Hello friends,
Hope y'all are doing good.
As I was scrolling my phone gallery, I stumbled upon story 'Remembering May, 2024', comprising of pics I clicked on my visit to Surkanda Devi temple, Dhanaulti, Uttarakhand. I went a trip down the memory lane and remembered the fun times I had on this trip. On a hot Saturday afternoon of May last year, we were planning a trip to hills to get some respite from summer heat. As two friends had been there before, we finalized a road trip to Dhanaulti via Dehradun. After quickly packing our bags, 5 of us hopped into the car and by 4pm we were on our way. After a couple of hours of listening to chill music and chit chatting, we reached Paonta Sahib and the sun was about to hide in the horizon.
Then in half an hour, we passed by Forest Research Institute and the prestigious Indian Military Academy,Dehradun. Evening sun rays made the view stunning.
While battling with city traffic and jams, it got dark and we were in the hills. The air got chilly and the roads got extremely dark, due to which traffic moved snail paced. As we got higher into the hills, lights from the city below us made for a stunning view. We stopped for a while on the roadside, for some rest.
Then we reached the junction from where route for Mussoorie and Dhanaulti bifurcated. We moved towards Dhanaulti and planned to visit Mussoorie the next day. After driving for around 20 kilometres, the road got one way and pitch dark as it was around 11 pm. There was no one other than us on the road and even the roadside shops were closed. We began our search for a stay after reaching our destination and after struggling for over half an hour, we found a stay. It was a tent house some 500 metres down the hill. We walked there, had dinner and slept.
We woke up next day, freshened up and got ready for our main destination i.e. Surkanda Devi Temple in Uniyal village of Tehri Garhwal district. It was around half an hour drive away from our stay. On reaching there, we parked the car and began our trek on foot. The trek is known for its dense forests, lush greenery, and scenic landscapes.
It took us around 5 hours to reach the temple atop the hill and we really enjoyed the scenic view en route the trek. Situated at an altitude of about 9,000 feet, the temple is one of the 51 Shakti peeths, the place where different body parts of goddess sati fell when Lord Vishnu cut her body into 51 pieces, as per Hindu religious texts. Surkanda Devi temple stands at the place where head of goddess Sati fell. The temple holds immense religious significance and is a popular destination for religious tourism. We bowed before the all powerful godess Surkanda and prayed there. The place is full of positive energy and one can feel it only in person. Views around the temple are breathtaking as you can see a panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges from here.
We stayed at the temple for an hour and then started our downhill journey, which was a cakewalk as compared to uphill trek. The trip was really worth the time and effort. We also tried to cover Mussorie that day but we had to return from mid way as there was an extreme traffic jam uphill. We reached our hometown by evening and slept like horses as we were really tired. You should also visit this place and believe me, you won't regret.
May the gods watch over you !