The temple of Jakhu has since been highly revered by the locals. The shrine of the temple is the foot prints of Hanuman. In most of the Hanuman temples in India, one can come across numerous monkeys and Jakhu is no exception. There are hundreds of monkeys in and around the temple. Though mostly very peaceful, they can attack a person, if provocated. Pilgrims offer them eatables, which they readily accept.
At the top of the Jakhu hill the famous Jakhu Temple of Shimla has another famous feature. A 108 feet tall Hanuman statue, has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crores. It has been unveiled by another famous personality, Bollywood superstar Abhishek Bachchan. The Hanuman temple is hardly 2 kilometers from the Ridge with an uphill climb among the Deodar trees. The Jakhu temple is situated at a height of 2455 meters and the highest peak in Shimla.
Weighing 1,500 tonnes, the statue — one of the tallest in the world — is situated at Jakhu Mandir in Shimla. The daunting task was undertaken by JHS Nanda Trust, the philanthropic wing set up by oral health care manufacturers JHS Svendgaard Laboratories Ltd. The statue has sensors that keep birds away.
‘After unveiling the statue, I recalled the time spent with my grandmother who was a huge devotee of Lord Hanuman. She used to tell us stories about his adventures,’ Abhishek said, after unveiling the statue.
‘Jakhu temple is a very strong temple. There is a lot of power in here. When Nikhil (JHS managing director) approached me to be part of it, I readily agreed as I felt this was a call from god himself. It’s fantastic that a statue so tall has been erected in India. It is an achievement that will make the people of India proud,’ he added.
Wearing a brown kurta and white pyjamas, the actor was accompanied by sister Shweta Nanda and veteran actor Parikshit Sahani. He had even kept a fast until the statue was unveiled.
Nikhil Nanda, managing director of JHS, said: ‘All my family members are huge devotees of Lord Hanuman. We laid the foundation of the statue two years back. And today it gives me immense pride to unveil it.’
The idol was built at a cost of Rs.1.5 crore.
‘The working conditions were very tough as we had to work through extreme cold. The monkeys also created a lot of problems. We thought that we wouldn’t be able to complete even in five years but we are happy that we could complete it in two years,’ chief architect Naresh Kumar told IANS.
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