Shrouded in mystery, the Shikari Devi Temple, a must-see for all seeking spiritual guidance and a delight for adventurous trekkers seeking thrills in treacherous terrain, sits at an elevation of 2850m above sea level in Himachal Pradesh, a state that lies in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas. . In ancient times, hunters (shikari) used to pray to the goddess to provide them with game. This is how the shrine got the name “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 over 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 birds or planes are allowed to fly over the temple so that their 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 reported fatal accident in 1996 of the Himachal mayor’s aircraft in which he perished along with his wife, son and his pilot. The plane was said to be flying low over the shrine due to shadowing it and thus the accident occurred.

This temple is located on top of a hill that required crossing strong 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 reach near the peak. However, it is still extremely difficult to walk to the temple from Karsog Valley, Jhanjheli, Chindi. Still, it’s a nature lover’s paradise with its lush greenery, pine, cedar forests, and apple orchards, along with the pristine whites of the heavy snowfalls that occur here from October through April.

Mythology says 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 him divine powers. Later, the Pandavas built the temple structure for the goddess during her exile and received a boon from her so that they could defeat the Kauravas in the epic battle of Mahabharata. She assured them of victory, a battle that she said would be fought for centuries against various forms of evil.

Every year during the Navratra festival, a fair is held here which attracts devotees from all over the world who seek the blessings of the deity.

The place is accessible by road as arranged by the Himachal government, covering a distance of 16 km. Devotees have to climb 500 steps to reach the temple premises, if reached by road. The nearest railway station is Joginder Nagar railway station.

How to reach:

Mandi-Dadaur-Chailchowk-Thunag-Janjehli-Shikari-94 Kms.

Walking routes:

Shikari Devi-Bakhrot-Chindi: 18 Kms

Shikari Devi-Raigarh-Shankar Dehra: 15 Kms

Shikari-Kamrunag 16 Kms