Rajinder Chand Anthal
rajinderchandanthal100@gmail.com
During the construction of Mantalai-Latti road in the year 1975, strange incidents happened in Shapri Forest area of village Sarar of Tehsil Chenani. The road takes upward serpentine turns at this moist forest area and proceeds further towards open area of village Marothi. The soil in this half kilometer forest area was stable with thick vegetation of herbs and shrubs with rocky makeup on rear side of road alignment, called Shapri locally.
For some days the construction work went smoothly but when it reached at a particular point in the Shapri area, the construction faced multiple difficulties. The labourers got exhausted easily and day by day progress was slowed down due to sudden sinking of the road. The contractor brought it to the notice of engineers and after site visit it was decided that special stone crate wall should be raised in the sinking area. The contractor laid a deep foundation for the wall and raised stone crate wall in the sinking area. Surprisingly, the newly built-up area sank again at one point in Shapri area. The news spread in whole area regarding sinking of this well-built road portion multiple times in Shapri area. Thereafter, the residents of the area came forward with lot of information which was not known earlier to the authorities. All this information was based upon the experiences of the people in the area while grazing their cattle or passing through the area in past. Broadly it was seen that sometimes one mysterious girl got mixed with the cattle grazing ladies in Shapri area and disappeared in the evening. Different stories of past miracles and happenings started reaching from different quarters. Some nearby residents told that sometimes during night, they heard loud sounds of thundering and shooting stones at this place, but when they visited next day, everything used to be normal there. The elders of the area and other learned persons from nearby villages took detailed analysis of the happenings of the Shapri area and realised that this area must be the sacred place of some deity. The road construction authorities were told accordingly. On one Tuesday, the elders of the area gathered in Shapri area and undertook thorough cleaning work there by removing all bushes and loose soil adjoining Shapri. Going through the inspection process, they found some typical rock formations in the shape of Mata Rani, Hanuman and many other Gods engraved on hard stone. These Aapshambhu images were existing from Adikaal at this sacred point but not known to anybody. The locals did Kanya Poojan there and the road contractors offered Halwa to the Shapri Mata. The road construction went on smoothly for some time but again a portion of road sunk in mysterious manner. Thereafter, a small Temple of Mata was constructed by road contractor and others and regular Pooja was started in the Temple.
Thereafter, the road remained stable. After some years the deity came in the dream of a local teacher, Krishan Lal Bhagat as a small kanya in early morning hours and asked him to start a Mela in Shapri location on next Purnima and asserted that after that everything will be all right there. Next morning, the teacher took up the calendar. Incidentally, the next Purnima was Buddh Purnima and only few days were available to organise a Mela at Shapri. He was deeply worried but his inner conscience suddenly awakened. He realised a divine message in the dream and was determined to leave no stone unturned for the conduct of the Mela. He told the writer that wherever he went for help or donation, he got encouraging response by the mercy of Shapri Mata. The people started sending invitations on their own and huge quantity of ration was received in donation and reached Shapri one day before the Mela. In this way, first Shapri Mata Mela was started in the year 2003 on the day of Buddh Purnima by the Mandir Committee and thousands of people from far flung areas participated in the Mela. Pertinent to mention that even during peak militancy days in this area, the Shapri Mata Mela continued smoothly, and all the participants remained safe and motivated. With the passage of time and with the blessing of Shapri Mata more and more people got associated with the Mandir Committee and many other small and large temples of different Gods and deities were constructed there. Now there is excellent arrangement for night stay and langar for the visitors is available day and night. Shri Joginder Singh Katoch, local teacher and his Kirtan mandali started regular JAGRAN in the Shapri Mata temple in the year 2012 which is held on first Monday of every month. In the jagaran, thousands of people participate during Bhajan and Kirtan of Mata throughout night. Shri Sat Paul Sharma and Sh. Surinder Sharma are performing Pooja in the temple for the last many years.
It is believed that the Shapri Mata fulfills all the wishes of the people who upon getting blessings from the Mata, offer Trident, Chunri and Parsad at this place. In this way there is huge collection of Tridents and Chunris in the temple which shows nobody goes disappointed from the Darbar of the Mata.
The Shapri Mata temple is gaining popularity day by day and the place which was once unknown, is now filled with sounds of Bhajan-Kirtan and essence of Hawan for the welfare and prosperity of humanity.
(The author is former Zonal Education Officer, Chenani)
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