Dhari Devi temple is situated in Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand state. The Goddess Dhari Devi is known as the guardian divinity of Uttarakhand. It is believed that Lord Shiva performed his tandav her. In the recent times, the temple is facing issues from the officials of the Alaknanda Hydro Power project as the builders want the temple to be shifted but they are facing opposition from the local religious groups.

Situated in the Garhwal district of Uttarakhand is Dhari Devi temple which is based on the banks of Alaknanda River. The torso of Dhari Devi is housed in the temple and the lower half of Dhari Devi is located in Kalimath where she is worshipped as Maa Kali. Dhari Devi is also known as Maa Kali who is the primary goddess in the temple. As per the locals knowledge, it is said that the goddess changes her appearance during the day, she first looks like a girl, then changes into a woman and then, to an old lady. The holy place is one of the 108th Shakti sthals in India.

History

As per the information received from the locals, it is said that the idol of Dhari Devi was once washed off by floods. Hovering in the water, the idol struck against a rock, post which the local villagers heard the weeping of the idol. A heavenly voice then gave instructions to the villagers to install the idol on the spot where it was found. It is told by the villagers that the idol is aggressive looking and should be kept under the open sky. It is said that the idol should not be covered or kept under any roof. Dhari village near the temple is named after the goddess. As per the myth, it is also said that when Sati burnt herself in disapproval of Lord Shiva’s insult by her father, King Daksha Prajapati, she got re-birth as the daughter of the Himalayas. She showed thorough devotion to become the Lord Shiva’s wife after rebirth.

A connecting bridge on the Alaknanda River joins Dhari village with Dhari Devi temple. It is also believed by the locals that the massive floods witnessed in 2013 was the anger demonstrated by Dhari Devi, because the idol of the goddess was moved from its ancient temple from Srinagar for the purpose of a hydel power project. Kedarnath valley was hit by a cloud burst hours later after the idol was moved, resulting in massive rainfall and washing away the entire village and killing hundreds of devotees and tourists.

Culture

The Garhwal district has people residing from various ethnic groups talking different languages like Hindi, Garhwali, Jaunsari, Bhotiya and Kumaoni. Locals of Garhwal are also known as Paharis. Numerous fairs are conducted throughout the year like Purnagiri mela, Gauchar mela, Nanda Devi mela, Kumbh mela, Ardh Kumbh mela and Devidhura mela. The staple cuisine of local people comprises of vegetables and milk based products and sweets are very famous.

How to Reach

Dhari Devi is located on the Srinagar Badrinath highway near Kalyasaur. The district of Garhwal is about 15 kms from Srinagar and 20 kms from Rudraprayag. The location is about 360 kms from Delhi. The tourists need to pass through 15 to 19 kms of distance from Srinagar up-to Kaliasaur, and then trek another half a kilometer towards the Alaknanda River.

Where to Stay

There are plenty hotels and resorts, which provide accommodation for tourists and serve them with food and other outdoor activities like shopping and site seeing.