Dehradun:At Siddhapeeth Dhari Devi Temple in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, the Goddess is worshipped as Dakshini Kali Mata. It is believed that Dhari Devi, who protects all the four Dhams in the state, changes her form three times a day.
The Goddess appears as a girl in the morning, a young woman in the afternoon and an old woman in the evening. A large number of devotees flock here for darshan throughout the year.
The temple was named after Dwapar Kaal Dhar village:
The Dhari Devi Temple is situated in the middle of Alaknanda river, located between Srinagar and Rudrapayag. Pandit Laxmi Prasad Pandey, chief priest of Dhari Devi Temple, said that the temple was named after a nearby village, Dwapar Kaal Dhar, but in the scriptures it is referred as Dakshin Kali Maa Kalyani.
Pandey said that Maa Kali Devi was incarnated in Kalishila of Kalimath situated near Guptkashi. It is believed that Lord Shiva pacified the fierce form of Maa Kali after she came down to Srinagar area after killing the demons in Kalimath. So, she is known as Maa Kalyani in the scriptures. Thousands of years ago when Aadiguru Shankaracharya passed from here to the Himalayas, there used to be a Surajkund at this place.
Dhari Devi is considered to protects four dhams of Uttarakhand (ETV Bharat Photo) At that time Shankaracharya was a worshipper of Shiva and did not have much faith in Maa Shakti. But at this very place, Maa Shakti, in the form of an old woman served him refreshments in the evening. After that, Aadiguru regained his health and was able to go ahead with his journey. Following this incident, Shankaracharya became a worshipper of Mahadevi. He wrote many hymns that are now sung during the morning and evening aarti at this temple.
Maa Dhari Devi gives darshan in three forms at three times of the day:
Siddhapeeth Dhari Devi is famous among devotees for its miraculous forms. It is said that Dhari Devi gives darshan to her devotees in three different forms at three times of the day. Chief priest Pandey said a shloka during the aarti also describes these three forms of the Goddess.
He told that if one comes to the temple for darshan during the morning aarti and meditate, then the Goddess will give darshan in the form of a laughing girl. If one meditates in the afternoon, she will give darshan in the form of a young girl and in the evening, devotees get darshan of the devi in her old age.
Tourists flock to Dhari Devi temple during Navratri (ETV Bharat Photo) Dhari Devi Temple came into limelight during 2013 disaster:
Dhari Devi is also considered to be the protector of the four Dhams of Uttarakhand. Priest Pandey said that before the disaster of 2013, Mata was seated on a lion-shaped rock. There used to be an oleander tree on this rock that had blooming flowers throughout the year.
Pandey said that series of geographical changes and natural disasters kept changing the temple's form. In the beginning, it is said that the river used to flow one and a half kilometers below the temple. In 2013, a plan was made to shift the temple due to a dam for the 200 MW hydroelectric project. The officials had shifted the temple in a hurry, but soon after this, a terrible disaster struck Kedarnath on June 16, 2013.
Locals attributed the floods to Dhari Devi's wrath and believe that she protects the four Dhams of the state. Usually, after having Dhari Devi's darshan, travellers and devotees proceed for the Char Dham yatra.
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