A History of Machhial Shrine

Machhial is a primitive shrine around eight kilometres from Joginder Nagar on the Jogindernagar-Sarkaghat road. It is situated at the confluence of Rana Khad and Uhl river, considered the lap of Maa Chaturbhuja. It's a charming and beautiful place. Here, high-level saints did penance in the caves surrounding the stream, and many of them died while doing so. Their remains are still available here inside a mausoleum.

Devotees who come here worship and feed the large fish in the water body. They make their obeisance at the boulders flanking the stream, where they unfurl prayer flags and burn incence, seeking a fulfilment of their wishes.

Whenever there is a social function in the area such as a marriage, a special invitation is made to the fishes, who are considered a form of Machhindernath. During such an event, the entire wedding procession goes to the banks of the confluence to seek Machhindernath's blessings for the bride and the groom.

Our ancestors spoke of a well atop the cliffs near the confluence which still exists. It is located at a great height, and is never found empty, i.e. it remains full of water in every season.

In ancient times, people sought utensils from the well during a function, and their demand used to be fulfilled. After the completion of the function, they would return the utensils by placing them near the well. That was the era of Truth, and this tradition went on for centuries.

A new era, however, changed the thoughts of the people and dishonesty started to prevail among them. They failed to return the utensils to the well, and as a result, God Machhindernath stopped granting them these items.

Another object of interest is a 'cottage of saints' in the cliffs. Some ancient statues have been carved out near the cottage and have remained intact through the ages. Several statues have also been carved out of a huge piece of rock which lies fallen on one of the banks of the stream. It shows that many saints did penance at this place.

During Makara Sankranti, devotees visit the shrine to take a bath, feed the fish and seek blessings of God Vishnu at the temple. The bath is called Kumbh. On Vaisakhi, a three-day fair is celebrated here beginning on April 14.

In 1960, when work for the Bassi power house started two kilometres away from the shrine, a temple was constructed at Machhial and a statue of God Vishnu Machhindernath placed in it.Sh Carnal Ganga Ram Jamwal has contributed a lot to the shrine. He dismantled the small temple and built a bigger one in its place with the help of others. Today, the complex also houses the temples of God Rama, Hanuman and others.

When Jamwal decided to celebrate Ram Leela at this place, it was held here for several years before being shifted to Khuder ground around 300 metres away. Since 1998, Shri Madbhagwat Path has been held here based on the guidelines given by him.

Machhial is also a tourist spot. Two streams surrounded by green hills which get covered in snow during winters – it's a beautiful place to visit.

Pt Kanshi Ram Sharma

The writer is a retd. SDO Electrical based in Joginder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh. Views are personal.