Shakumbhari Devi Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Dehradun Airport is generally the air link, about 80 km away. From there you continue by road or train.

• By train

  Saharanpur is the nearest railway station, around 40 km from the temple.

• By road

  The temple is well connected by road from Saharanpur and Chhutmalpur, and via Behat. It can also be reached by road from Dehradun, Haridwar, Chandigarh and Delhi.

Why devotees come here

You will find Shakumbhari Devi Temple on the Shivalik hill range, near Jasmour village in Behat tehsil, Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. It is a Shakti Peeth dedicated to Shakumbhari, a form of Parvati linked with nourishment, vegetation and fertility. Pilgrims come in large numbers every year.

Legend says that the demon Durgamasura stole the Vedas and defeated the gods, and a famine lasting one hundred years followed. The Devi Bhagavata Purana and the Durga Saptashati tell this story. In answer to the prayers of the gods, Adi Shakti appeared as Shakumbhari. Tradition holds that tears from her hundred eyes brought rain, and vegetables and other food grew to nourish the world.

The sanctum holds the principal image of Shakumbhari Devi. Images of Bhima Devi and Bhramari Devi stand to her right, and Shatakshi Devi to her left. An image of Bala Ganesha is placed among them.

Navratri and Diwali are among the principal festivals observed at the temple. It is an important pilgrimage centre in northern India and receives large numbers of devotees every year.

Festivals

• Ask the temple for datesNavratri and Diwali

  Two of the principal festivals observed at the temple.

Tips for your visit

• Devotees traditionally visit Bhura Dev Temple, dedicated to Bhairava, first, as it lies about one kilometre east of the main temple.
• Heavy rain in the Shivalik hills has caused sudden flooding of the seasonal river near the temple.

Questions people ask