Bukhal Kali Mata ( The origin of the furious goddess) Chopara Village

Bukhal Kali Mata Temple

Connect with me and I will guide you towards the true origins of the facts. Throughout history, stories have been passed down from generation to generation in Uttarakhand through local folk songs known as "Jagar," separating myths from facts. While some may not believe these stories, it's important to understand that they are not just tales to be heard, but experiences to be lived. For example, the history of the Bukhal Kali Mata temple dates back to 1800, but its origins are believed to be even older.

 Historical Back Ground

In the district of Pauri Garhwal lies a town called "Tharali Sain," where there is a small village called "Chopara." In this village, there is a forest called "Bukhal." The temple in this forest is a center of spirituality, trust, and faith for the local people. The tradition of "Bali Pratha" existed before 2014 but ended due to animal protection laws. The temple was built in 1800 and has its own unique origin story. In the village of "Chopara," there was a family of iron smiths living there for many generations. They were blessed with a daughter. When she was around 10 or 11 years old, she and her friends went into the forest of "Bukhal" to tend to their cows. According to folklore, they decided to play hide and seek in the forest while their cows grazed. As a child, she was small and couldn't find a place to hide, so her friends hid her in a hole in the ground and covered it with wooden slabs. While playing, they noticed that their cows were missing, so they stopped and searched for their cows, leaving the girl alone in the pit. After many unsuccessful attempts to find the cows, they went home, forgetting that the girl was still in the pit.

Later that night, the girl appeared in her mother's dream and cried, wondering why her family hadn't searched for her. She narrated the whole story to her mother, explaining how she ended up in the pit and how her friends had left her there and forgotten to take her out. She also mentioned that later that night, a local spirit called "Achariyan," often referred to as a fairy, had appeared and tried to take her life. She told her mother that she then took the form of Maa Kali and drove the fairies away. She cried a lot and told her mother she had taken the form of the furious Maa Kali. The same dream appeared to the "Pradhan," the head of the village. She was told in the dream that a temple needed to be built in the place where she was buried. When they all went to the location and opened the pit, they found the body of the girl. After that, they built a temple using stones, now known as the "Bukhal Kali" temple. In modern times, the temple has been rebuilt with modern architecture on the same site.

"One of the folk claimed that during Ghorkha attacks, the deity "Bukhal Kali Mata" would warn the villagers by shouting through the Bukhal forest before the attacks. It is later believed that the Ghorkhas sought the help of a powerful Tantrik who used yantras to capture and neutralize Maa Kali's ability to protect the people from their attacks."