A Must Visit Place- Haat Kalika Temple, Gangolihaat, Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is known as land of God because of so many beautiful temples and pilgrimages are situated in this beautiful hill state of #Uttarkhand. Kumaon region in Uttarakhand is the home of number of temples like Adi Kailash (Chhota Kailash), #PoornaGiriTemple, #Jageshwartemple, #Baijnathtemple, #NainaDevitemple, #NandaDevi temple, #Chitai, Ghorakhal temple, Haat Kalika temple, Gangolihaat, caves of Paatal Bhuwneshwar, #Kainchitemple, #ReethaSahib etc. These temples and religious places have stood timeless for ages and showcase the culture, history and traditions of Uttarakhand. In our next few articles, we shall try to inform you about the must visit places of religious significance in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.

Among these ancient temples which are rich in history, there lies a very famous, old and a beautiful temple of Goddess Kali known as #HaatKalikaMandir situated in #Gangolihaat. Gangolihaat is a small hill town in #Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India at an approximate distance of 190 kms from Haldwani. The region is surrounded by the two rivers Saryu and Ramganga. Located in the laps of majestic Himalayas, Gangolihaat is a historical town and a town of religious significance. There are number of temples in and around Gangolihaat. Haat Kalika temple of #GoddessKali is one among them and known as one of the seat of divine power- #Shaktipeeth of Goddess Durga. This place was chosen by Adi Guru Shankaracharya for the installation of one of the shakti peeths of Goddess.  The temple is situated in the midst of a dense deodar forest.  There are many stories behind why Goddess Kali came to this place. The detailed description of Goddess Kali residing in Darukvan (Deodar forest) of Manaskhand is available in #Skandapuran which was written around 5000 years ago by dev rishi Veda Vyasa. Adi Shankracharya had also installed Chamunda, Vaishnavi, Ambika, Chhinamasta, Sheetla, Tripurasundari, Kokila, Bhuwneshwari shakti peeths in and around this place.

This Temple is very famous all over the India, especially among Indian Armed Forces. Posthumous Param Veer Chakra award winner #Capt.VikramBatra was a great devotee of Goddess. The goddess Mahakali is the designated goddess of brave Kumaon Regiment which proved its unmatched bravery and patriotism during all major wars fought by India. Kumaon regiment has created an Army Rest House near the Temple for Army Personnel, who visits Gangloihat to get the blessings of Goddess.

Special prayers have been offered during Naratri here in the temple and people come from all around the world to attend and offer prayers. The place is also famous for leopards and tigers. It is believed that these wild cats come here in the temple frequently to offer their prayers to Goddess Kalika. Famous caves of Pataal Bhuwneshwar, Shaileshwar cave, Muketeshwar cave and Bholeshwar cave are not far away from the temple. One can clearly view #TheHimalayas from Vaishnavi Temple here. The peaks of Nanda Devi, Panchachuli etc. are clearly visible from this place.

There are historical monuments made during 8-11th century near the famous temple and is a site preserved by Archaeological Survey of India (#ASI). It depicts the the artistic creation at that time.

Gangolihaat not only attracts religious people but also attracts nature lovers as the place offers some of the magnificent views of #valleys, #mountains and #forests. Being located in a valley, Gangolihaat is relatively warm during summers and cool during winters. With the impeccable sceneries and breathtaking landscapes, a trip to this town will stay in your memory forever. Also, nearby are the small hill stations town of Chaukori and berinag which are worth seeing.