Thakur Dwara where devotees have enlisted for Lord Hanuman idol’s annual Shingar till 2038

There is such a devotion for the temple of Lord Hanuman and Lord Rama, named Thakur Dwara Nauhriya, nestled in the Old City area near Chaura Bazaar that devotees have already enlisted their turn for annual Shingar (adorning) of the idol of Lord Hanuman till 2038. The idol is swayambhu (self-emerged), which appeared hundreds of years ago at the place.

The long list of devotees includes those who want to adorn Lord Hanuman’s idol on his janmotsav every year with gold foil or gold coating. Despite the advance booking for many years has already been made, devotees are still visiting the temple to register their names for adorning the idol after 2038 but the temple priest has stopped the registration. Besides, the booking for adorning or shingar of the idol for every Saturday and Tuesday has also been made till March 2026. Despite the booking being closed, devotees have been making frequent enquiries to register themselves for it. The reason —it is believed that all the wishes of the person performing the ritual come true.

The temple’s main entrance gate and roofs are still old and were not altered. However, other structures of the temple have been altered from time to time.

Mahant Gaurav Das, son of Mahant Krishan Das, a 12th generation priest at the temple, said it was the only temple in Ludhiana where the idol of Lord Hanuman was not adorned with sindoor (vermilion), rather the idol here was adorned by mixing chameli oil (jasmine) and singrar (a red mineral) which is offered to Lord Hanuman and it takes over two weeks to make the material. It is also the only temple in Ludhiana where the idol of Lord Rama is installed in black colour, also called shyam rang, while the idols of Mata Sita and Laxman are fair in colour. Usually, idols of Lord Krishna are in black colour only.

“There is no exact evidence of when the Lord Hanuman’s idol emerged at the place. Since I am the 12th generation priest at the temple and going by the average age of each generation, imagine the existence of this temple that can be of several hundred years old,” said Mahant Gaurav Das.

“My father Krishan Das still performs sewa at the temple but due to his prevailing health conditions, he is unable to visit the place everyday,” he said.

Singhasan Yatra begins from temple

Singhasan Yatra, which has been taken out from the pre-partition era at the temple, is attended by city residents in a large number and it holds huge significance for the temple. Every year, the yatra starts on the first Navratri and run for eleven days. During the yatra, every day, four persons assume the character of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, Shatrughan and Laxman and as per the old age rituals, only members belonging to the Brahmin community can become the characters. About 14 members of a particular family now staying in Sunet village hold the Singhasan on their shoulders from the temple to the Daresi Dasehra ground in the morning and return to the temple at night.

Free treatment for people facing tooth decay

At the temple, a unique tradition of treating tooth decay has been passed down through generations. Mahant Gaurav Das explained: “This sacred place has been blessed with a special healing power that can halt the progression of tooth decay. Those suffering from tooth decay can visit us and we help prevent it from spreading to other teeth. Every evening, people come to receive the traditional treatment.” Sunita Arora said when she visited the temple, she got rid of tooth decay.

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Ludhiana