At a distance of 37 km from Lansdowne and 69 km from Kotdwar, Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple is an ancient temple situated in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. Located atop a hill at an elevation of 2092 m, Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple is believed to be one of the ancient holy sites known as Siddha Piths dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the famous temples of Uttarakhand state.
Tarkasur was a demon who, so the tradition goes, came here to meditate and worship Lord Shiva in order to obtain a boon. Satisfied by Tarkasur’s devotion, Lord Shiva granted him the benefit of immortality, with the exception of Lord Shiva’s son. Tarkasur began his evil deeds by executing saints and posing as a god. Sages appealed to Lord Shiva for assistance. Lord Shiva wed Parvati after being troubled by Tarkasur’s wrongdoings, and Kartikeya was born. Tarkasur was shortly killed by Kartikeya, but not before Tarkasur prayed to Lord Shiva and begged for forgiveness. Then, Mahadev gave his name to the temple where Tarkasur had previously practiced meditation. Thus, Tarkeshwar Mahadev is the name of the location.
Lord Shiva is the temple’s presiding deity. Thick trees of pine, cedar, and deodar surround the shrine. At the Tarkeshwar Mahadev temple, there used to be a Shivling, but today they worship an idol of Lord Shiva doing a tandava. Underneath the god’s idol in the temple lies the Shivling. Beside the main temple is a shrine to the goddess Shakti. In accordance with an additional legend, Goddess Parvati changed into seven deodar trees to shade Lord Shiva, and the deodar trees that grow in the area are thought to have originated from these seven trees. The deodar grove’s shape is thought to resemble the letter Om.
There are locked baths for women and open pools for bathing before entering the shrine. The holy water from a kund on the property is utilized to make offerings to the Shivling inside the temple. In Hindu homes, Lord Shiva receives bells on important events like weddings and the birth of a new child.
Every year, Mahashivaratri is celebrated with much fanfare and spectacle, and a significant number of devotees gather here to offer prayers. Thousands of bells that worshippers have donated surround the shrine. The temple is next to two dharamshalas that offer lodging for tourists.
Suggested Duration –Â 2-3 hours
