Chudel Mataji

About 250 years ago, a very simple living pious person named Sri Raichand Das Patel, started a wedding procession from Villaga Kungher to Near by District Banaskantha, Juna-Jampur, to marry with an extremely beautiful girl. After the completion of wedding rituals and ceremonies, Bhai Raichand, his family & relatives were returning to Kungher with the newly Wedded bride ! While returning to Kungher some unknow spirit on the way joined the bride.

After returning home (Kungher) the bride started saying that Juna-Jampur is a place in Banaskantha and at the outskirt of that village is a water-well next to which there was an Imli tree. I climbed up on the tree to eat the fruits & suddenly I fell into the well and died.

My Spirit used to live on that tree. I was so happy to see this beautiful bride that I joined her till here.

I was hypnotized by the beauty of the bride and entered her body. This did not allow the newly wedded couple to be together as husband and wife. Whenever the husband entered his bedroom instead of his wife he felt he saw a devine power. This created tension and confusion in Bhai Raichand and he avoided entering his bedroom. The Patel family could feel the tension on their loving son’s face and questioned him about what exactly was wrong between him and his wife ?

With great confusion and shame, he confessed that when he set next to his wife he felt she was a goddess. The shocked parents after hearing their son’s grief decided to confront the newly wedded bride. When the In-laws asked her who she was ? She replied “ I am a Spirit called Chudel”. Hearing the word Chudel the in laws got scared, to which she replied “don’t get scared of me. I was born in an Rajput community. I was 9 years old girl and used to play with my pair group of girls, in the outskirt of my village near a lake. While playing once I slipped and fell into the well from that same tree, I died then and there. I became a spirit and lived on the same Imli tree. Slowly I became CHUDEL (a kind of spirit in India). I was used to play with my friends and was always amongst people. But now people were scared of me and used to be terrified even to come near the tree. I started feeling very lonely. I loved being with people and friends.

One day when I saw your beautiful daughter inlaw, she was so beautiful that I decided to enter her body, but my intention was not to scare or harass you or anybody in this house. Just do as I say and I will leave her body forever, I  want to be amongst people, tomorrow early morning in the outskirt of this village take five bricks under the Varakhadi tree and lit a lamp (Clay) under it and I will enter that flame, those who come to me with faith I will solve their problems. I will  fulfill the wish of one and all”.

Hearing this, the Patel family was in tears of  disbelief and happiness. Next day early morning the Patel family along with the other villagers started the procession with drums and music. They placed the five bricks as a tiny temple under the Varakhdi and Lit a lamp inside, as instructed. They made the bride sit in front of the Lit Lamp and in few minutes the Chudel (Spirit) entered the Flame. From then on she was called The Chudel Maa ! who is wordhipped in all districts-Patan, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Mehsana and almost entire Gujarat state.

Here, the 250 years old tiny temple has been renovated and is now transformed into a majestic temple. The uniqueness of this temple is that there is no diety, or Photo. The flame itself is the Goddess Chudelmaa. This temple has become the abode of faith, hope and veneration of lakh’s of people. It leaves a lasting impact in the hearts of those devotees, who visit this temple even once. There is no place for blind faith in respect of this pious shrine, as there is no exorcist (Bhuva) in between. Nobody has to guide you for anything like, do this do that. Tell her, what you want and decide what you will do for her, not a word informed or spoken. The judgements failed at government/human courts are said to be given justice at the spiritual High Court of Kungher. People even express their experiences through posts and also write their problems.

The temple is beautified by unlimited red Chunnaries offered by the devotees. Cleanliness, hygiene and smiling faces of volunteers is a rare sight, worth visiting to understand the living power of Shree Chudel Maa.

“Jai Shree Chudel Maa……. High Court of Kungher.”