Tales from a temple

Pandav Kaleen Sri Kilkari Bhairav Temple, popularly known as the ‘Kilkari Mandir’, is situated on Purana Qila Road, on the stretch leading towards Pragati Maidan.

A sightseeing marvel, many devotees from all over the country come to visit this place. According to mythological stories, the temple was established by the Pandavas while they were building their capital, Indraprastha.

The foundation of the temple dates back to 5000 years, while the construction of the place is just 50 to 60 years old. States the senior pandit of the temple, Mahant Ganganath, “Many devotees offer financial donations that go into the renovation of the place. Lord Bhairav is considered to be the fierce incarnation of Lord Shiva.

As per the religious books, there are 52 forms of Bhairav. Out of them, Kilkari Bhairav is in Delhi.”According to lore, Lord Bhairav was considered very strong and mighty; only he could stop the demons from interrupting the yagya performed by the Pandavas. Bhimsen offered to carry Lord Bhairav on his shoulders and brought him to the yagna from Kansi (now Benaras). The temple is mostly visited by tantrics who perform
siddhis.

The three deities residing in the temple are Kaali, Hanuman and Bhairav. Sunday is the busiest day for the temple. Alcohol is one of the common offerings at the temple. Bobby, a devotee, says, “People brings cartons of alcohol from which only a few drops are taken; the rest is returned to them.

But it is not a rule that people have to offer only alcohol. They can even offer milk, water, flowers or fruits. The beggars outside the temple are usually well-fed, considering that the offerings are even given to them.

An interesting part of the temple is the Pandavon Ka Kuan – a covered kuan with grill that is connected with a motor and tap. The devotees have open access to the water. This water is considered to have healing properties. Drinking that water is known to regulate the digestion in the stomach.

Vipin, who works in Ministry of Defence, has been a devout bhakt of Lord Bhairav and generations from his family have been visiting the
temple.

“By coming here, all my wishes have come true. One may stumble upon an army of white dogs. It is fascinating since they are not pets but are found inside the premises. Dogs are considered the vaahan of Lord Bhairav. The other places to visit near the temple are Purana Qila, Dhudhiya Mandir, Delhi Zoo and many other places,”
he says.