Kasar Devi Temple, Almora, Uttarakhand

Kasar Devi Temple, Almora, Uttarakhand

Kasar Devi Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Sakthi, located in the Kasar Devi Village near Almora Town in Almora district, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. This Temple is situated on top of a hillock at an altitude of 2,116 metres above sea level, overlooking the toy town of Almora. This Temple is situated on a hilltop, on the edge of a ridge off the Almora – Bageshwar highway on the Kaashay hills of Kumaon Himalayas.

History

The temple itself, dates back to the 2^nd century CE. The temple finds mention in the second chapter of the Skanda Purana. Kasar Devi first became known when in the 1890s, Swami Vivekananda visited and meditated here. He has mentioned his experience in his diaries. Walter Evans-Wentz, a pioneer in the study of Tibetan Buddhism, who later translated “The Tibetan Book of the Dead”, stayed here for some time. Then in the 1930s, Danish mystic Sunyata Baba (Alfred Sorensen) came here and lived here the over three decades, as did Ernst Hoffman, who became Tibetan Buddhist Lama Anagarika Govinda and Li Goutami. This led to a series of spiritual seekers from the west, visiting them.

In 1961, Govinda was visited by Beat poets, Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky and Gary Snyder. In later history, at the peak of the Hippie movement, the area also became a part of the Hippie trail. Crank's Ridge, colloquially known as Hippie Hill, which lies ahead of Kasar Devi became a popular destination. It became home to several bohemian artists, writers and western Tibetan Buddhists, and even visited by mystic-saint Anandamayi Ma.

The ridge got its name amongst hippy circles, after American psychologist Timothy Leary streaked here in the 1960s. Leary wrote majority of his psychedelic prayers here. Thus, through the 1960 and 1970s, the area was visited by personalities of the counter-culture, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Cat Stevens, Western Buddhist Robert Thurman, and writer D. H. Lawrence, who spent two summers here.

The Temple

Kasar Devi Temple is situated on top of a hillock at an altitude of 2,116 metres above sea level, overlooking the toy town of Almora. The place derives its name from Kasar Devi, the main deity of the temple. The Temple at the top of the hill can be accessed by climbing a long flight of stairs from the main road. It is originally a cave temple. The temple premises provide a fabulous view of the setting sun.

The serene location of the Devi’s shrine makes it a great place for meditation. It also provides views not just of Almora and the Hawabagh Valley, but also of the panoramic view of the Himalayas from Bandarpunch peak on the Himachal Pradesh border to Api Himal in Nepal. The area is home to deodar and pine forests.

Festivals

A large fair, known as Kasar Devi Fair, is held at the Kasar Devi temple on the occasion of Kartik Poornima in the Hindu calendar, corresponding to November and December.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 9 Kms from Almora, 9 Kms from Almora Bus Stand, 36 Kms from Jageshwar, 66 Kms from Bageshwar, 72 Kms from Nainital, 89 Kms from Kathgodam Railway Station, 123 Kms from Pantnagar Airport and 373 Kms from New Delhi Airport. This Temple is situated on a hilltop, on the edge of a ridge off the Almora – Bageshwar highway on the Kaashay hills of Kumaon Himalayas. As it is situated above the ridge of Almora town, it is accessible through 8 Kms hike from Almora or 9 Kms by road. 

Location