Maa Belha Devi Dham
( मॉं बेल्हा देवी धाम )
N K Tripathi
Two weeks back, I was disillusioned with journey to Lucknow by air due to long layover at Delhi. While going again, I decided to go by train. However, any train which touches UP or Bihar is always full. Somehow I managed to get seats in Pushpak Exp. In this process, my attention was drawn to Bhopal-MBDP Exp due to its queer name. I searched and found it was Maa Belha Devi Dham Pratapgarh, a new name of Pratapgarh station.
The temple of Belha Devi Dham is a significant Shaktipeeth, a place of worship of the goddess Shakti. There are 51 Shaktipeeths in the Indian subcontinent. Shaktipeeths are the sacred shrines dedicated to Goddess Durga, revered as Adi Shakti in Sanatan. They are believed to be the locations where parts of Goddess Sati’s body fell. In the sanctum sanatorium, Belha Devi is worshiped in the form of pindi Originally only the pindi was worshiped by the devotees. However, recently Murti Sthapana of a marble bust of the deity was solemnised.
Belha Devi temple is situated in Pratapgarh city ( now renamed Bela Pratapgarh) on the banks of the Sai river. Pratapgarh is a district headquarter near Allahabad. The Sai river flows in the Awadh region of the Central UP. It originates from Hardoi and passes through Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Jaunpur, where it joins the Gomti.
Raja Pratap Bhahadur Singh of Awadh constructed the present main temple of Belha Devi during the period 1811–15. However, archaeological findings in the area suggest a long history of Shakti worship in the region. More research is required to know the significance of this Shaktipeeth.
Renaming of some of the places has drawn attention to our cultural legacy. A cultural heritage is the enduring impact of a civilisation’s traditions, beliefs, and practices passed down through generations.
