Augharnath Temple

Getting there

• By train

  Meerut has four railway stations: Meerut City, Meerut Cantt., Partapur and Pabli Khas.

Why devotees come here

Augharnath Temple is a Shiva temple in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, also called Kali Paltan Mandir. It stands close to the army barracks, and its old well is linked with the first shots of the 1857 rebellion. Locals also call it a pilgrimage site and a tourist attraction.

Locals call the temple Kali Paltan Mandir, because it stands close to the soldiers' quarters and the army barracks. That is the commonly used name. The well inside is where Indian sepoys who fired the first shots of the 1857 rebellion met. Today the well has been turned into a memorial that explains the temple's significance, so visitors can read about that history on the spot.

The temple began as a Shivalinga found under the ground in 1844. Earlier it was only a lingam inside four walls, with a well behind one wall. The lingam in the sanctum is still original. The modern, larger temple complex had its foundation stone laid in 1968. The temple was also elaborately restructured in the 1960s. A news report noted that some construction work was still under way at the site.

It has a towering white shikhara and is an unlikely Shiva temple in this part of town. It is a pilgrimage site and also a tourist attraction. A Krishna temple has since been built on its premises, so the complex has more than one shrine.

Tips for your visit

• When you ask for directions, use Kali Paltan Mandir, the commonly used name for this temple.
• Look for the towering white shikhara, which marks the temple out in this part of town.
• A Krishna temple has been built on the same premises, so the complex has two shrines to see.

Questions people ask