Rautamai

Rautamai Temple, located in Rautamai Rural Municipality of Udayapur district, is an extremely important religious, historical, and tourist site of eastern Nepal. This temple is located at an altitude of about 2,700 meters in the Mahabharata mountain range. From here, panoramic observation of mountain ranges including Everest can be done.

History and Legend

An interesting local legend is connected with the establishment of Rautamai Temple:

• Story of the Shepherd: It is said that long ago, 500 sheep of a person named Bhujung Gurung of Okhaldhunga were lost. He came to this place and prayed to the Goddess and found all his sheep safe the next morning. In this joy, he is believed to have established the Goddess here.
• Legacy of the Sen State: Historically, this area was part of the 'Chaudandigadhi' state of the Sen dynasty kings. The tradition of worshipping Rautamai as the major goddess of this region has been ongoing since ancient times.

Architecture and Features

• Open Roof: The main feature of this temple is that it is an open-roof temple. Here the idol of the Goddess is established under the open sky.
• Magar Priest: There is a tradition of priests from the Magar community performing worship in this temple since ancient times, which is considered an excellent example of Nepal's religious tolerance and diversity.
• Rauta Pokhari: Near the temple is the oval-shaped 'Rauta Pokhari' spread over an area of about one Bigha. The fact that the water of this pond always remains clean and it is on the peak of the hill is taken as a divine power.

Religious Festivals and Fairs

• New Year (Baisakh 1): A massive fair is held here every year on Baisakh 1, where thousands of devotees come from various places in Nepal and India.
• Magh Puja: Throughout the month of Magh, there is a crowd of special worship and darshan here.
• Worship Method: Devotees believe that wishes are fulfilled and diseases are cured when visiting the Goddess after bathing in Rauta Pokhari. Fruits and grains are offered as Bhog here especially.