Bhimtal, nectar of thoughts. About seven kilometers away from Haldwani city is Ranibagh village, which has historical and mythological importance. There are many temples here. There is Chitrashala Ghat on the banks of river Gargi, hence it is also called Haridwar of Kumaon. The temple of Sheetala Mata is situated here, about half a kilometer away from the main road, amidst the dense forest of teak and sal.
The place where the temple of Sheetala Mata is situated is also called Sheetala Haat. While coming towards the temple from Kathgodam on foot, there is a small ditch in the forest path. This is where the pump of Shitala drinking water scheme is located, from where drinking water is supplied to the entire Haldwani. A market used to be held here during the times of some kings. On the other side of Gadhere is the famous fort of ‘Batkhari’, which is now called Badakhwad. When Gorkhas ruled Kumaon, they destroyed this fort. At that time there used to be a dense settlement here.
Chiranji Lal of Haldwani Kasera Line built a permanent temple of Mata in the sixties. The temple committee was formed in the same decade. At the behest of social worker Badridat Naugain, who was the secretary of the committee for many years, Vaidya Damodar Pant of Haldwani and Trilok Singh Bagdwal of Railway Bazaar got a Dharamshala constructed in the temple.
A Havan Kund was also built in front of the temple. In the year 1968, Bhuvan Brahmachari, who was the priest of Kamari Devi temple of Lamagada, came here. His disciple Bishan Brahmachari also came with him. Bhuvan Brahmachari built small temples of Lord Ganesha, Bhairav, Bajrang Bali etc. here. In the nineties, a committee was formed near Shitala Temple. The committee got a gate constructed on the route leading to the temple from the main road.
After the death of Bhuvan Brahmachari, Bishan Brahmachari became the chief priest of the temple. A few years ago, unknown thieves murdered Bishan Brahmachari. His killers have not been found till date. Deepak Naugaini, former secretary of Sheetla Temple Committee, says that during Navratri, devotees come from remote areas to have darshan of Sheetla Mata. The maintenance and security of the temple is done by Shitala Temple Committee. At present the chairman of the temple committee is Sachin Sah and the secretary is Girish Naugaini.
There are still marks of mortar on the ruined houses and walls.
There is also a popular saying behind the establishment of Shitala Mata Temple, which very few people would have heard today, ‘Haat ki Nali Kota, Kaat ki Nali Haat’, that is, the drain used to roam from Haat to Kota (Ramnagar) and from Kota to Haat. Even today, there are signs of mortar in the destroyed houses and demolished walls in the forest. Earlier in the temple there was a stone statue of Shitala Devi. Once upon a time, when there was no temple here, this idol was revered under the Semal and Bel trees. The idol was in the shape of a lotus, in the middle of which there was a Shakti symbol. When devotees used to come here on religious occasions, they used to wear ghagra and other clothes in it. Now this ancient statue is not visible.
Pandey people of Dhungsil village had brought the idol from Banaras.
The elders behind the installation of the present idol say that the Pandey people there had gone to Banaras to get the idol for installing the idol in the Devi temple in Dhungsil village of Bhimtal. At that time the journey would have been on foot only. On his return he camped at Gulabghati in Kathgodam. At night, Mother Goddess appeared to him in his dream and said that she was tired and did not want to go further. Mother Goddess said that I should be established on the hill above. Following the orders of the goddess, the idol was established where the Shitala Mata temple is today.