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.

Property In a Gated Community Vs. Stand Alone Property

One of the questions which I keep getting asked by various property buyers is whether I would recommend a stand alone property or a property in a gated community. The phrase “gated community” conjures up an image of security guards in a walled off compound. Gated communities are very popular these days and most of the builders are highlighting it as an important feature in their promotional campaigns. Let me elaborate about both the properties in detail:

Gated Community:

In gated communities, the common roads within the development, parks & gardens, security, rubbish disposal, swimming pool, club house/ gym etc. are all managed either by the builder or by a property management company. The advantage of sharing all these facilities reduces the cost of bearing these facilities. The more property owners share the services, the cheaper it becomes for an individual property owner. Also, property owners have the comfort and assurance that all these services are taken care of especially when they are thousands miles away from their property. And that if anything goes wrong then somebody will attend to the matter while they are away. In short, gated communities are more secure and safe and hence more ideal for non resident owners. Particularly the senior citizens do not need to venture out for shopping, meditation or recreation. The open areas provide great quality of life. 

Now days developers & builders focus on continuing to remain involved in the upkeep and management of such gated communities bringing professionalism in maintenance & governance.  If you are buying a property within a gated community whether directly from the builder or from the existing owner, it is easier to know the legal status of the property as most of the sellers have their documents required for buying 7 selling up to date and thus saves a lot of time for the buyer. Also, getting facilities like water & power supply will be easier and tension free in case of gated communities. Builders & Developers may provide you an option of making payments in instalments for a longer time period as compare to a seller selling a stand alone property.

Stand Alone Property:

In stand alone properties, you are able to build your dream home customized to your requirements. In stand alone properties, owners have the freedom to choose the service provider and if they are not pleased with the services of the provider then they can terminate their services and choose another one. In stand alone properties, one is able to control his expenses and costs and not bound to pay society charges or collective charges. If someone is buying a stand alone land for house or cottage then he has full freedom to make changes to the property and add rooms or amenities over time.

While you are in control of your own property, you have limited control on your surrounds and so you may find yourself surrounded by barren land or an ugly structure. In gated community, you benefit from a master planned community with a certain quality of features. But you are really on your own and expenses such as maintenance & security are solely your burden while in gated communities, they are shared. Sometimes people love to be alone while buying a holiday home property and do not want any hustle & bustle of neighbours, stand alone properties are best suited for such people.

Our Recommendations:

All in all both kinds of properties offer enough pluses and challenges and one may try and match one’s needs with what’s being offered.  We suggest you to buy a property in a small gated community which on one hand may save you from the hustle & bustle while on the other keep your loved ones and your property safer & more secure as compare to stand alone property. It also saves lots of money and your precious time to upkeep and maintains the property. Also, from the resale point of view a well maintained property with good gentry will always fetch you good returns in the future.

Keeping it all in our mind, we are coming up with residential communities which are not larger in size but studded with all the basic facilities in beautiful locations in hill stations and also provide maintenance & security services for the property as well. It makes the investment of our buyers safe and sound.