Sudh Mahadev Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Jammu is the nearest airport. The temple is 116 km from Jammu.

• By train

  Udhampur railway station has more than a dozen long-distance trains, either starting there or linking the town with the rest of India. The temple is about 52 km from the station, according to the district government site.

• By road

  The temple is 48 km from Udhampur town. Visitors reach it by bus or private taxi, and buses, both private and state owned, are the most common public transport to and from the town.

Why devotees come here

Sudh Mahadev is a Shiva shrine in Chenani Tehsil of Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir, at a height of about 1225 metres. It is one of the oldest Shiva temples in the state. Local legend links its name to a demon called Sudheet.

The shrine is also called Shool Panishwar Mahadev Temple. Local tradition says Shiva is present as lingas at no fewer than eight places along the sacred Devika river. Udhampur town, the district headquarters, is known as Devika Nagari, meaning the city of Devi, because of its many shrines and temples.

The legend begins with Parvati in deep prayer when the demon Sudheet came to pay his respects. Shiva's trident killed him, and Shiva then realized his mistake and offered to bring Sudheet back to life. Sudheet asked that his name be spoken before Shiva's at the spot where he died. That is how the place came to be called Sudhmahadev, and Parvati used to worship a shivling there.

The age given for the temple is about 2800 years. The temple houses a black marble statue of local Shiva and Parvati.

Festivals

• Shiv RatriShiv Ratri

  Local belief says the Devika river appeared on this night.

• 21 June 2024Sudh Mahadev Mela

  The tourism directorate and the district administration held a mela at the temple on this date. The Ministry of Tourism listing gave its hours as 10 AM to 6 PM.

Tips for your visit

• Gauri Kund, where Parvati bathed regularly, is in the Sudh Mahadev area.
• Water from the Devika can be drawn by digging a foot into its sand bed.
• Private hotels and a dharamshala are the stay options near the temple, according to the district site.
• Udhampur lies on NH-44, the only national highway that connects Srinagar to the rest of India.

Questions people ask