Beautiful roads lead to beautiful destinations and so was our journey from Kaudiyala to Rudra Prayag.
Holy confluence of rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda at Devprayag along with breathtaking views of green mountains and the gentle murmurs of the river Alaknanda, thereafter, kept us refreshed and in good spirits. Enjoying nature’s extravaganza along the way, we reached the enchanting Dhari Devi Temple which is majestically standing in the middle of the river Alaknanda in Srinagar district in Garhwal region.
It was around 12 Noon, we reached the sacred spot and were fortunate to get parking space close to the entrance gate, otherwise as told by locales cars get parked up to 2 km. from the entrance gate. From the entrance gate, we started walking downwards towards the temple. As we caught the first glimpse of the temple while trekking downwards, we could not contain ourselves from clicking breathtaking pictures of the view. Dhari Devi is worshipped as the protector of Uttarakhand and is believed to safeguard the region from misfortunes. We bought prasad from one of the local shops and passed through vibrant stalls selling sweets, sacred offerings, artifacts and local dresses.
We went Inside the temple premises through a concrete bridge connecting the temple with the riverbank. Standing between the valley and river we felt fascinated and mesmerized by its intricate architecture. The most fascinating aspect of the temple is the transformation of Dhari Devi throughout the day - a girl in the morning, a young woman in the afternoon, and an old woman in the evening, showing the cycle of life. Statue at the temple is the only upper part of the Goddess Kali, while the lower part is worshipped at Kalimath temple.
After offering our prayers, we took some time to stand in the verandah of the temple premises and feel the airs coming from the mountains and breathtaking beauty of the Alaknanada river. After clicking a few pictures, it was the time to return back to the riverbank and proceed to the hanging bridge beside the temple gracefully stretched across the river. As we crossed the hanging bridge to other side of the valley, the cool breeze and the gentle sway beneath our feet made us feel like we were floating in the air. River beach remained, so after the hanging bridge, we walked towards the riverbank. The shore of the Alaknanda felt like a peaceful beach, where the soothing sound of flowing water calmed our excited hearts. There are number of shops selling local juices, pickles and wooden souvenirs of Dhari Devi. Our contribution to local economy came in form of buying Rhododendron juice concentrate and Fig and Lingda pickles. If you do not want to buy a bottle, shops also offer one glass of juice for tasting for Rs. 20/ 30 depending in size.
Heart and feet were requesting to spend more time, but Rudra Prayag was calling, so we bought few freshly prepared Bread Pakoras from a small kiosk on the main road and started again. If you can eat while on the drive, you can spend extra time exploring the spots. While moving further we realized that some journeys touch the soul. Our visit to Dev Prayag the day before and now to Dhari Devi (47 km. from Dev Prayag through Jayalgarh) was not just a journey across places but an experience where nature and divinity were seamlessly knitted together.
Keep exploring Folks…
