Alakhnath Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Bareilly Airport is a civil enclave at the Trishul Air Base in Izzatnagar, about 6 km north of the city centre. The government tourism page calls it a domestic airport.

• By train

  Bareilly has two main railway stations, Bareilly Junction and Bareilly City, both in the city.

• By road

  Bareilly lies on National Highway 30, which runs from Sitarganj in Uttarakhand to Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh.

Why devotees come here

Alakhnath Temple is a Shiva temple on Nainital Road, near Qila in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the seven ancient Shiva temples that give the city its name, Nath Nagri. It is also the headquarters of the Anand Akhara, an order of Naga sannyasins.

Bareilly is known as Nath Nagri, the city of Nath temples. Four Nath Shiva temples stand at the city's four corners: Alakha Nath, Trivati Nath, Madhi Nath and Dhopeshwar Nath. Alakhnath is one of the seven ancient Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva in the city. Tulsi Math stands near the temple. Another Shiva temple, in Lala Champak Rai Ki Bagia, lies close by in front of the Ganga Temple. Bareilly is a city in northern Uttar Pradesh, near Ramganga. It lies in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, about 252 km northwest of Lucknow, the state capital.

Local legend says the temple takes its name from the saint Alakhiya, who sat in penance below a banyan tree in the Qila area. The temple is recorded as having a history of over 930 years.

In the late 17th century, under Mughal rule, several temples in the region were demolished, and many saints took refuge in this temple complex. Today the temple is the headquarters of the Anand Akhara order of Naga sannyasins.

Tips for your visit

• The temple is also written as Alakha Nath, so search both spellings when you ask for directions.
• Tulsi Math stands near the temple and can serve as a landmark.

Questions people ask