History

According to the legend, a famine took place in Panrasar in 1774. The people started fleeing in search of food and wages. Jairam Dass Bothra, a resident of Punrasar, went to Punjab in search of grain. When he was leaving with laden sacks on a camel cart, the camel's leg got broken and it was unable to walk. Bothra convinced his colleagues to go back to the village and then he went to sleep. Suddenly he felt as if someone was calling him; he got awoken and looked around but could not find anyone. He went to sleep but heard the same sound again, and he still did not found anyone. He remembered Hanuman and folded his hands, asking the one who was making that sound to appear. Then Hanuman appeared as a pandit and said,"O devotee! I know that you are in trouble, but as from now on all your troubles are solved". After saying this he pointed out to the Hanuman statue lying under the khejri tree and asked Bothra to take the statue with him and establish it in the village, adding that this will solve all his troubles. Bothra replied that his camel's leg is broken so he cannot move on. Then the pandit said that his camel is alright, and Bothra was astonished to see that his camel was fine and ready to go. He took Hanuman's statue with him and established it under the khejri tree. The pandit told Bothra that he himself or his family members would have to take care of the deity, and they cannot take help from anyone else; since then the successors of Bothra are taking care of the temple. The Bothra family belongs to the Jain community.