Surkanda Devi Temple is located at the tiny hamlet of Dhanaulti, in the village Uniyal Gaon of Tehri District. The Temple is located at a distance of 68 km from Dehradun, 24 km from Chamba and 40 km from Mussoorie. The Surkanda Devi Temple is very near Kaddukhal, the place where vehicles are parked.
The Surkanda Devi Temple was initially known as Sirkhanda which now in the passage terms is known as Surkanda. The Surkanda Devi Temple is located in the midst of the dense forest in the hills of Uttarakhand and it offers the mighty view of the Himalayas to the North and the majestic views Dehradun and Rishikesh. The Surkanda Devi Temple in Dehradun is one amongst the most visited temples during the time of Ganga Dusshera. It is covered with fog most of the time of the year and is not just a Devi Temple of high significance but is also a Fun Destination for Teenagers in Dehradun.
Mythology of The Surkanda Devi Temple
The Surkanda Devi Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeth located all over the Indian subcontinent and is dedicated to Goddess Surkanda-a manifestation of feminine divine. The legend says that the origin of Surkanda Devi Temple can be attributed to Goddess Sati, wife of Lord Shiva. Goddess Sati immolated herself in her father’s Daksha’s sacrifice when he embarrassed Shiva by not inviting the couple to the Yajna. Infuriated by the death of Sati, Shiva wandered all over the Universe and performed Tandav (dance of cosmic destruction) with the body of Sati on his shoulders and vowed not to stop until the body completely rotted away. Terrified by this the gods approached Lord Vishnu to stop Shiva. Lord Vishnu through his discus Sudarshan destroyed the corpse of Sati and pieces of her body fell in various regions now known as Shakti Peeths.
Location of Surkanda Devi Temple
Surkanda Devi Temple is located at the Chamba-Mussoorie Road, Saklana Range (6.7km from Dhanaulti, 2km uphill trek from Kaddukhal).
How to Reach Surkanda Devi Temple
The devotees and visitors can visit the Surkanda Devi Temple by trekking 2 km from the nearest town of Kaddukhal. It is well connected by road and is located at a distance 40 km from Mussoorie and 24 km from Chamba.
By Air- Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest airport that is located at a distance of 100 km from Surkanda Devi Temple. A number of taxi and cab services are available from the temple.
By Road- Kaddukhal is well connected to roads across the town. It is located at distance of 40 km from Mussoorie. You can hire a taxi or a cab from Mussoorie to reach at the temple. You can also board a bus that will take you via Mussoorie and Chamba road.
By Rail- The temple is situated at a distance of 67 km from the Dehradun Railway Station. There are a number of taxi facilities from the Railway Station till the Surkanda Devi Temple.