Uttarakhand as a location doesn’t need any introduction to the visitors. Be it as a tourist spot or a famous site of pilgrimage the site is always bustling with visitors. However one of the things that makes Uttarakhand a popular place to visit is obviously the temples here. You will find some major temples here that are very popular amongst the devotees. Furthermore this location also serves as the route of the Char Dham Yatra that further makes it popular. At every other corner within shorter distances you will find some temples here. That is the reason why the location is also popular as Dev Bhoomi or the Land of Gods. And one of the important and significant temples here is the Dhari Devi Temple. Amidst the beautiful land of Uttarakhand the Maa Dhari Devi Temple is an important temple.
Additionally this is also one of the mysterious temples of the land and Goddess Dhari Devi is one of the significant deities in the region. And there is a history as well as a legend associated with this temple that further makes it a revered shrine. Dhari Devi is also the Guardian Deity of the land of Uttarakhand. People believe that the Goddess here protects the land from any sorts of natural calamities. So if you are ever visiting Uttarakhand then you must make sure that you are definitely visiting this temple. Keep on reading about the Dhari Devi Temple Uttarakhand to know everything about the temple. This will be a helpful article for you if you are planning a trip to Uttarakhand any time soon.
Dhari Devi Temple
Location: Kalyasaur, Dang Chura, Uttarakhand
Timings: The timings are from 6 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm
Entry fee: There is no entry fee
How to reach
By air
If you are travelling by air then the nearest airport to reach Uttarakhand is the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun. From the airport in Dehradun the distance of the temple is 132.5 km. It would take you around 4 hours and 10 minutes approximately to reach the temple from the airport. There are buses plying on this route from the airport to reach the temple in Uttarakhand. Or else to reach there more conveniently you can also take a car or hire a cab as well from the airport.
By train
If you wish to travel by train then the nearest major railheads are the Rishikesh Railway Station and the Haridwar Railway Station. From most of the major cities and towns you will get trains to reach any of these two major railway stations. From Rishikesh the distance of Dhari Devi Temple is about 115.6 km. It would approximately take you about 3 hours and 30 minutes to reach the location of the temple from Rishikesh railway station. You can either take a bus or else opt for a car or a cab to reach the location.
And from Haridwar railway station the location of the temple is about 139.8 km away. You can reach the temple from the Haridwar railway station in about 4 hours and 30 minutes. From here also you will get buses to reach Uttarakhand. Or else you can opt for a cab or a car as well to reach the temple in Uttarakhand.
By road
From major cities and towns you can reach the Dhari Devi Temple if you travel by roadways. So you can travel by road from anywhere to reach the temple as well. You will get buses from nearby locations like Rudraprayag, Rishikesh and Dehradun. Rudraprayag is by far the best location that is well accessible to reach this temple. From various locations you can also take a bus to Rudraprayag first, and from there you can again travel to reach the Dhari Devi Temple. From Rudraprayad the temple is 19 km away and you can reach there in about 35 minutes. And from Rishikesh the location is 116 km away and from Dehradun it is 155 km away. You can take direct buses from there or other locations as well to reach the temple.
Or else you can also take a car or a cab as well to reach the temple from major cities and towns. If you are travelling by a car it would take around half an hour to reach here from Rudraprayag. And from Chamoli it will take around 2 hours to 30 minutes to reach here. Furthermore it would be a 4 to 5 hour drive from Dehradun and a 3 to 4 hour drive from Rishikesh to reach the temple.
Best time to visit
To witness the grandeur of this temple the ideal time to visit here would be during the Chaitra Navratri, Ashwin Navaratri and Diwali. These are the times when the temple attracts the most number of visitors. Also you can visit here during the summer months as the weather remains at check at that time. The winters can get too chilly with temperatures going down to sub zero. So plan your visit accordingly. You can avoid visiting here during the monsoon though as the area is prone to landslides during that time.
Overview of Dhari Devi Temple
The Dhari Devi Temple in Uttarakhand is one of the major temples that you can visit. What makes the temple more important is the significance the Goddess holds amongst her devotees. People from all over the country visit here to pay their respect to Dhari Devi. Located on the banks of the Alakananda River, the location of this temple is picturesque. In the Garhwal region in Uttarakhand the temple is located close to the Kalyasaur village. The temple offers some majestic panoramic views of the Himalayas and the Alakananda River. And this further makes it a popular tourist spot as well.
It is an ancient temple in Uttarakhand. This shrine has a deity of Dhari Devi and in 2013 the deity was relocated from the 20 meter high rock to a man made structure. Dhari Devi is actually a manifestation of Goddess Kali and is a revered deity in this area. People worship the Goddess as a Guardian Deity of the whole area. It is also a holy location where Goddess Ganga and Dhari Devi meet. People believe that Dhari Devi is the protector of all the routes of Char Dham Yatra. And they also believe that the deity here protects the land from all sorts of natural disasters. They further believe that if a devotee prays here with their pure heart then the Goddess will fulfill their wishes.
The architecture of the temple is also really beautiful and has some beautiful carvings in it. There is a towering spire here that is the Shikhara that reflects a typical Hindu style of architecture. Along with that there is a large gateway here as well. In the centre there is the Garbhagriha that has some small idols of different deities along with the idol of Devi Kali.
Dhari Devi Temple History
Other than being a significant temple in Uttrakhand the Dhari Devi Temple is also one of the mysterious temples there. It is an old temple and a legend is also associated with it. According to beliefs the temple was established during the Dwapar Yug. Here only the upper portion of the Goddess is visible to the visitors for worship. However the lower portion appears at Kalimath Temple. At Kalimath Temple the Goddess is worshipped as Devi Kali. According to legends the Goddess changes her appearance according to the time of the day. At the Dhari Devi Temple the idol of the goddess looks joyful and serene. But the Goddess at Kalimath has a fierce form. The Goddess appears as a girl during the morning. And during the later part of the day at noon she appears as a woman and in the evening she appears as an elderly woman.
There is a legend of this temple as well that makes it more interesting. According to the legend Maa Dhari Devi had seven brothers and she was their only sister. Even though she loved all her brothers immensely, the brothers hated her. They hated her for her dark skin and also thought that her bad fortune brought bad luck to them. Eventually 5 of her brothers died and only two of them were still alive. They thought that it was Dhari Devi’s fortune that was the reason for their death. So they decided to kill her. When Dhari Devi was 13 years old her brothers killed her by severing her head from her body. Then they threw her body into the river.
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What’s more?
With the flow the upper part of the body of Dhari Devi reached the Dharo Village. People living there said that they used to hear cries along with a heavenly voice. The heavenly voice further instructed them to put the idol in the place where the present day temple is located. The lower part of her body however appeared and people worship her at Kalimath Temple. According to legends the Kalimath Temple is also one of the 108 Shakti Sthals. It was also the location where Goddess Kali killed the demon Raktabija. And later she immersed herself beneath the earth.
Dhari Devi Temple Mystery
There is a mystery attached to this temple as well. And people believe that the 2013 Kedarnath Tragedy is a result of the wrath of Goddess Dhari Devi. This tragedy destroyed everything in the district of Rudraprayag. Only Kedarnath was intact from the destruction. Basically people believe that the tragedy happened because of the destruction of this temple. During that time the idol was moved from her original location to make way for the Srinagar Hydroelectric Project. It is said that a similar incident took place in 1882 as well when a king attempted to relocate the idol. However the temple got washed away in the flood of 2013 but the idol was rescued. Later the idol was brought back to its original location with a much higher placement this time.
It is further followed that the idol of Dhari Devi should not be kept under a roof. And therefore the idol always remains in the open. It is also not allowed to click pictures in the temple so keep that in mind as well.
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Wrapping Up!
So that was all about the Maa Dhari Devi Temple and now you can just plan a visit to this location as soon as you can. The location, the ambiance, the view and the legend associated with this ancient temple makes it a must visit temple in Uttarakhand. Also the Dhari Devi Temple mystery makes it one of the most significant temples in the whole region as well. So whenever you are visiting Uttarakhand make sure you are visiting the Dhari Devi Temple. Let me know if this article on the Dhari Devi Temple Uttarakhand is helpful for you in planning a trip to this location.
