Surkanda Temple, Uttarakhand

Surkanda Devi Temple is located on the Mussoorie – Chamba road near Unniyal Village and Dhanaulti. This temple is among the 51 Shaktipeeth temples of India and a highly revered pilgrimage since its historical days. The temple is situated at an altitude of 9995 feet above sea level.

History & Importance

The chief legend of Surkanda relates to the creation of the Shakti Peethas. Sati, the daughter of Prajapati Daksha, was married to the god Shiva despite his wishes. Daksha arranged a great yajna but did not invite Sati and Shiva. Uninvited, Sati reached the Yajna site, where Daksha ignored Sati as well as Shiva.

Sati was not able to withstand this insult. So, Devi Sati gave her life by jumping into the fire of Havan organized by her father King Daksh. When Lord Shiva was running around the planet carrying her body Lord Vishnu divided the body into 51 parts utilizing his Sudarshan chakra. Out of those 51 parts, from which the ‘Head’ of Sati fell to this place.

Festivals

Surkhananda Devi Fair is celebrated on the evening of Ganga Dussehra at the temple. The Ganga festival is celebrated during the month of May and June each year. The festivals of Dussehra, Deepavali, and Chaitra Navratri are celebrated wonderfully at Surkands Devi temple.

How to Reach

• By Air: The nearest Airport is Jolly Grant and it is around 82 km which is located at Dehradun.
• By Train: Dehradun is the nearest railway station and it is around 66 km. Regular buses are also available from Dehradun to Dhanaulti.
• By Road: The temple can be reached from Dehradun which requires trekking just about 1 km distance from Kaddukhal on Dhanaulti Chamba Road.

Temple Timings

Temple Video