Undoubtedly, it can be said that India is a beautiful nation with diversified culture. Every traveler who has visited this land of magnificence has addressed it with names such as graceful, exotic, elegant and extravagant, and more. Even the holy places across the country reflect its peaceful and elegant diversity. But did you know there are some unusual places of worship in the country famous for their strange tradition?
Here are 8 unusual places of worship in India that we bet you haven’t heard of.
Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple, Kerala
Situated in Kodungallur, Thrissur District in Kerala Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple is the most unusual temple on this list where devotees cast abuses instead of praying to Goddess Bhadrakali, the more peaceful reincarnation of the Goddess Kali. Yes, you read it right. Apart from abuses and bizarre songs, devotees carry swords and then hit their own heads with them till there’s blood everywhere during the Bharani Festival which takes place for seven days every year in the month of Meenam (during the months of March and April.)
The animal sacrifices that once were part of the festival in this temple are now banned, but the people still drink liquor and sing lewd songs, all the way from their villages to the shrine, as part of the ceremony.
Devaragattu Temple, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
Your jaw will drop when you be knowing that there is one temple called Devaragattu Temple in Andhra Pradesh where every year on Dussehra night hundreds of devotees go all equipped to kill or be killed. The ritual takes place at midnight when the procession of idols of the ruling deities Malamma (Parvati) and Malleshwara Swamy (Shiva) are brought down the hill temple at Neraneki.
Vijayadashami aka Dussehra festival is celebrated on a grand note every year at Devaragattu village in Kurnool district in the form of Banni festival which draws huge crowds even from the neighboring states and beating each other up senselessly with the sticks which used to be axes, spears, etc. in old days.
The ritual in the region once under the Vijayanagara Empire is said to be centuries old and according to a local police official, has one hundred years of recorded history. According to the legends, Lord Shiva killed two demons Mani and Mallasura by hitting them with sticks.
As many people suffered injuries during the ‘fight’, the administration had advised people to avoid the usage of sticks. However, devotees preferred celebrating the festival in the traditional manner itself, resulting in injuries to several people.
Bullet Baba Temple, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
This temple of Rajasthan is the most unique one because there is no idol of any god here. Rather, a 350 cc Royal Enfield Bullet has been kept here. People come to this temple from far and worship the bullet motorcycle.
Locals call this temple Bullet Baba Mandir but its original name has been kept as ‘Om Banna Dham’. This Bullet Baba temple is located in Chotila village near Pali town, about 50 km from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The story of the construction of this temple is also very fascinating.
On December 2, 1988, Om Banna was traveling from the town known as Bangdi near Sanderao of Pali to Chotila, when he lost control of his Enfield and rammed his bike into a tree. Om Banna was killed instantly and his motorcycle fell into a nearby ditch.
Next morning after the accident, local police took the motorcycle to a nearby police station and it was reported to have disappeared from the station and was found back at the site of the accident! Once again, the police took the motorcycle, this time emptying its fuel tank and putting it under lock and chain to prevent its removal.
Nevertheless, the next morning it disappeared again and was found at the accident site! This became a miracle, and the locals began to worship the “Bullet Bike”, and very soon, a temple known as “Bullet Baba’s temple” was constructed on the site. The temple beside the Enfield motorbike has a huge picture of Om Banna.
Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Gurudwara in Jalandhar
Here, people offer toy airplanes to get visas to their dream destinations. Yes, you read it right, situated in Talhan village of Punjab about 12 km from Jalandhar, 150-year-old Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Gurdwara is very famous among people who seek visas. The Gurudwara is popularly known as ‘Hawaijahaj‘ or “Airplane ” Gurudwara has huge model aircraft on its top.
People believe that if you want to go abroad and are struggling to get a visa or passport, then you should visit here and offer prayers along with toy airplanes and it will be answered.
Since 2006, Due to a dispute between the Jats and Dalits as both communities wanted full control, the Gurudwara has been managed by the government.
Amitabh Bachchan Temple, Kolkata
SRK once said that there are fans and then there are ‘jabra’ fans and you have to meet these die-hard fans of the Shahanshah of Bollywood, Big B – Amitabh Bachchan. Taking the craze for BIG B’s fandom to another level, the All Bengal Amitabh Bachchan Fans’ Association unveiled a life-size statue of the megastar in 2017 when Big B’s film Sarkar 3 hit theatres. The statue has been installed at a temple in Kolkata and has been sculpted by Subrata Bose.
If you are traveling to Kolkata then you must visit Tiljala where you could see Big B’s character Subhash Nagre, in the form of a statue installed at a museum-cum-temple dedicated to Bachchan Sahab.
The six-foot-two-inch tall fiberglass statue is not just visually appealing but it’s one of the most heart-warming and successful attempts to honor the veteran actor.
It’s kind of hard to put your fingers on the exact location due to the crowded streets; once you do, a huge banner engraved with Jai Amitabh Bachchan will greet you at the entrance.
Chinese Kali Temple, Kolkata
At this temple in Kolkata, Pandit Ji doesn’t offer you, regular sweets, for prasad but offers noodles and chopped suey to the worshippers.
Located in Tangra, in China Town, in Kolkata, the temple is called “Chinese Kali Temple” and is believed to be 80 years old where you can see a blend of Tibetan and East Asian culture, making it a tourist attraction.
The temple and the idol look the same as in any other Goddess Kali temple in India. The thing that makes it unique is the outfit of maa-kali and the Prasad that looks like noodles, chop suey, sticky rice, and various other dishes first offered to the Goddess and later distributed among devotees in the temple.
A Bengali priest worships the Goddess and handmade papers are burnt here to keep the evil spirits away. During Diwali celebrations, tall candles are lit here with Chinese incense sticks. Thus, even the aroma at this temple is distinctive from other main Hindu temples in the country.
Kal Bhairav Nath Temple, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
This temple called Kal Bhairav Nath is believed to be built by King Bhadrasen on the banks of Shipra River in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, and is famous for its deity which swallows gallons of liquor which is also the only prasad given to devotees.
Thousands of devotees visit this temple bearing bottles of liquor as offerings. Liquor is always made available outside the temple, 24×7, 365 days a year. The whole year you will find all types of liquor in the shops outside the temple. Temple has a deep stambh also, which is enlightened by the devotees regarding their wishes.
Visa Balaji Temple, Telangana
Well, Indians are obsessed with travelling abroad and there are numerous people waiting to lay their hands on a Visa. Indians being Indians, have resorted to a heavenly intervention to get their precious visas to their dream destination at Balaji Temple, Chilkur, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. It is believed that Lord Venkateshwara blesses everyone who is in need of visas.
If you want to fulfill your wish to go abroad then you have to follow some rituals. you have to walk in a circle around the revered Chilkoor Balaji Temple 11 times and leave an offering of tulsi leaves at his feet and later have to perform 108 parikramas once your wish is fulfilled.
