Uttarakhand is well known as the land of god, or "Dev Bhoomi." It has numerous temples all around. The immense beauty all around Uttrakahand made it an idle location even for gods to meditate and stay. Out of that many temples, one of the most prominent in Uttarakhand is Dhari Devi Temple. This temple is dedicated to Maa Kali and is located on the Alaknanda River in between Rudraprayag and Srinagar in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. The upper part of Maa Kali is being worshipped at this place, while the lower part is being worshipped at Kali Math near Kedarnath. This temple is also believed to be a living monument of Uttarakhand. This is called so because it changes its form with the passing of time. In the morning, you will get to see her as a small child; in the afternoon, she will appear as a young lady; and in the evening, she will turn into an old lady. Everyone in Uttarakhand has great devotion to Dhari Devi, and she is believed to be a protector god of Char Dham (Yamunotri, Gangorti, Kedarnath, and Badrinath) located in Uttarakhand.
Before proceeding ahead, let me tell you about one very interesting incident that happened in Uttarakhand. During the year 2012–13, the government was planning to build a dam on the Alaknanda River. Locals and politicians from this region tried to oppose it because, for the formation of this dam, they had a plan to remove Dhari Devi Temple. Locals and some politicians tried their best, but the government was rigid and passed an order to remove Dhari Devi Temple. The day engineers removed the idol of Dhari Devi from her original position, Uttarkhand witnessed the dedliest flood in its history. A thousand devotees at Kedarnath temple had lost their lives. After the flood, the government accepted its mistake and passed an order to re-establish the Dhari Devi statue in her original position, canceling the dam project. This incident had increased the trust of devotees in Maa Dhari Devi, and since then she has been called the protector god of Char dham, and it is believed that she keeps the water level of the river Alaknanda under control.
Mythological Story of Dhari Devi Temple:-
As per the mythological stories, Dhari Devi is believed to be the only sister of seven brothers. Their parents died when she was very young. She used to love her brothers a lot and cook food for them. After some days, her brother got to know that the stars of their sister were not good for them, so they started hating her. In some days, five of his brothers had died of illness. The two teft-out brothers and their consorts had decided to kill Dhari Devi, fearing their deaths. They killed her, chopped her body into two parts, and threw her into the river. The upper part of the body reached Dharo village, where one washerman was washing clothes. He noticed a girl drowning in the river, but the flow of the river was very high, so he feared going in. Then a sound came from her head, asking him to take her out, and she would ensure his protection. He went into the river and brought her body out of the river, and her body asked him to keep her on a rock. He placed it on a rock, and this is how the idol of Dhari Devi is being established. The lower half of her body is being found at Kalimath, where she killed the demon Rakt Beej. Locals of Uttarakhand have great devotion for Maa Dhari Devi, and tourists going for the Kedarnath Yatra also honor Maa Dhari Devi a lot and don't forget to visit her temple. You can ask your travel agent, from whom you booked the Kedarnath tour package, to include a visit to Dhari Devi Temple in your package. It could be included at no extra cost.How to get there:-
Air:- The nearest airport to Dhari Devi Temple is Jolly Grant Airport, which is also known as Dehradun Airport. Regular services are available from all the major cities in India. You can book flights from all the major operators in India, like Indigo, Air India, Vistara Air Wasys, and Spicejet. The nearest international airport to Dhari Devi Temple is Indira Gandhi Airport (IGI), New Delhi.Train: The nearest station to Dhari Devi Temple is Rishikesh Railway Station, but very few direct trains are available from major cities. But don't worry, you can book your train for Haridwar or Dehradun railway station. These two cities are twin cities of Rishikesh and are easily accessible by road.
Road: The only way to reach Dhari Devi Temple is by road. After Haridwar, Rishikesh, or Dehradun, the road is the only means to travel to Dhari Devi Temple. It is around 135 km from Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Dehradun. There are basically two options available: one is to book your personal cab, which will take you to Dhari Devi Temple and return with you. This means it could be a bit costly, but it is very convenient. The second option is to take a government bus to reach Dhari Devi Temple. You can take any bus going to Rudraprayag. This means it is going to be economical, but not that convenient.
Best Time to Visit Dhari Devi Temple:
Dhari Devi Temple is well connected with all-weather roads, so you can visit Kedarnath Temple at any time in the year. But it's not recommended to visit this area during the months of July and August, as this area faces heavy rain during these months, and it's not safe to visit Uttarakhand in these months. During these months, you may face problems like landslides, road blockages, cloud bursts, etc.
