Someshwar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Pantnagar Airport (PGH) is the nearest major airport.

• By train

  Kathgodam Railway Station (KGM) is the nearest railway station.

• By road

  Someshwar sits at the junction of the Almora-Kausani-Karnaprayag highway and the Bageshwar-Dwarahat road. Buses, jeeps and cars run from there to Kausani, Garur and Almora.

Why devotees come here

Someshwar Temple is an ancient rock-cut shrine of Shiva near Kausani. It stands where the Kosi and Sai rivers meet, and its simple building has a rustic charm. Local legend links the name to Raja Som Chand, who founded the town.

Someshwar Temple is an ancient rock-cut shrine dedicated to Shiva, in the Someshwar valley near Kausani. Local legend says the name joins Raja Som Chand, who founded the town, with Maheshwar, another name for Shiva.

Accounts give two dates for the temple. One says the founder of the Chand dynasty built it in the 11th century. Another says it is believed to date from the 16th century, so the date is not settled.

The building is very simple, but it has a rustic charm. It stands on the outskirts of Kausani town, at the place where the holy waters of the Kosi and Sai rivers converge. Someshwar is a small town south of Kausani. Shivratri is the big day here. Large crowds of devotees come, and the hallowed grounds come alive with a burst of energy and devotion.

Festivals

• On ShivratriShivratri

  Large crowds of devotees come to the temple. The grounds come alive with energy and devotion.

Tips for your visit

• The temple grounds have a wishing well that visitors can see.
• Anashakti Ashram is a short drive from the temple, where Mahatma Gandhi came up with the philosophy of Anashakti Yoga.

Questions people ask