Surkanda Devi Temple Dhanaulti, Uttarakhand
Surkanda Devi Temple is located on the Mussoorie – Chamba road near Unniyal Village and Dhanaulti. This temple is one of the 51 Shaktipeeth temples of India and a highly revered pilgrimage since ancient days. The temple is situated at an altitude of 9000 feet above sea level.
Surkanda Devi Temple Story
Most of us are familiar with the story of Daksha Yagya. In that Yagya, Lord Shiva was insulted by Daksha Prajapati. Unable to tolerate this, Sati Mata ended Her life by entering the sacrificial fire. When Lord Shiva heard of this He was enraged beyond control. He destroyed the Yagya and beheaded Daksha Prajapati. He later restored Prajapati’s life, but with the head of a goat. Lord Shiva picked up Sati Mata’s body and took to the skies. This situation would have had grave consequences for the world. Lord Vishnu cut Sati Mata’s body into 51 parts with His Sudarshan Chakra. These parts fell at different spots in the Indian subcontinent and each spot became a Shakti Peeth. Mata Sati’s head fell at the place where now stands the Surkanda Devi Temple.
Surkanda Devi is a small temple atop the hill. The sanctum in the simple structure of the temple houses the Murti of Maa Sarkanda Devi, beautifully adorned with silk garments and a silver crown. On the temple premises, a Murti of Hanuman Ji can also be seen. There is also a marble statue of the Goddess seated on a lion within the complex. Beautiful views of the dense forests below and panoramic views of Himalayan peaks can be seen from here. Though this is an ancient temple, not much of its history is known. For most of the year, the temple is covered by fog, making it all the more alluring.
Ganga Dussehra is the main festival celebrated here. The festival starts on the first day of the Jyestha month and ends on the tenth day. Both Navratris are also celebrated in this temple.
Hotels Near Surkanda Devi Temple
For Hotel Booking Near Surkanda Devi Temple in Tehri Visit below:
For Uttarakhand Accommodation booking visit below:
Surkanda Devi Temple Ropeway Service
This Sunday Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Maa Surkanda Devi Temple and inaugurated the Kaddukhal-Siddhpeeth Devi ropeway Service. The ropeway initiative will be a big relief for the devotees visiting Surkanda Devi temple for darshan. Devotees had to walk on foot from here for around 2 hours, but now they can easily visit the temple for darshan. This will also boost tourism in Uttarakhand.
Ropeway service will also increase the livelihood of the people at the local level. The ropeway is 502 meters long and can carry up to 500 tourists per hour.
Adventurous activities like water sports are being conducted in the giant lake spread over 42 square kilometers in the Tehri district.
Surkanda Devi Temple Snowfall
The minimum and maximum temperatures in April in Surkanda Devi Temple are °C and °C respectively. The weather is generally in April and you would feel it throughout the day. Warm clothes are recommended for Surkanda Devi Temple in April.
Surkanda Devi Temple Timings
- 05:00 AM to 07:00 PM Summers
- 07:00 AM to 05:00 PM Winters
How to reach Surkanda Devi
- The route from Dehradun goes via Mussoorie. The motorable road ends in Kaddukhal village. From there the temple is reached by a 3 km trek.
- This trek is quite steep and takes about one or one and a half hours to complete. Ponies are available in case walking is not possible.
- Surkanda Devi Temple is about 34 km from Mussoorie.
- The nearest Railway Station is Dehradun, about 67 km from the temple.
- The nearest airport is Dehradun Airport, about 97 km from the temple.
