Gods and Goddesses are believed to reside in every particle of Uttarakhand and due to this belief, Uttarakhand is called the land of gods. Purnagiri temple is located in Tanakpur city in Champawat district of Uttarakhand which is dedicated to the form of Goddess Shakti. Purnagiri Temple is situated at an altitude of about 3000 feet on Annapurna Chhoti in the Himalayas. Champawat district, adjoining Nepal to the east, is the border with India in Uttarakhand.
Significance - Purnagiri Temple
Purnagiri Temple, situated at a distance of about 19 kilometers from Tanakpur, is recognized as a Shaktipeeth and that is why this temple has great importance from the religious point of view. Purnagiri Temple is one of the 108 Shaktipeeths spread across the Indian subcontinent. Shaktipeeths are temples dedicated to Goddess Shakti and are the places where the pieces of the burnt body of Goddess Sati fell. You can read the story related to this further in the article.
Purnagiri Temple |
Story - Purnagiri Temple
According to the story narrated in Hindu religious Puranas, once Maharaj Daksh, father of Goddess Sati, organized a special yajna and deliberately did not send invitation to Goddess Sati and her husband Lord Shiva. Goddess Sati was saddened by this and went to participate in the yagya without being invited by her father. There she was insulted by her father and due to this, in anger and sorrow, Goddess Sati committed suicide by jumping into the sacrificial fire.
When Lord Shiva came to know about all this, he reached the place of yagya and started wandering here and there in sorrow carrying the burnt body of Sati.
Seeing this, Lord Vishnu cut Sati's dead body into pieces and the same pieces fell at different places. Wherever those pieces fell, Shaktipeeths were established there. It is believed that a part of Sati's dead body had fallen here also and thus this place was considered as Shaktipeeth.
Purnagiri Temple Tanakpur
A story related to the form of this temple is popular here. It is said that once King Gyan Chand of Champawat had given shelter to a businessman Chandra Tiwari. That businessman had a vision of Goddess Purnagiri in his dream and after that the businessman built a temple here.
Jhoothe ka Mandir - Purnagiri Temple
Jhoote ka Mandir - Purnagiri Temple |
The Liar's Temple is situated near Purnagiri Temple. An interesting story related to this temple is told here. According to the story, once a businessman prayed in the temple of Goddess Purnagiri, wishing to have a child, and agreed that if his wish was fulfilled, he would get a golden altar placed here.
After some time, after having a child, the businessman got greedy and got an altar made of copper instead of gold and got it installed in the temple. At one place on the way, he placed the altar to rest and after that he was unable to pick it up. Then he realized that this had happened because of his greed and he built a temple on that altar there. This temple is called the temple of liar.
Timing - Purnagiri Temple
Purnagiri temple is open from 5 am to 7 pm during summer season. In winter this temple is open from 5 am to 5 pm.
Festival - Purnagiri Temple
Trek - Purnagiri Temple
To reach Maa Purnagiri temple one has to climb on foot which is about 4 kilometers long. The trek to the temple starts from Bhairon Temple. Travelers can travel to Bhairon Temple by their own vehicle or by shared taxi. Apart from this, you will also find buses on this route.
The path to Purnagir temple leads towards Annapurna hill along the banks of Mahakali river. The path is very attractive and as we climb higher on this path, the greenery increases and the beautiful form of nature can be seen.
There are stairs at some places in the path ahead of Bhairon Temple, but most of the distance can be covered by walking on the straight path. There are three sheds and nets installed on this entire route for protection from sun and rain.
At various places on the way, there are shops for offerings, restaurants for food and many small temples. The travelers move ahead, stopping and resting as per their need. There is free halt on the way for travelers coming from far and wide. Blankets are also available here during winter season.
After depositing their slippers and shoes a short distance before the temple, travelers can proceed to Purnagiri temple for darshan.
How to reach Purnagiri Temple
By Road to Purnagiri
Tanakpur is the main town to visit Purnagiri Temple. Tanakpur city is well connected by road network. Travelers can easily reach Tanakpur by road, by their own vehicle or by state transport or private transport bus. Direct bus facility is also available to Tanakpur from cities like Delhi, Lucknow.
By Train to Purnagiri
If you want to travel by train then Tanakpur is a railway station whose code is TPU. There are many trains at this railway station and one can also travel directly to Tanakpur from Delhi. Similarly, direct or connected train facilities are available from other parts of the country.
By Flight to Purnagiri
If you are traveling by flight, then the nearest airport here is Pant Nagar which is located at a distance of about 100 kilometers from Tanakpur. You can travel from Pant Nagar Airport to Tanakpur by taxi etc.
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