It was my first trip to Devidhura. So, I was not sure what to expect from this place. However, We (Freinds and family) started our journey from Almora early morning and as we were approaching near to the destination I was getting mesmerized by the natural beauty of the place. Devidhura is a beautiful town surrounded by thick green forest belt. It is situated at the trijunction of three beautiful hill stations Almora, Nainital, and Champawat of Uttarakhand. It is surrounded by thickly dense vegetation mainly including Oak trees, Deodar trees, and fruit trees. This is a beautiful place for ample of trekking activities and to enjoy the solace of nature.
We took a halt at Saharpatak for breakfast. After that, we continued our journey. By noon we reached Devidhura temple. There is an unusual story behind the existence of this temple. It is believed that in ancient time a Bali i.e; a man was presented as a gift for appeasement to Barahi goddess from a group of people called Kham. One year, turn of an old lady son's came. She has only one son and reluctantly got ready for the sacrifice. After knowing this the goddess granted to leave her son on one condition which was to gift her equal amount of blood present in a human body. From that day people started celebrating that single day at this place as Bagwal festival which is usually celebrated on the day of Rakshabandhan festival.On this festival, a fight is organized between four different groups of Khams with stone, sticks, and cover. Devidhura is not only famous for its natural beauty but for Begwal festival also. Every year thousands of people come here to witness the Bagwal fight.
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| Devidhura Temple |
As we entered the temple we got to know that the real Barahi goddess statue is kept inside a box and it is believed that if anyone would see the real goddess statue will go blind. The priest himself decorate the real goddess statue blindfolded.
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| Box inside which the real statue of goddess is kept |
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People here have a deep faith in goddess Barahi and this temple. There is one small cave in the temple premises about which people say that the person who got stuck in a narrow way through the cave must have done some sin in his/her life. I don't know how true is that however, I got through (haha).
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| Narrow way through the Cave |
Even if you are not religious enough you can just enjoy the nature.
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| Another side of the cave |
There is a point in the temple from where you can have the beautiful view of the valley. Trust me guys the view was amazing and the cold, fresh air and drops of rain on my face just brighten the moment manifolds.
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| View of the valley from Temple |
As it was started raining heavily we start running to find a shelter and we waited under a shed to let rain to slow down a little. Rain just makes everything appear even more beautiful.
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| Random pic was taken while Waiting for the rain to stop |
Once the rain stopped we went outside for a small walk and explored a bit of the town. There is nothing much in the town.
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| Exploring the Town |
On our way back to Almora we decided to visit Dol ashram. Dol Ashram is located at Dol villages which is about 38 km from Devidhura. Its a beautiful and peaceful ashram in the middle of greenery. Dol ashram has one Sanskrit school where students learn Sanskrit. Students learn yoga and do meditation in the ashram. Its a huge campus. From the pictures given below, you will believe me for sure.
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Construction is still going on in the Dol Ashram premises.
After wandering around and enjoying the peaceful and fresh environment we hop back into the bus to Almora.
How to Reach Devidhura:
- Devidhura is 45 Km from Lohaghat.
- Kathgodam is the nearest Railway station.
- From Kathgodam you can take taxi or bus to Devidhura.
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