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Gopinath Temple
Photo: Vishwanath Negi, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous temples · Uttarakhand

Gopinath Temple

A Shiva temple in Gopeshwar, Chamoli, with a trident of eight metals

Checked 19 Oct 2026 with 4 sources2 min read

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Getting there

  • By road

    Gopeshwar is 8.4 km from Chamoli town, along NH 58.

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Why devotees come here

Gopinath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Gopeshwar, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. Its best-known object is a 5 m high trident of eight metals in the courtyard, which legend links to Shiva and Kama.

Gopinath Temple is dedicated to Shiva and stands in Gopeshwar, a township in the Garhwal hills at 1,450 m above sea level. Gopeshwar is the administrative headquarters of Chamoli district, and it is also a municipal board within the district. The temple is topped by a dome, and its sanctum, about 30 sq ft (2.8 m2), is reached through 24 doors.

The courtyard holds a 5 m high trident made of eight different metals, which dates to the 12th century. Its inscriptions are attributed to Ashokchalla, a king of Nepal who reigned in the 13th century. The Chamoli district history page also mentions the trishul in Gopeshwar. Broken idols found around the temple suggest that several more temples once stood here.

Legend says Shiva threw the trident at Kama to kill him, and it got fixed in this spot. It is believed that brute force cannot move the trident, but the slightest touch of a true devotee makes it tremble.

Festivals

  • ShivratriShivratri fair

    Big fairs are held on Shivratri at most Shiva temples in Chamoli district, Gopeshwar included.

Tips for your visit

  • Shri Rudranath, the Fourth Kedar, is 4.5 km from Gopeshwar.
  • Kalpeshwar, the Fifth Kedar at Urgam, is 60 km from Gopeshwar, so allow more time if you plan to visit both.

Darshan at home

Not in the app yet

Gopinath Temple is not in the Divya Darshan 360 app yet. These Famous temples temples are, with darshan videos you can watch at home:

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The app is free, Android only. For darshan as if you are standing there, see the VR box (₹899, or ₹949 cash on delivery).

Questions people ask

What is the trident at Gopinath Temple?

It is a 5 m high trident made of eight different metals. It stands in the courtyard, and its inscriptions are attributed to Ashokchalla, a 13th-century king of Nepal. The Chamoli district history page also mentions the trishul in Gopeshwar.

What is the legend of the Gopinath trident?

Legend says Shiva threw the trident at Kama, and it got fixed in this spot. It is believed that brute force cannot move it, but a true devotee's touch makes it tremble.

How big is the sanctum at Gopinath Temple?

The sanctum is about 30 sq ft (2.8 m2), a small inner chamber. It is reached through 24 doors, and the temple is topped by a dome.

Where is Gopeshwar?

Gopeshwar is a township in the Garhwal hills of Uttarakhand, at 1,450 m above sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of Chamoli district and lies along NH 58.

Were there other temples at this site?

Broken idols found around the temple suggest that several more temples stood here in ancient times.

How we checked this page

On 19 Oct 2026 we checked every fact on this page against these sources, official ones first. Anything we could not confirm is left out.

  1. History, Chamoli District Website, India chamoli.gov.in
  2. Gopinath Temple, Gopeshwar, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  3. Chamoli Gopeshwar, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  4. Chamoli district, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org

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