Top 10 Famous Shiva Temples in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand is a land of age-old temples, and Shiva temples in Uttarakhand are very famous. Lord Shiva is worshipped in many divine forms in these temples. Shiva temples in Uttarakhand are so famous that there are mythological legends that are mentioned in Hindu Puranas and Vedas. The famous Shiva temples in Uttarakhand are spread in the entire state of Uttarakhand and you will find these temples in the Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand. You can also visit these famous Shiva temples in Uttarakhand with any of the famous Uttarakhand temple tour packages. Uttarakhand tour packages also will let you visit these temples.
1. Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath Temple is the most famous Shiva temple in Uttarakhand. It is the most famous of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples in India. You can visit Kedarnath Temple as part of the Uttarakhand Panch Kedar Yatra and Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra packages. Kedarnath Temple is situated in the high Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. Mandakini River flows quite near to this temple. Hindu mythological stories tell that Pandavas built this original temple. During wintertime, the idols from this temple are taken to Ukhimath.
Read More: Shri Kedarnath Travel Packages
2. Tungnath Temple
Tungnath Temple is the world’s highest Shiva temple and it is also one of the famous Shiva temples in Uttarakhand. It is one of the Panch Kedar temples in Uttarakhand. Tungnath Temple is so famous that the Tungnath trek is one of the best treks in Uttarakhand. The Himalayan panoramic mountain peaks of Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Bandarpoonch, Panchachuli, and Trishul look fabulous from Tungnath Temple. On the other side, you can see the valleys of the Garhwal region.
3. Madhyamaheshwar Temple
Madhyamaheshwar Temple is also known as Madmaheshwar Temple. The temple has beautiful ancient architecture. Madhyamaheshwar Temple is also part of the famous Panch Kedar Yatra circuit. Green mountains, valleys, and dense deodar forests surround Madhyamaheshwar Temple from all sides making it look very scenic. The Pandavas built this original temple to pray to Lord Shiva, whose middle part of the body appeared here. You can view the scenic mountain peaks of Chaukhamba and Neelkanth from Madhmaheshwar Temple.
4. Rudranath Temple
Another famous Shiva temple in Uttarakhand is Rudranath Temple. You can visit Rudranath Temple during your Panch Kedar Yatra. According to Hindu mythology, the face of Lord Shiva appeared at this place. The Pandava brothers built the original temple of Rudranath. There are many water tanks at Rudranath Temple. Nanda Ghunti and Trishul are some mountain peaks that can be seen from Rudranath Temple. Rudraganga river flows near the temple making it very scenic.
5. Kalpeshwar Mahadev Temple
Kalpeshwar Temple is part of the famous Panch Kedar Yatra tour in Uttarakhand. The locks of hair of Lord Shiva appeared here. Kalpeshwar Temple is one of the most accessible Panch Kedar temples, and it is open throughout the year. Kalpeshwar Temple is located in the very scenic Urgam Valley and the Kalpeshwar Temple trek is one of the famous trekking places in Uttarakhand. Other famous temples like Dhyan Badri, and Budha Kedar are close to Kalpeshwar Temple. On the temple premises, there is a Kalpavriksha tree, which is famous for granting the wishes of devotees and pilgrims.
6. Gopinath Temple
Gopinath Temple is in Gopeshwar, and this is one of the immensely popular Shiva temples in Uttarakhand. It is just as sacred as the Panch Kedar temples in Uttarakhand. The most famous attraction of Gopinath Temple is the trident of Lord Shiva, which is made of 8 different metals. The trident is made in such a way that it has not rusted even in all these years. The trident is fixed at a place, and it is said that only a true devotee of Lord Shiva can budge the trident from its place. The Katyuri kings who ruled over this region during the 9th and 11th centuries built Gopinath Temple.
7. Neelkanth Mahadev Temple
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is closer to Rishikesh and it is one of the most famous Shiva temples in Uttarakhand. The temple architecture is very different from all other Shiva temples in Uttarakhand and is more related to temples that you find in southern parts of India. The stone carvings on the shikhara and the walls of the temple are very beautiful and intricately done. Neelkanth Mahadev is called due to the poison which Lord Shiva drank during the churning of the ocean. The temple is built at the same place where Lord Shiva is said to have drunk the poison.
8. Tapkeshwar Mahadev Mandir
Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple is one of the most famous attractions in Dehradun. The temple is also one of the very best Shiva temples in Uttarakhand. Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple is inside a natural cave, and water drops from the ceiling of the cave onto the shiv linga. There is the famous story of how Ashwathama, son of Dronacharya, prayed to Lord Shiva to give him milk to drink after his birth. Lord Shiva was happy with Ashwathama and offered milk to drink. There are sulfur springs near the temple where tourists normally bathe before entering the temple.
9. Baijnath Temple
Baijnath Temple is not a single temple but an entire group of temples in Baijnath, Uttarakhand. The Katyuri kings who ruled Kumaon and Garhwal regions many centuries ago built these temples. Baijnath Temple was built around the 12th century. The main temple is a Shiva temple built in devotion to Lord Vaidyanatha, Lord of the Physicians. It is also famous among locals that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were married here on the banks of the Gomti river, which flows near Baijnath Temple. There are many other temples in the temple complex and they are dedicated to other Hindu gods and goddesses.
10. Bagnath Temple
Bagnath Temple is a famous Shiva temple in Uttarakhand. The temple is built at the confluence of the Gomti and Sarayu rivers. According to Hindu mythology, Rishi Markandeya meditated and prayed to Lord Shiva at this place. Lord Shiva then answered his prayers and appeared here in the form of a tiger. Locals believe that the temple is as old as the 7th century. Bagnath Temple is famous since mythological times and even the ancient Hindu scriptures like Skanda Purana mentions Bagnath Temple as an important and sacred temple of Lord Shiva.
