Bhimakali Temple Kinnaur

The famous Bhimakali Temple in Sarhan is a very popular tourist attraction. Also known as Bhimakali Temple of Himachal Pradesh, this architectural wonder is one of the representatives of 51 Shakti Peeths. The unique thing about this temple is that the style of architecture used to build it is a unique amalgamation of both Hinduism and Buddhism. It is built of wood and is no less than an architectural masterpiece. Located near the temple are the palaces of the royal families of Himachal Pradesh.

The Bhimakali temple with its six Silver coated doors is a mixture of both the Hindu and Buddhist style of architecture. It attracts pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. The temple of Bhimakali is situated at Sarahan. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhimakali, there are numerous other deities installed in the complex. The origins of the temple is mentioned in the the legends of “Markadya Purana and Durga Shaptshati. Legends say Goddess Durga had promised the Devas that she would save them from the atrocities of the Asuras by re-incarnation. True to her word, she decimated the asuras and became famous by the name of Bhima Devi. The five storey Bhimakali temple is situated on a hillock amongst beautiful scenery of gigantic deodar trees.

The temple has an interesting story behind it. It is said that long ago, there were many demons in the Himalayas who were proving to be a major distraction when the priests and saints used to meditate. They all prayed to the Gods above to send a powerful force to wipe the demons off. Hearing their pleas, the Gods decided to concentrate their powers on one point. A huge explosion took place and one could see a small girl child on that spot. This girl child grew up to be the force who destroyed all demons and was supposed to take repeated births to destroy any evil force on the face of the earth. The temple is dedicated to this great female power who was called Bhimakali.

The temple also has interesting tit-bits that are truly intriguing. In the year 1905, a powerful earthquake struck this place and the temple tilted to one side. However, it reclined back to its original shape after another tremor jolted the place! People say that there is a secret tunnel inside the temple that was used to reach a nearby village by the priests. In the year 1927, another temple was built right next to the existing temple, which houses a 200-year-old idol of Goddess Bhimakali.

How To Reach at sarhan.

Rail- Nearest Railway station Shimla (184-kms)

Air- Nearest Airport Shimla (184-kms)

Road- Sarhan is connected with major road from shimla.