History

The famous Hathi temple at Moradabad,Uttar Prasesh was built in eighteenth century (More than 150 years ago) by the Raja Bahadur Jagat Singh of Tajpur State. It is located in Goyaan Mohalla (Goyaan Locality) on the banks of river Ram Ganga. Raja Bahadur Jagat Singh of Tajpur State once while crossing the river Ganges at Moradabad, his favourite elephant got stuck in the quick sand.despite best efforts the elephant could not be taken out of the quick sand. He therefore pledged to construct a temple on the bank of river Ganges if the elephant was rescued. Surprisingly his favourite elephant was rescued and thereafter he constructed the famous Hathi Wala Temple on the bank of river Ganges.

The Hathi Wala Temple after it was constructed was handed over to the Vaid (Priest/Pujari) to look after the temple. For long time the decendants of Vaid looked after the temple carring out the daily prayers. The local people in 1977 formed a Trust to look after and maintain the temple.

There are two elephats in front of Lord Shiva Temple. The idol of Lord Shiva is placed in the temple is the most worshiped as the devotees wishes are full filled if he worships lord Shiva by lighting a Deepak daily for 40 days. In Sawan (Holy month when Lord Shiva is worshiped across the country) the devotees of Lord Shiva very religiously worship and perform the very pious Prayer “Rudra Abhishek”. Every Monday during Sawan Milk and Water are poured on Shiv Ling. All arrangements for the stay of Kavariyas (Devotees) who walk on foot to holy city of Haridwar which is 200 Kilometres from Moradabad, who go on foot to Haridwar to get the water from River Ganges. Devotees from far of places visit this temple to worship.

Ram Darbar Temple is located close to the Lord Shiva Temple. In this temple idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Ram, Sita Ji, Laxman Ji, Panch Mukhi, Hanuman Ji, Goddess Durga Ji and Lord Krishna. In 2016, Raja Shailenderjit Singh Sahib, Rajkumar Inderjt Singh Sahib, Rajkumari Anusuya and Colonel Sandeep Sharma, the members of the Tajpur Royal family visited the temple and met the Pujari. He was very happy to meet and narrated the incidents narrated to him by his father and Great Grandfather about the history of this famous temple. Raja Shailenderjit Singh and Kunwar Inderjit Singh assured him for any kind of assistance in smooth running of the Hathi Wala Temple.