Trayambakeshwar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun and Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi are both listed as nearest airports.

• By train

  Rishikesh Railway Station (RKSH) is the nearest station, and the Yog Nagari Rishikesh station also serves the city.

• By road

  Dehradun, the state capital, is 45 km from Rishikesh. Private and shared taxis run from Rishikesh to cities such as Delhi, Chandigarh and Shimla.

Why devotees come here

Trayambakeshwar Temple stands on the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, and is dedicated to Shiva. It is known as the Tera Manzil Temple because it has 13 floors, and the Shivalinga sits at the top.

The temple is built of stone and carved all over with gods and goddesses. Its name, Trayambakeshwar, means the house of the three-eyed one, which is Shiva. It is called the Tera Manzil Temple, or thirteen-storey temple, because it has exactly 13 floors.

Legend says Adi Shankaracharya established the temple in the 12th century AD. It is believed that no one installed the Shivalinga. It found its own place on the banks of the Ganga. The thirteen-storey temple is said to be about 1000 years old.

The temple is built in the Nagara and Dravidian styles. It has pillars and walls covered in inscriptions and carved stories, along with mandapas and a gopuram. Carved designs of gods and goddesses run all around the building.

Tips for your visit

• Each storey has its own deities, so there is something to worship on every floor.
• You can also move directly up to the Shivalinga at the top, without visiting each floor on the way.

Questions people ask