Date: 21-06-2022

Temples of Kangra Region in India

Baijnath Temple :

This temple is dedicated to Vaidyanath(Shiva). The Baijnath in earlier times was known as "Kirgram" the famous capital of Kiratas. This fact is borne out by the Sanskrit inscriptions in sharada script on the stone slabs found in the temple. This temple was built by two wealthy brothers of Kiragram. The temple has a shiv Linga enshrined in the grabhagrihas measuring 8 squares inside and surmounted by a spire in the shikhara style. It was built in 1204 AD and was renovated by raja Sansar Chand in the 19th Century..36 Kms east of Kangra the famous Vaidyanath Shiva Temple at Baijnathas a pyramid-shaped roof 2 1/2 mts square from inside and 5 1/2 mts square from outside. And is also surmounted by a conical sphere. There are four artistic big pillars supporting the roof of the Mandap.The strong and sturdy build of the temple shows the rare expertise of the Kangra artesian.

Chinmaya Tapovan:

Swami Chinmayananda a great exponent of the Gita founded the Chinmaya Tapovan Trust. This quiet, calm and peaceful ashram complex is about 9 kms from Dharamshala. This complex also includes a temple dedicated to Lord Rama, a 7 mts high statue of Hanuman ji, a meditation hall, a school, and a health and recreational centre. Just a few hundred yards from this ashram complex is a thick cover of pine trees. This mini forest can be a very good picnic spot with absolutely no noise around.

Bhagsu Nag Temple:

During the rule of Raja Bhagsu, there was once a severe drought in his capital. The local chiefs requested the king to do something or else the people would leave his kingdom. The king promised to do something this and set out himself in search of water. After about 3 days of searching, he reached the Sacred Nag Dal (Lake) at a height of 18000ft. This lake was very big and had a lot of water. Raja Bhagsu used trickery to fill the water of the lake into a small vessel. He decided to spend the night there, as it had grown dark. Later in the Evening Nag, the Lord of Snakes happened to pass by the lake and was shocked to find the lake empty. Following the footmarks, he reached the place where Raja Bhagsu was resting. He challenged Bhagsu to a duel and defeated him in the ensuing fight. The moment the vessel containing the sacred water fell on the groundwater started flowing from there. Baldy injured Raja Bhagsu and prayed to Nag and moved by his prayers Nag granted him a boon that this place shall henceforth be referred to firstly by the kings name and then by the Lord's name and he shall become popular. Henceforth this place came to be known as "BhagsuNag". At the Beginning of the Kalyug Raja Dharamchand dreamt that lord Shiva asked him to build a temple here to bring prosperity to the area. Today it is about 5100 years since this temple was built.

Aghanjar Mahadev Temple:

From the distance of 8.5 km from Dharamshala and just a few meters from the Khaniyara village, famous for its scenic beauties. Once when Arjun, of Mahabharat, was on his way to the Kailash Mountains. Lord Shiva appeared in front of Arjun and blessed him with the Boon of Victory over the Kauravas. At this place, Baba Ganga Bharati has fired "Akhand Dhuni" (Sacred Fire).

Indru Nag Temple:

This Temple is located on way to Khaniyara Village about 3 kms from Kotwali Bazaar. 2 km road route upto the village Chola and 1 km trek route to the Indrunag temple. This temple is dedicated to Nag, the Lord of Snakes, and the Lord of Rains. In the Month of July, many devotees of the local areas visit the Temple.

Baba Baroh Temple :

Located 52 kms from Dharamshala is the temple at Baroh named as "Baba Baroh Temple". This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and his consort Radha. This is a wonderful temple newly constructed by a religious local devotee Mr. B.R. Sharma. In this temple, the idol of Goddess Durga is of metal. The entire temple is made of white marble. There is no other huge marble Temple in Himachal Pradesh. There is also an ancient temple of Kali Nath Bhole Shankar near to the temple.

Masroor Temple :

This is popular for its monolithic temples. There are 15 monolithic rocks cut temples in the indo-aryan style, richly carved. The temples, partly ruined now are well decorated with rich sculptural ornamentation conceived in the same manner as the great temple of Kailash in ellora, Maharashtra. The main Shrine contains three stone images of Lord Ram, his brother Lakshman and his wife Sita. This place is about 40 kms from Dharamshala.

Sahaj Temple :

Ever since from the beginning man has always had the true desire to get united with all the pervading powers of the divine. Blessed with all the powers of the divine man has always tried different ways to get attached with god almighty but with the passage of time, the word yoga lost its literal meaning and was changed by various individuals as per their convenience. Yoga as the word means in Hindi is the union or sum of two things. The union of the spirit with the all-pervading power of the divine by the awakening of the inner power "Kundalini", which is settled in the sacrum bone of every human being. The awakening of the power of "Kundalini" provides us with the subtle energy within ourselves and man overcomes all the troubles and miseries of life and enjoys the real joy of spirit and always remains under the protection and care of God almighty. The Sahaj Temple is located at Naddi and is a one-of-a-kind temple in the whole world. This Temple is dedicated to Her Holiness Shri Mataji & Shri Nirmala Devi.

Durveshwar Mahadev :

There is a belief that Lord Shiva did penance at Manimahesh at a height of 18,000 ft and the holy water from his hair fell into the Dal Lake and for this reason the Dhruveshwar temple and Dal Lake find mentioned in the Shiv Maha Puran and also the Jullandhar Peeth Dipika as the Mini Manimahesh. It is believed that those who cannot travel to Manimahesh for a pilgrimage can also take a holy dip in the Dal Lake. Every year 15 days after Krishna Janmashtmi, during Radhashtmi a fair is held at the dal lake. 

Click Link for - Kailash Manimahesh Yatra ( Click)