Maharani Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport is Sheikh Ul Alam International Airport in Srinagar, about 54 km away.

• By train

  The nearest railhead is Baramulla, about 53 km away.

• By road

  Gulmarg is reached from Srinagar by road via Tangmarg, about 60 km and roughly an hour and a half by car.

Why devotees come here

Maharani Temple stands in Gulmarg, a hill station in Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir. It is a Shiva temple built in 1915 by Maharaja Hari Singh for his wife, Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia. A fire damaged it in March 2024, and it has since been rebuilt.

Maharani Temple is also called the Shiv Temple, the Rani Temple and Mohineshwar Shivalaya. It is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Parvati. Gulmarg lies in a cup-shaped valley in the Pir Panjal Range, at about 2,650 m. The temple was popular with tourists because it appeared in several Bollywood films, including the hit song Jai Jai Shiv Shankar from Aap Ki Kasam.

Maharaja Hari Singh built the temple in 1915 for his wife, Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia. It is said to be the royal temple of the Dogra dynasty, which ruled the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Tribune called it an iconic temple, built mostly of wood.

A fire caused extensive damage in March 2024. Trustee Vikramaditya Singh and Yuvrani Chitrangada Raje Singh performed the Pran-Pratishtha, the ceremony that breathes life into the idols, on 11 August, with full traditional rituals and sacred ceremonies. The newly created idols of Shiva and Parvati were installed for the reconstructed temple. The J&K Dharmarth Trust held a soft inauguration on 26 December, and the temple reopened for devotees.

Tips for your visit

• The road to Gulmarg includes a 12 km uphill stretch through forests of pine and fir.
• Gulmarg sits at about 2,650 m in the Pir Panjal Range.

Questions people ask