Informative

Idana Mata Temple Where the Divine Mother Bathes with Fire (Agni Snan)

What is a temple without any building? Can you imagine a shrine surrounded by mighty tridents that engulfs itself in giant flames without any warnings? And without any valid scientific reason? How does the Divine Mother purify herself?  

Have you ever seen any deity bathing in flames? No, we are not depicting a scene from a mythological movie. This mysterious phenomenon can be witnessed in the ancient land of Rajasthan. Today, in the blog series of mysterious temples of India, we will visit the mysterious temple of Idana Mata, located near the city of Udaipur.

Rajasthan means land of the Kings, and the history of this legendary land will be incomplete without mentioning the Aravali mountains. These mountains act as a barrier between the fertile lands to the east and the desert of the west. Apart from historical and geographical importance, Aravali hill is home to many Divinities who bestow their protection on these sacred lands. Idana Mata is the deity who stands out among them, with Her devotees and Her miraculous ways.  

Almost sixty km away from the busy streets of Udaipur, on the Kurabad-Bambora highway, Mewad’s favourite queen Mother Idana resides amidst the backdrop of tall Aravali mountains. No one exactly knows how ancient the shrine of Idana Mata is. But for hundreds of years, devotees have been coming here to meet her. They say that the temple was established during the times of Mahabharata, and since then, Mewar Kings have visited this place before the battle, seeking blessings, luck, and power during the wars.  

Shrine Under the stars

Even though thousands of devotees gather here every day, the Divine Mother Idana does not have a roof over Her head. Instead, She resides on a platform opposite an old banyan tree. She is surrounded by thousands of tridents, taller than any human being. Three feet tall Vigraha (consecrated idol) of Idana Maa is framed with a silver border, and the entire shrine is barricaded with steel rods to protect devotees from the flames of the fire bath.

An expansive courtyard is now surrounded by one floored building enclosing the shrine. As per the devotees, two to three times a month, the shrine covers itself with 10 to 20 feet tall flames, which can be noticed from 5 km away, and it is a sight to watch. Devotees wait here for hours, and even days, as sighting the heavenly flames is considered the greatest blessing from Maa. They sincerely believe that their bad luck, negativity, and misfortune burn here, purifying their souls.

Devotees call this phenomenon Devi’s Agni Snan (fire bath). Locals believe that people who have paralysis come here, and when they seek blessings, they begin to heal. 

Without a trace, the fire ignites, engulfing everything around it. Devotees present clothes and fruits to the Divine Mother as a form of offering, and when it gets ignited, everything is burnt to the ashes. Devotees believe that Idana Mata has accepted these offerings.

Patients come here in large numbers and pray to the Goddess to get rid of their ailment. When their wish is fulfilled, they revisit the temple, often offering huge tridents to the Mother, and hence, the shrine is surrounded by hundreds of tridents.

The temple is nothing but a spiritual power source of positive energy, and devotees gather here in large numbers during the pious time of Navratri. Another interesting fact about the temple is that it doesn’t have any priests. Usually, whenever we visit a temple, no matter how small, big or famous it may be, there always will be a priest present in the temple who offers your offerings to the deity. But here, in the temple of Idana Mata, there is no priest. Villagers take turns performing Puja ceremonies to the deity. There is a trust formed by the devotees who manage the temple, providing all sorts of facilities to the devotees.    

Idana Mata shrine, mounted on the platform, is called Mata Ka Darbaar, or the court of the Divine Mother. You can also see another flame, burning eternally, also known as Akhand Jyoti. Devotees pay a visit to this flame as a symbol of eternal consciousness. Temple is home to a Gaushala, a cowshed, where the temple provides shelter for the cows.

Even though the temple is open for twenty-four hours, the primary shrine opens at five o’clock in the morning with morning prayers, and thousands of devotees gather here to experience that bliss. After the morning rituals, the Vigraha of Divine Mother is adorned with ornaments and the finest clothes. Even in the afternoon, Aarti (prayers) are offered to the Divine Mother again, and the shrine is closed till the following day.

As per the known history, fire has been worshipped in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. During the Vedic period, offerings are done in Homa, the sacred fire. They believe that Lord Agni (deity of the fire and protector of the direction) is a carrier who carries these offerings to the Gods. In Sanatana Dharma, fire is considered an ultimate purifier and a pathway to higher realms. Agni was regarded as the mouth and ears of Gods, and hence offerings to Gods were made through fire. The same tradition has been continued here, where Idana Mata bathes in fire, destroying the sins of the devotees, thus purifying them. If you ever get a chance to visit Rajasthan, please do not forget to come here to experience Mata’s reassuring and cleansing warmth. We hope you enjoyed reading about the mystical temple of Idana Mata. Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay connected and receive information about spirituality. In case of any queries, please write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com. You can check out our YouTube channel Chamunda Swamiji where you can learn Tantra, Mantra, Yantra, and Meditation from His Holiness Shri Chamunda Swamiji.