9 Most Famous Temples of the Himalayas

The High Himalayas are often looked upon with great awe and reverence by the people. These majestic mountain ranges truly have an enigma about them. The ambiance out there is charged with several ions of energy, be it the energy trapped in the virgin natural beauty or the energy of divinity. Since the inception of civilization many yogis and sages have chosen the caverns and caves of Himalayas for intense spiritual delving and profound meditation activities. Thus, it is no wonder that many of the most significant temples of the country are perched at the Himalayan highs. In this context special mention must be made of the temples of Chota Chardham laid out across the Uttarakhand Himalayas. A brief look at the Chardham Yatra route map will tell you adequately about the location of the Chardham. To know more about the top temples in the Himalayas, read on-

Badrinath Temple

Badrinath Dham

In the district of Chamoli in Uttarakhand lies the temple of Badrinath. The temple stands along the river banks of River Alaknanda and at an altitude of 3300meters above the sea level. This is the highest of the Chardham in the Chota Chardham circuit and belongs to Lord Vishnu commonly known as Badrinarayan here. The temple enshrines the lord in the form of a black Shaligram Shila temple. One has to sanitize oneself by bathing in the Tapt Kund prior to entering the temple.

Kedarnath Temple

Kedarnath temple lies in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district about 3580 m above the sea level and along the river Mandakini. The temple belongs to lord Shiva and is the highest among all Jyotirlingam dotting our country. The original Kedarnath temple is believed to have been constructed by Adi guru Shankaracharya around 8th century AD. The temple enshrines the idol of lord Shiva shaped like the bull’s hump and is steeped in religious as well as mythological importance.

Gangotri Temple

Gangotri Dham

Gangotri temple lies in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district and belongs to Goddess Ganga; the Mother Goddess. The present temple dates back to the 18th century and stands along the river banks of River Bhagirathi. It is believed that my worshipping at Gangotri Dham and by taking a holy dip in Bhagirathi, another name for River Ganga, pilgrims can get rid of all their mortal sins.

Yamunotri Temple

Yamunotri Dham

Yamunotri temple perched at an elevation of 3293m above the sea level belongs to Goddess Yamuna. This is the first of the Dhams in the Chota Chardham circuit and marks the source of River Yamuna. It is commonly believed that one who bathes in River Yamuna and worships at Yamunotri temple can get rid of the mortal fear of death.

Amarnath Cave Temple

Amarnath Temple

The temple of Amarnath is a cave shrine belonging to Lord Amarnath; a manifestation of lord Shiva. The cave is perched amid the lofty peaks of Kashmir Himalayas and houses the ice lingam of Amarnath ji plus two other lingams; that of Ma Parvati and lord Ganesh. The Yatra to Amarnath takes place in the Hindu month of Shravan and is an auspicious pilgrimage journey. As per myths, Lord Shiva had revealed to his consort, the secret of immortality or ‘Amar Katha’ in this very cave.

Chintpurni Temple

Chintpurni Devi Temple

Chintpurni Temple of Himachal Pradesh lies in vicinity to Jwalamukhi. This is a revered Shakti Peeth and it is believed, as per myths that a portion of Sati’s forehead fell on this spot during the disintegration of her body with the Sudarshana chakra of Lord Vishnu. The temple is famed for its headless goddess known by the name of Ma Chinnamasta. It is believed that the goddess can free the mind of the disciples from physical inclinations and get all their wishes fulfilled.

Bajreshwari Temple

Bajreshwari Temple, Kangra

Bajreshwari temple of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh is an abode of Goddess Bajreshwari, a manifestation of Goddess Parvati. According to myths the goddess had used Bajra to destroy demon Kalikaa at this place. The festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrated with great pomp at this place. On the festival day the idol of the deity is splattered with ghee, then bathed in cold water and finally decked most beautifully with flowers.

Triyuginarayan Temple

This ancient temple belonging to Lord Vishnu falls in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district. As per myths, the wedding between Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati took place at this very spot and lord Vishnu had been a witness to this solemn marriage. An eternal fire or Akhand Dhuni burns in the temple’s front part and is said to burn right from the times of the sacred wedding.

Kartik Swami Temple

The sacred Kartik Swami temple in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district belongs to lord Kartikeya, elder brother of Lord Ganesh and elder son of Lord Shiva. The temple is cradled at an elevation of 3050 meters above the sea level and enshrines a marble rock carved statue of lord Kartikeya.