Dedicated to Goddess Kali, the renowned Dhari Devi Temple is located near Srinagar in Uttarakhand. Situated on the banks of Alaknanda river, the temple holds a significant cultural and religious importance, which draws a number of devotees throughout the year. The deity is considered to be the guardian of Uttarakhand and protector of Char Dham (Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath), which is why people often visit to seek blessing before embarking on their Char dham journey.
As described in the Bhagavad Gita, the temple is one of the 108 shakti sthal. Only the upper half of the goddess Dhari is worshiped here, while the lower half is worshiped at Kalimath (Rudraprayag) in the form of Goddess Kali. It is said that the idol of the deity dates back to the Dwapar period. People can observe the deity appearance changes three times a day- a child in morning, a young lady in the noon and an old woman in the evening. Along with this, the deity idols cannot be kept under a roof, which is why the area above the idol is left open to the sky.
Previously, the temple was situated on the banks of the Alaknanda, but due to a hydroelectric project, the original temple was shifted about 611 meters uphill from the river. The lush green mountains offer an enchanting view of its surroundings, which adds to the beauty of the temple. The temple is around one km from the main road, which can be covered by foot. It is believed that the goddess fulfills everyone's wishes, and those whose wishes are fulfilled offer a bell to the temple, which is why temple premises are filled with numerous bells.
Temple remains open throughout the year and thronged with a number of devotees especially during Navratri. Visitors can access the temple by road, which is around 116 km from Rishikesh. Several shops on the highway sell prasad and other offerings for the deity. The weather remains cold round the year, except during summer. As per the mythological, once the temple was washed away in a severe flood and the idol of the deity trapped against a rock near dharo village. People hear the wail of the deity and discover the idol and they install it in the location as per the goddess' direction.
Villagers attempted to build a roof over the idol but never succeeded, which is why the area above the deity always remains open to the sky. Local and devotees firmly believe that Uttarakhand faces the wrath of the goddess during the 2013 Kedarnath flash floods because the idol of the deity has been shifted from its original place.
Devotees who visit the temple can also find some major attractions to the place like Khirsu Village, Kandoliya temple and Kyunkaleshwar dedicated to lord shiva. Rudraprayag is just 20 km from Dhari Devi Temple, which is situated on the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini river. The ideal time to visit the temple is considered from September to April.
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