Shrouded in mystery, the Shikari Devi Temple, a must-see for all seeking spiritual guidance and a delight for adventurous hikers seeking thrills in dangerous terrain, stands at an elevation of 2,850m above sea level in Himachal Pradesh , a state located in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas. . During ancient times, hunters (shikari) used to pray to the goddess to provide them with prey. This is how the shrine was named after “Shikari Devi”, the goddess of hunters.
The most mysterious fact about this ancient temple is that it has no roof and, to date, no one has been able to build a roof on it. Snow never falls inside the temple despite heavy snowfall in the region. No wild animal attacks have been reported outside the temple premises and no bird or plane can fly over the temple so that its shadow falls on the deity. Birds were seen to drop dead from the sky if their shadows ever fell on the sanctuary. There was a fatal accident reported in 1996 of the Himachal mayor’s aircraft in which he died along with his wife, son and pilot. The aircraft was said to be flying low over the sanctuary because it overshadowed the sanctuary and thus the accident occurred.
This temple is located on top of a hill that required crossing snow-capped mountains and thick forests full of wild animals, just a few days ago. Today, Himachal tourism has opened some clearings in the jungle for vehicles to get close to the top. However, it is still extremely difficult to walk to the temple from Karsog Valley, Jhanjheli, Chindi. Still, it is a nature lover’s paradise with its lush greenery, pine trees, deodar forests, and apple orchards, along with the pristine white of the heavy snowfalls that occur here from October through April.
Mythology claims that the sage Markandeye had called the powerful female deity Durga through meditation to this hill where the goddess left a stone statue of herself granting her divine powers. Later, Pandavas built the temple structure for the goddess during his exile and received a blessing from her so that he could defeat Kauravas in the epic battle of Mahabharata. He assured them of victory, a battle that he said would be fought for centuries against various forms of evil.
Every year during the Navratra festival, a fair is held here that attracts devotees from all over the world seeking the blessings of the deity.
The place is accessible by road as provided by the Himachal government, covering a distance of 16 km. Devotees have to climb 500 steps to reach the temple premises, if it is reached by road. The nearest head is the Joginder Nagar train station.
How to reach:
Mandi-Dadaur-Chailchowk-Thunag-Janjehli-Shikari-94 Kms.
Hiking trails:
Shikari Devi-Bakhrot-Chindi: 18 Kms
Shikari Devi-Raigarh-Shankar Dehra: 15 Kms
Shikari-Kamrunag 16 Kms
