Guptakashi Temple

Overview

This is an ancient Hindu temple in the Gharwal regions of the Lower Himalayas and is a beautiful stone temple with many Hindu architectural ethoses. Dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishwanatha, this temple is built at an altitude of 1319 meters above the mean sea level. This temple is considered as the Chota Char Dham and is found on the way to Kedarnath Mountains, by the Mandakani River. It has elegant mountain ranges and scenic beauties and is located at Ukhimath Town, Rudraprayag District in Uttrakhand State.

About The Temple

This temple is built in the Nagara architectural pattern and is a granite stone marvel. It is having a huge tower with its main sanctum sanctorum under it. In front, a porch is seen built in a modern way and is a beautiful pillared porch with a triangular slope covered with tiles. The temple has got in the entrance, the Lord Shiva's vehicle, the Nandhi in a metal form. One can find another small temple on the side built for the Lord Vishwanatha. Its important feature is the Karmanika Pond where two natural water springs of River Ganges and Yamuna are diverted through a cow's mouth and elephant trunk to fall on Shiva Linga. The cow's mouth carries the Yamuna water and the elephant trunk carries the Ganges water to make the convergence of river in this pond.

Legend and Stories

Popular legend, that traces back to the time of Mahabharata, states that as the Pandavas began to lose their dear ones, they took to a pilgrimage to meet Lord Shiva who was far away in Kailash. The Pandavas left Kashi for Himalayas by the Hardwar route.

On the way, they saw the Lord but he escaped from their view. Dharamaraj knew that the Lord was not giving them his sight because they have sinned. He told that their sins will be atoned only when they seek the Lord and take blessings. Dharamaraj named the place as Guptakashi and told that the future generations will regard the place as a holy shrine. The Lord was later seen in the form of Nandi by the Pandavas.

Best Time to Visit

The months from October to February

Nearby Places to Visit

Other places include the Manikarnik Kund, where the streams of rivers Ganga and Yamuna congregates. A stupa very close to the winter destination of the Lord at Nala also attracts of people. The Triyuginarayan Temple is another important religious place near the town.

Religious Significance

The word Guptkashi means “the hidden out Banaras”, which is also a holy place for the Hindus. This temple is also known as the lower Kashi. Many devotees come here and get released from drinking habit and sprinkling the water of the Karmanika pond on their heads.

Accessibility

Airport

Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest domestic airport from Guptakashi. It is in Dehradun and about 198 km from the town.

Railways

The nearest railway station is Rishikesh Railway Station located approximately 186 km from the main place of Guptakashi. Haridwar railway station is 206 km away.

Road

Guptakashi is just 45 km from Rudraprayag and around 80 km from Srinagar. There are state transport, private buses and cars available to take you to Guptakashi from these places.