HIdimba Devi the Rakshasi who married Bhima

HIdimba Devi   the Rakshasi who married  Bhima

      When the Kauravas lead by   Duryodhana  try to burn the Pandavas along with their mother  Kunthi(The aunt of Lord Krishna)  , they escaped and wandered all over   the forests of their kingdom.  Once they approached a place in the forest without knowing  the Existence of a Rakshasa  called Hidimba and his sister  HIdimbi (Hidimba devi) . Hidimba who was a man eater   wanted to eat  Bhima and when he saw that  Bhima   was Standing   guard  to the other Pandavas and his mother , He compelled his sister to assume the form of a pretty women and sends her to  attract Bhima and bring him before him so that he could eat him.  But Bhima   declined the advances of  Hidimbi and infuriated  Hidimba attacks Bhima and is killed by him. Since  Hidimbi , fell in love with BHima and had taken an oath to marry any one who  defeats her brother Hidimba  ., She begged  Kunthi to  allow her to marry BHima. Kunthi agreed to that  provided   that Bhima will leave  her once she  becomes a mother of BHima’s child.  She was told that she could carry BHima and wander   all over  during day time and return him to the pandavas   when night sets in.  Hidimbi(Hidimba Devi  ) married  BHima agreeing to the condition. Within a  year a son was born to her and Kunthi named him as  Ghatothkacja( One with head like pot). The pandavas then leave   from there   and after killing Bhakasura   reach   the Kingdom of Panchala and all of them married   Draupadhi, the Panchala  princess  .  Afterwards when  the Pandavas   get established    in their own capital city of Inbdraprastha  , they decided to do a fire sacrifice called Rajasuya , But since Yudhishtra was at that time without a son  , the fire did not get lit in the fire place  and since Bhima had a son, Sage Vyasa  prayed Gods that  all Pandavas were essentially one   and Ghatothkacha was their son   and conducted the fire sacrifice . Ghatothkacha  later helps the Pandavas  in the Mahabharatha war and is killed in the battle. Hidimbi then goes back to the forest    and is made  a Goddess   of the forest people there .

        HIdimbi is worshipped   in her temple  in Manali of Himachal Pradesh  . Near to her temple there  is a temple to her son  GHatothkacha in the form of a tree   and there is a temple dedicated to his son also in Manali , There are  also other small  temples dedicated to Hidimba Devi all over Himachalas .During the Dasara festival the HIdimba chariot escorts  The Chariot of Raghunath   on the Lanka Dahan day  .People believe that Dimapur of Assam is named after  Hidimba   and is the corruption of the  nama Hidimbapur.