Exploring Ansar- The ancient Jalpa Mata Temple in Snower Valley, Himachal, India. Part-2

I had heard about this place on various occasions in the past. I always wondered what magic this place has? What mysteries this place held that people never stopped talking about it? I wanted to explore it as I had heard a lot about the magnificence and beauty of this place and wanted to see it with my very own eyes and experience it. When I finally got the opportunity to visit Ansar and see the Jalpa Mata Temple, I just couldn't resist the very idea of it. I had already created an image of the place in my mind based on depictions and descriptions of other people.

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It was a surprise when my brothers @parvkhuller and @pranavinaction hit me up on a bright sunny day and asked if I wanted to plan a small trip with them. I affirmatively expressed my interest in the plan and then we decided where we should go. While we were brainstorming, I got the idea of visiting the JALPA Mata Temple. It had been on my bucket list for quite a while.

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We finally decided to go to the Jalpa Mata Temple- an ancient Hindu Temple in the vicinity of Snower Valley, Himachal Pradesh. The next stage was planning. We packed our bags with the essentials and we planned to leave early in the morning as our destination was far off from my home.

We left in our car early at 6:30 AM and expected to reach our destination at around noon. The journey was filled with new experiences. We had to ride our way through a mountain to reach our destination. In the course of the journey, we saw lush green mountains covered in trees while a narrow road ascended to the top of the mountain. The light blue sky was all covered in clouds. There was a river running down the valley and joining another river at the bottom. The birds were chattering, the crickets were chirping, and the environment felt so alive. The apples in the orchards were ripe and waiting to be harvested. Everything just seemed so carefree at that moment.

We finally reached the ancient Jalpa Mata temple at around 1:00 PM. The temple was situated at the top of the mountain near a place called Balu. We parked and got out of our vehicles and enjoyed the scenery. The ancient temple was majestic. It was completely made of wood and there were countless wooden engravings all over the temple featuring multiple Hindu gods and goddesses. We went inside the temple to be completely amazed by the beauty and the amazing architecture of the temple.

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The shrine of Jalpa Mata rested in the temple. The temple had positive vibes and I felt that the environment was full of energy and life. The temple is considered of significant importance by the local people and they worship here regularly. Even devotees from far-off places come here to pray.

A lion made of bronze. Found in many Hindu temples across India which symbolize a protector of Dharma.

After spending some time at the temple, we went back to our home as the sun was setting and it was getting cold. We ended our journey and went back home. The whole day was a success, and we were really satisfied with this adventure-filled day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers🥂
Soham Ghai