Dr Narinder Paul
Holy Temple of Bua-di-Baien holds an inordinate religious importance for the people of Kathua and adjoining villages.
An important and sacred religious place located in the vicinity of Kathua city, it is among the most revered places in the District. Moreover, it is one of the places of religious importance that attracts a large chunk of devotees. As per Virender Sharma, the temple priest, the place is very sacred as at this place Babba Jitto and Bua Kaudi had taken rest during night while coming back from Haridwar.
Devotees from all walks of life comprising of composite age groups throng this place all around the year for paying obeisance and seeking blessings. Besides, during festivals and special Hindu occasions like Navaratri, Mahashivratri, Krishna Janamashtmi etc attractive and magnificent programmes are held and huge crowd of devotees visit this place for worship and pray for peace for self, family and society. Congregations of many biradaries are also held at this place. Moreover, community feast is also held on every Purnima in which devotees take prashad and blessings of Bua Kaudi.
Positioned on Changran-Khokkyal road, the temple lies at a distance of 4.2 Km from Kathua city in village Changran. It is easily assessible by all the local modes of transportation. Furthermore, its strategic location at just the roadside too makes this place quite easily approachable for the devotees. Moreover, the bystanders and passer-by can also pay obeisance quite effortlessly. A metalled motorable all weather road connects it with the District Headquarters. This beautiful place is surrounded from the three sides by fields which furnishes it a majestic look and supplements its attractiveness. Amid archetypal natural beauty coupled with the scenic ruralite setting, the charmness of the place makes the devotees speechless.
Spread in an area of about two and half kanals, this sacred place houses two temples. One temple devoted to Bua Kaudi, the daughter of revolutionary farmer “Baba Jitto” who sacrificed his life for the protection of tillers’ rights and against injustice and another temple devoted to the Lord Shiva. Inside the temple of Bua Kaudi, the pindi of Bua Kaudi has been seated. There is a parikrama surrounding the temple which is used by the devotees to take parikrama of the temple. A railing separates the temple from the outer area. In front of this temple, there is veranda where devotees sit and pay obeisance and perform other religious rituals. The other temple which lies towards the right hand side of the entrance to the place is devoted to Lard Shiva. It houses the Shiva Lingum, Gauri and Ganesh idols and a Nandi idol outside as usual.
Inside the temple premises, there are two bowllies or water bodies in which warm water oozes from underneath earth. One bowlly lies towards the right hand side of the entrance of the temple premises in front of the temple devoted to Lord Shiva. Whereas, the other lies in the backside of the Bua Kaudi’s temple. Virender Sharma, the temple priest tells that while coming back from Haridwar, Babba Jitto and Bua Kaudi stayed at this place at night. In the morning, Bua had to take bath but there was no water nearby. Bua Kaudi hit the ground with her heel and the water came out which is the present day bowlly.
Former bowlly is open and is used by the masculine devotees for taking bath or dip whereas, the Boully that lies backside of Bua Kaudi’s temple is surrounded and roofed and is primarily meant for feminine devotees. Towards the left side of the entrance to the premises, a cooking place for preparing prashad for the devotees is situated which is generally used during the special occasions for cooking and serving the prashad to the devotees.
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