I have always loved the concept of temple hunt and I try to make sure to find temples in whichever place I visit. One such unique temple I managed to find was Kunjapuri Devi temple in Tehri Garhwal near Rishikesh.
History :
Kunjapuri Devi temple is one of the 52 shaktipeeths established in the region by Jagadguru Shankaracharya. It is located at a height of 1676 Mts atop hill. The legend is that Sati the wife of Lord Shiva gave up her life in the yajna started by her father. Lord Shiva passed through this place on his way back to Kailash with the dead body of Sati whose upper-half of the body fell at the spot where the temple of Kunjapuri Devi now stands. It completes the triangle of 3 sidhapeeths lying on top of mountains in Tehri-Garhwal district. Kunjapuri Devi – Surkanda Devi – Chandrabadni makes triangle of the Sidhapeeth. It’s a beautiful temple which is filled with panoramic view of the Himalayas and the valley of the Bhagirathi.
How to reach Kunjapuri Devi temple :
By Road :
Distance from Rishikesh : 25 kms approx. Hire a private cab or shared cab to reach this temple. They will charge anywhere between Rs.2500 – Rs.3000 based on the places covered and negotiations.
By Air
The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport, in Dehradun. The distance from Dehradun Airport to Kunjapuri Devi Temple is 39km.
By Train :
Hop a train to Rishikesh railway station and from there you can book a private cab or share on basis cab to reach this place.
Detailed explanation about the temple :
As you reach the temple, you can park the vehicle nearby. You don’t have a designated parking spot since it’s situated atop a hill. As you make way towards the steps, you will find couple of small shops which sell Pooja items ranging from Rs.20-Rs.100/-. As you move ahead, you will find a steep way to the hill with small steps which are properly shed with asbestos sheet and railings to give you support while climbing. There are around 80-100 steps that you need to climb but it’s pretty easy to climb if you are fairly healthy. You will also find a small shop midway up the climb which sells basic food items like Maggi noodles, fritters (Bhajiya), some processed foods, water bottles etc. So if you are tired, it can act as a pit stop to recharge your batteries and start the climb again. But you need to be a bit wary of monkeys here, since it’s located in mountainous area atop a hill, you will find lot of monkeys here, so be careful of your belongings and also it is advised not to feed them processed foods.
When you reach the top, you will find an entrance which has the shape of a dome and is painted in pink. You will find 2 lions carved on either side of the entrance and a big bell made of brass hanging from the top of the cemented roof. It’s here where you will get the first proper glance of the temple. It is beautifully adorned with a mixture of Red-Pink-Yellow and white paints. The temple has enough space to accommodate anywhere between 50-60 people and is properly designed. As you move ahead you will find a small entrance (photography inside the sanctum sanctorum is not allowed) which has steel gates around. You will not find any idols inside but a rock shaped “Pindi” is installed inside the temple. Along with this, you will also find Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesh idols enshrined inside the sanctum sanctorum. There is a flame which continuously burns 24*7, 365 days a year inside the sanctum sanctorum.
There is toilet facilities for both men and women on the backside of the temple, you will have to walk 5-10 steps down. Also you have a pole which has some countries direction pointing towards various directions (it’s just a fancy spot to get some selfies). Uttarakhand tourism have done a nice job in maintaining the place and it’s one of the cleanest temple I have ever visited.
You can even find a quiet place near the trees which is located next to sanctum sanctorum or you can sit behind the temple and soak in the views of snow clad Himalayan mountain ranges and meditate for hours without getting disturbed or worried.
Timings :
It is open 365 days a year and devotees or tourists can visit this temple from 06:00 AM to 08:00 PM. During Navratri, it will be heavily crowded, so plan your visit accordingly.
Best time to visit :
May to October is considered the best time to visit but monsoon from July-September is a bit risky to travel in hilly regions. May-June is peak season and accommodations as well as cab services will be a bit expensive. I had visited in the month of November and since it was off season, I could visit with hardly any crowd and enjoyed the panoramic views of snow clad Himalayan mountain ranges. Also off season has it’s own perks, as accommodations and costs of cab are quite cheap as compared to peak season.
Nearest places to visit :
Tehri Dam : 62 kms
Surkanda devi temple : 66 kms
Devprayag : 94 kms
Buddha Kedar : 134 kms
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The Nomad Guy 