Tapkeshwar Temple

Overview

The Cave Temple is situated in Dehradun. It is a sacred pilgrimage site for Hindus. This is one of the oldest temples dedicated to Lord Shiva in the whole of Uttarakhand.

About The Temple

The entire temple region is covered by a forest. Visitors are required to walk the last lap of a kilometer to reach the temple. The main Shivling is situated inside a cave. This is a natural cave and the ceiling has a natural spring. The water from the ceiling falls on the Shivling continuously, thereby creating a constant "Abhishekam" of sorts. The cave temple sits on the banks of a seasonal river called River Taus. There are many sulphur springs near the cave, too. One of the Shivlings comprises 5151 beads of rudrakash. The cave is very low and one has to almost crawl for the Darshan.

About the Deity

The presiding deity at this temple is Lord Shiva as Tapekshwar Mahadev. There are two Shivlings here, both of which are self-manifested. There are also temples for Santoshi maa and Shree Hanuman.

Legend and Stories

The legend that surrounds the Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple goes back to Mahabharata. Ashwathama, an immortal character in the Mahabharata and the son of one of the great archers in the war of Mahabharata Dronacharya, was born in the caves here. Another legend says that the mother of the newborn had no milk in her breasts. The newborn is also believed to be mature since birth, and he prays to Lord Shiva for the milk. Lord Shiva listens to the prayer of a child and grants him the wish of milk dripping from the rocks. It is believed that Dronacharya (Guru to Pandavas and Kauravas) once resided in this cave. Hence, the cave is also called Drona Cave. Drona's son Ashwatthama was born in this cave. After his birth, his mother could not feed him any milk. She prayed to Lord Shiva and the Lord granted her wish by dripping milk from the roof of the cave.

Festivals

There is a special fair organized during Shivratri. People from all over the country visit the temple in large numbers.

Nearby Place To Visit

Asan Barrage Temple
Botanical Survey of India Temple
Clock Tower Temple
Malsi Deer Park Temple
Paonta Sahib Temple

Accessibility

This temple is very near to city center and about a 1 hour drive on the Haridwar-Dehradun Road. It is also accessed by the Dehradun- Missourie highway. One can also take share auto from Connaught place. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant airport, and the nearest railway station is in Dehradun. Other major rail heads are Jwalapur and Haridwar.

Temple Address

Cave temple Tapkeshwar,
Dehradun, Garhi Cantt
Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Pincode - 248001