Surkanda Devi Temple is situated on Surkut mountain in Tehri district of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga in the form of Sati, one of the nine forms of Shakti in Hinduism. Surkanda Devi Temple is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths located at different places in the country. The statue of Goddess Kali is installed as well in this temple.
The temple of Surkanda Devi is situated at a height of about 3000 meters above sea level and from here the hills of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri i.e. the four Dhams are visible. Temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman are also located in the Surkanda Devi temple complex.
Mythology - Surkanda Devi Temple
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| Surkanda Devi Temple |
According to the legend, the story of Surkanda Devi is of the time when King Daksh organized a great yajna, in which he invited all the gods and sages, but knowingly did not invite his own daughter Sati and her husband Lord Shiv. Hurt by her father's decision, Sati decided to meet her father and to know the reason for not inviting him, she went to her father's house to attend the yagya without Lord Shiva's consent.
When Sati asked the reason for this, her father King Daksh insulted Lord Shiv. Sati became very angry at this and jumped into the sacrificial fire and sacrificed her life. When Lord Shiv got the news of his wife's demise, he became angry and created Virbhadra. Virbhadra is considered to be a form of Lord Shiv and the Virbhadra Temple in Rishikesh is dedicated to this form.
Meanwhile, mourning the death of his wife, Lord Shiv took Sati's body in his arms and started the dance of destruction (Tandava). To save the universe and free Shiv from this separation, Lord Vishnu cut Sati's lifeless body into 51 pieces using Sudarshan Chakra. Due to this, the head of Goddess Sati had fallen at this place, hence this place was called Surkanda and this goddess temple situated here came to be known as Surkanda Devi Temple.
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History - Surkanda Devi Temple
Surkanda Devi Temple is a temple with ancient beliefs. Regarding when this temple was built, it is believed that the ancient temple at this place is about 1000 years old. This temple is believed to be built during the reign of King Kanakpal. Presently the temple has been rebuilt.
Significance - Surkanda Devi Temple
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| Surkanda Devi Temple |
Surkanda Devi Temple has great importance in Hindu religion. This temple has special significance among all the Shaktipeeths because the head of Goddess Sati fell here. This temple is a famous pilgrimage site and is visited by a large number of devotees during Navratri and during the Agni Mela in the month of May every year.
Prasad - Surkanda Devi Temple
A special feature of Surkanda Devi temple is the leaves of Ronsali (botanical name Taxus baccata) offered to the devotees as Prasad. These leaves are full of medicinal properties and are also used in making many Ayurvedic medicines. In this entire area, it is given the status of a God tree and because it is a Prasad, the wood of this tree is not used in any other work like construction etc. It is believed that these leaves bring happiness and prosperity to the house.
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Festival - Surkanda Devi Temple
The main festivals celebrated in Surkanda Devi Temple are Navratri, Dussehra and Phool Dei. During Navratri, devotees fast and observe special disciplines to worship the Goddess. Dussehra is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Lord Ram over Ravan and effigies of Ravan are burnt. Phool Dei is a local festival where young girls decorate their houses with flowers and exchange gifts with each other.
Timings - Surkanda Devi Temple
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| Surkanda Devi Temple |
Surkanda Devi Temple timings vary according to season. During winter the temple opens at 7:00 am and closes at 5:00 pm. However during summer the temple opens at 6:00 am and closes at 7:00 pm.
When to go - Surkanda Devi Temple
The whole year is the best except monsoon, due to heavy rainfall in monsoon, landslides keep happening here, hence one should avoid visiting here in the months of July-August. In order to take part in the rituals and festivals, a large number of tourists and devotees visit Surkanda Devi Temple during Navratri.
How to reach - Surkanda Devi Temple
You can easily reach Surkanda Devi Temple. This temple is connected by road to other parts of the country and the state of Uttarakhand. To reach the temple, one has to reach Kaddukhal by vehicle and after that there is a steep climb of about one and a half kilometres. After this tough climb, Surkanda Devi is seen in the temple. Horses are also available to go to the temple from Kaddukhal. Travelers coming here reach by vehicles from Rishikesh to Chamba and from Chamba to Kaddukhal.
By Road
The nearest town to Surkanda Devi temple is Kaddukhal which is situated at a distance of 40 kilometers from Mussoorie. Tourists can hire a taxi or take a shared cab from Mussoorie. State transport buses run from Mussoorie to Chamba via Kadukhal.
By Train
Dehradun Railway Station is the nearest railway station here in the valley, located at a distance of 67 kilometers from Surkanda Devi Temple. Tourists can also book a taxi from Dehradun directly to Surkanda Devi Temple via Mussoorie.
By Air
Jolly Grant Airport located in Dehradun is the nearest airport which is located at a distance of 100 kilometers from Surkanda Devi Temple. It is well connected to Delhi by daily flights and taxis are easily available from here to Surkanda Devi.
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