Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi are the two forms of Goddess Parvati. The temples of both the goddesses are located close to each other. There is a Mansa Devi Temple in Panchkula and Chandi Devi Temple is in Chandigarh also. As per Hindu mythology, Mansa Devi originated from Lord Shiva as Shakti. As per legend, she evolved from the mind of Lord Shiva and, therefore, is said to be daughter of Lord Shiva. Mansa is said to be sister of Naga Vasuki. Mansa literally means ‘wish’. The name suggests that Goddess Mansa fulfils the wishes of her devotees who come here to pray her. Mythological wish-fulfilment powers of the goddess attract a large cache of devotees. The people come here to get their wishes fulfilled. A ritual the devotees follow in the temple. They tie a thread around a tree, asking for a wish. Once the wish is fulfilled, the come back to temple to untie that thread. This practice is going on since long. Also, the devotees offer garlands, incense sticks, and coconuts to the goddess. The temple has two idols of Mansa Devi. One idol of Mansa Devi has three faces and five arms. Another idol of Mansa Devi has eight arms, each carrying a weapon. There are a large number of shops selling ‘prasadam’.
To reach the temple, one has to either take a cable car (ropeway) or trek through 3 km of stone-steps. The first cable car of the day starts from 7 am from April to October and from 8 am for the rest of the year. The ticket for cable car ride is INR 48 per person. The entire time to explore the temple is for around three hours. The distance from Har ki Pauri is 5 km. This is one of the most popular and busiest temples of the city. The temple is open from 6 am to 8 pm for the visitors. The aarti time of the temple is 5.30 am. Thousands of devotees from all over India visit the temple throughout the year. The highest numbers of visitors are recorded during Navratri and Kumbh Mela in Haridwar. Thankfully photography is also allowed at the place as the temple is very beautiful. Since a lot of ashrams, museums, and temples are around Mansa Devi Temple, therefore tourists prefer coming here to explore many more places. One can spot a lot of red faced monkeys at the place. The local markets of the area sell souvenirs and tourists do a lot of shopping here. The best time to visit Haridwar is from the months of May to September and December to February. The facility of guides is also available to explore historical, cultural & religious significance of the place.