There are many ancient and mysterious temples in India. But Uttarakhand, a state famed for faith, has its distinct identity. Every year many tourists come here in search of a peaceful environment.
Uttarakhand is a religious place renowned for divinity that summarizes the crux of mystical tourism in the true sense. From holy temples, natural sceneries to historical monuments, the state has it all.
About Uttarakhand:
Uttarakhand is located in the northern part of India, famous for the natural beauty of the Himalayas, Bhabar and Terai regions.
This Northern state is a popular pilgrimage destination, as it is the origin of two of the most sacred rivers for Hindus, the Ganges and the Yamuna. It is often referred to as “Dev Bhoomi” because of the multiple Hindu Mandirs and pilgrimage centers found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is home to the Char Dhams, the four holiest pilgrimages of Hindus Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath and are the best Uttarakhand tourist places. Thousands of tourists visit Uttarakhand every year to pay homage to the Char Dhams.
Due to its proximity to the Himalayan ranges, the place is full of hills and mountains and is suitable for trekking, climbing, skiing, camping and paragliding. The rivers flowing in the steep hills make it an ideal place for water sports. Snowfall in winter allows travelers to enjoy skiing. Dodital, Kedarnath, Kauri Pass, BedniBugyal, RoopKund are famous trek sports. Wherever you have faith, be it in God or the forces of nature that inspire you to lead a fulfilling life, Uttarakhand is the perfect destination. All the festivals of Uttarakhand are colorful and vibrant. Uttarakhand tour packages from Mumbai provide multiple services to devotees and tourists.
Religious Importance:
Uttarakhand holds an important place for Hindu followers as this sacred land is mentioned in Hindu scriptures, Vedas and Puranas.
If we talk about the creation of Uttarakhand, then on November 9, 2000, after several years of agitation, it was given the form of a state. From 2000 to 2006, Uttarakhand was known as Uttaranchal.
Nainital, Almora, Jim Corbett National Park, Auli, Dehradun, Chardham, Haridwar, and Rishikesh are some of the famous tourist places of Uttarakhand. Lord Shiva resided on this sanctified land from where the river Ganga was originated.
Uttarakhand is a hilly area; the weather here remains very cold. Sanskrit, BrajBhasha, Garhwali and Hindi are the most spoken languages here. The music of Uttarakhand is different from other states. The Chhalia dance is most loved here. The temple of Uttarakhand is famous everywhere in the country and abroad due to being a Devbhoomi.
Temples of Uttarakhand
The name of Uttarakhand is Devbhoomi, although here you will get to see many big and small temples. Every temple here has its history; let’s explore them all:
Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath is one of the most ancient and beautiful temples in Uttarakhand, the beauty of this Mandir is discussed everywhere, capable of captivating one’s mind. Everyone wants to visit here once in their lifetime. Kedarnath is present in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, has been constructed by adding pieces of cut stones that are brown.
This Hindu temple is surrounded by three mountains (Kedarnath, Kharkhkund and Bharatkund) and the confluence of five rivers (Kshirganga, Mandakini, Saraswati, Swarnagauri, and Madhuganga). KedarnathMandir is the most crowded out of Panchkedar and Char Dham of Uttarakhand. It is located about 16 km away from Gaurikund. The trek has to be done, which can be accomplished by horse or mule apart from walking.
Kedarnath is one of the grand temples of Shiva. Every year a huge crowd of lakhs of visitors reaches here, who are mesmerized by the beauty and the plaintiffs of Lord Shiva’s KedarnathDham. Given the climate here, the doors of Kedarnath are opened every year between April to November, and only then is Lord Kedarnath seen; it is one of the holy religious places of Hinduism, the paths here are rocky.
Jageshwar
JageshwarMandir is among the top 10 Hindu Temples of Uttarakhand. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Sadashiv. This Jyotirlinga is considered to be the “eighth” Jyotirlinga. It is also known as “Yogeshwar.” There are 108 small and big temples, which display unique artwork; it is mentioned in the Rigveda by the name of ‘NageshamDarukavana.’ It is also mentioned in Mahabharata.
According to the history of Jageshwar, there was Katyuriraja in the Kumaon region of the Himalayan hills during the Gupta Empire in North India. Jageshwar temple was also constructed in the same period. For this reason, glimpses of the Gupta Empire are visible in the temples. The period of construction of the temple has been divided into three periods by the Archaeological Survey of India, “Katyurikal, Uttar Katyurikal and Chandrakal.” With their unique artwork, these courageous kings have built not only the Jageshwar temple in the middle of a dense deodar forest but more than 400 hundred temples in the Almora district.
Tungnath Temple
Tungnath Temple of Lord Shiva, situated on a high hill in Rudraprayag district of Garhwal, Uttarakhand, is one of the oldest temples of Lord Shiva. This temple is situated at an altitude of 3460 meters. One of the PanchKedar forms of Lord Shankar is worshiped in Tungnath temple, here the heart and arms of Lord Shiva are worshipped.
It is believed that when Lord Shiva got angry with Pandavas, they built the Tungnath temple to please Shiva. The climate and environment are very attractive; the beautiful valleys here captivate the mind of the visitors. Come to visit Lord Shiva, which is among the top 10 Temples of Uttarakhand.
Badrinath Temple
Talking about Uttarakhand and not mentioning Badrinath, it is impossible; Badrinath temple located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state of India is considered the holiest temple of Hinduism. This temple is situated on the banks of river Alaknanda, where Lord Vishnu is worshipped.
The evidence of Badrinath is mentioned in Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata and SkandaPurana. It is also known as Shri Badri Vishal Mandir along with Badrinath Temple. Here Badri Narayan idol made of Shaligram of Lord Vishnu is worshipped, which is a form of Lord Vishnu.
It is believed that by taking a holy dip in the river Alaknanda along with the darshan of Lord Badri Narayan, one gets freedom from all sins, and the soul becomes pure. It is one of the holiest religious places in Hinduism and is included in the most famous temples in Uttarakhand. A major festival, Mata MurtikaMela, is also celebrated in the joy of Mother Ganga’s arrival on earth. Artists from all over show their art.
Badrinath Temple is one of the most attractive pilgrimage destinations of Uttarakhand. One does not even have to trek to reach the BadrinathMandir because any vehicle reaches near this temple without any trouble.
Gangotri Temple
This temple is dedicated to Ganga Mata. The temple’s height is about 20 feet, inside which the idol of Ganga Mata has been installed. One does not have to trek to reach Gangotri temple as bikes, cars, taxis, jeeps and buses etc.; all go very close to this temple. The trek to Gaumukhstarts from the Gangotri temple itself. If you want, after visiting Ganga Mata, you can also start the trek to Gaumukh, which is about 18 km. Long.
Yamunotri Temple
Yamunotri Temple is a part of the Char Dham of Uttarakhand, where the idol of Yamuna Mata installed in the temple is worshipped. This Mandir is situated at about a meter above sea level.
ChitaiGolu Temple, Almora
Located about 8 km from Almora, ChitaiGolu is a famous temple in Uttarakhand. Lord Shiva is seated in Gaur Bhairav presiding over the deity of Golu Ji. Chitta Temple can be easily recognized by the copper bells hanging in its premises. Golu Ji is considered to be the Lord of justice, and it is a common belief that when a person worships in any of your temples in Uttarakhand, GoluDevta grants him justice and fulfills the wishes of his devotees.
Nanda Devi Temple
Nanda Devi Temple, located in Almora district of Uttarakhand state, is a holy temple of Hinduism. It has special importance as a place of faith and religion. The history of this temple is more than 1000 years old; devotees visiting Nanda Devi believe that by seeing the maata, the evil inside the person is destroyed, and the soul is purified.
The Nanda Devi temple was built by the Chand kings. The idol of the goddess is located in the Deodhi of the Shiva temple and is highly revered by the local people. Every September, thousands of devotees throng this temple for the Almora Nanda Devi Mela, an integral part of the temple for more than 400 years.
NeelkanthMahadev Temple
Rishikesh is called the gateway to the Himalayas. NeelkanthMahadev is one of the main Shiva temples of North India. According to the belief, when Lord Shiva had consumed the poison, Parvati pressed his throat at the same time so that the poison could not reach his stomach. Thus the poison remained in his throat. After consuming the poison, his throat had turned blue due to the effect of the poison. Lord Shiva came to be known as Neelkanth because his throat turned blue.
Although this temple is near Rishikesh city, it comes under the Yamkeshwar block of the Pauri district. Neelkanth can be reached from Rishikesh either by vehicle or on foot. There are three road routes to reach by vehicle. Ongoing via Barrage or Brahmapuri, it covers a distance of 35 km. The nearest way to the road is from the Ramjhula taxi stand. This route is 23 km. At the same time, the walking route from SwargashramRamjhula is 11 km. Whereas the walking distance from Rishikesh city is 15 km. Taxis are available from Laxmanjhula to reach NeelkanthMahadev Temple. One can also reach here by private vehicle.
There is a queue of Shiva devotees from Rishikesh to Neelkanth temple. On the occasion of Mahashivratri, crowds of Shiva devotees gather in the pilgrimage town.
Dhara Devi temple
Mata Dhari Devi temple is constructed to protect the Uttarakhand region. Residents believe that Mata Dhari shields all the religious places of the holy land. To evade the anger of Maata, worship is offered in the Dhara Devi temple with Hindu rituals. People here believe that the catastrophe of Kedarnath was the consequence of Dhara Devi Maa’s anger.
The goddess guards the Uttarakhand’sChardham. The Siddhapeeth is the key center of devotion and faith of the devotees. According to Pandey Bramins of Dhari Village, Mother Kaali takes 3 forms every day.
It is believed that whoever comes to MaataDhari temple never goes back empty-handed. All you need is a sincere heart while offering worship, and all your wishes will be fulfilled. The worship of Goddess Kalusaur is done every year during Navratras. People from different parts of India come here to get the blessings of MaataKaali.
Apart from above mentioned 10 must-visit temples of Uttarakhand, some other famous Hindu temples of Uttarakhand are:
- Madmaheshwar Temple: Uttarakhand district Rudraprayag located in MdmaheshwarNath temple of Lord Shiva is one of the PanchKedar temples where Lord Shiva worship navel is. Along with the sight of Lord Shiva, this area is also a very good place to visit; most of the people come here during monsoon time. Every year thousands of devotees reach here; it is a mythological and ancient temple of Shiva.
- Naina Devi Temple: Located in Nainital, Uttarakhand, the temple of Naina Devi is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths of Mata. Here Mata Sati’s eyes fell; hence this temple is known as Naina Devi Temple. There is also a Naini Lake here, named after Naina Devi; this temple has special significance as a religious belief; people from far and wide come to this temple for darshan worship.
- Dunagiri Temple: Dunagiri Temple is located at a distance of 15 km from Almora district of Uttarakhand state. Here the Shaktipeeth of Mother is worshipped; it is the ancient and proven Shaktipeeth of Mother.
