Kasar Devi

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Mata Kasar Devi Temple Image Taken on November 13, 2022 Location Almora, Uttarakhand, India Goddess Kasar Devi.jpg
Mata Kasar Devi Temple Image Taken on November 13, 2022 Location Almora, Uttarakhand, India

Kasar Devi is a village near Almora, Uttarakhand. It is known for the Kasar Devi temple, a Devi temple, dedicated to Kasar Devi, after whom the place is also named. The temple structure dates to the 2nd century CE. Swami Vivekananda visited Kasar Devi in 1890s, and numerous western seeker, Sunyata Baba Alfred Sorensen and Lama Anagarika Govinda.

Contents

It's believed that this temple is positioned on the earth's Van Allen Belt. The region surrounding the Kasar Devi Temple has an enormous geomagnetic field, thanks to gaps in bands of radiation. As a result, Kasar Devi is endowed with a cosmic energy similar to that of Stonehenge in UK and Machu Pichu in Peru. [1] [2] [3]

Also known as Hippie Hill or Crank's Ridge, Kasar Devi Temple complex has always been a melting pot of art, spiritualism and poetry. Singer Bob Dylan and actor Uma Thurman, have made this popular and today Kasar Devi continues to attract folks looking for answers to life's challenging questions.

The temple hosts the annual "Kasar Devi Fair" on Kartik Poornima (November–December).

History

The remains of Sunyata's cave, near Crank's Ridge in 1999 Sunyata'sCave99.jpg
The remains of Sunyata's cave, near Crank's Ridge in 1999

Kasar Devi first became known when in the 1890s, Swami Vivekananda visited and meditated here and has mentioned his experience in his diaries. [4] Walter Evans-Wentz, a pioneer in the study of Tibetan Buddhism, who later translated The Tibetan Book of the Dead, stayed here for some time. [5]

Then in the 1930s, Danish mystic Sunyata Baba (Alfred Sorensen) came here and lived here the over three decades, as did Ernst Hoffman, who became Tibetan Buddhist Lama Anagarika Govinda and Li Goutami. This led to a series of spiritual seekers from the west, visiting them. In 1961, Govinda was visited by Beat poets, Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky and Gary Snyder. [5] [6] In later history, at the peak of the Hippie movement, the area also became a part of the Hippie trail. Crank's Ridge, colloquially known as Hippie Hill, which lies ahead of Kasar Devi became a popular destination. It became home to several bohemian artists, writers and western Tibetan Buddhists, and even visited by mystic-saint Anandamayi Ma. The ridge got its name amongst hippy circles, after American psychologist Timothy Leary streaked here in the 1960s. Leary wrote majority of his ‘psychedelic prayers’ here. Thus, through the 1960 and 1970s, the area was visited by personalities of the counter-culture, George Harrison and Cat Stevens, Western Buddhist Robert Thurman, and writer D. H. Lawrence, who spent two summers here. [4] [7]

Kasar Devi temple

Kasar Devi Temple near Almora, Uttarakhand, India Kasar Devi Temple.JPG
Kasar Devi Temple near Almora, Uttarakhand, India

The village is mainly known for the Kasar Devi temple, the shrine dedicated to Kasar Devi. The temple itself, dates back to the 2nd century CE. A winding walkway from gateway on the main road, right the beginning of the village, leads up to the temple.

The area is home to deodar and pine forests. It also provides views not just of Almora and the Hawalbagh Valley, but also of the panoramic view of the Himalayas from Bandarpunch peak on the Himachal Pradesh border to Api Himal in Nepal. [7] [8]

A large fair, known as Kasar Devi Fair, is held at the Kasar Devi temple on the occasion of Kartik Poornima in the Hindu calendar, corresponding to November and December. [9]

The temple consist of two different group of temple one of devi and another of lord shiva and bairava. The main temple consist of akhand jyoti which keep on burning 24 hours for years. It has also a dhuni (havan kund) where wood log are burned 24 hours . The ash of dhuni is said to be very powerful that can even cure any mental patient.

The Hill top provides beautiful scene of the valley and Himalayas that make it a place suitable for photography.

The main shrine of devi is situated inside a cave like formation by the huge rocks. City buses, taxies and cabs can take you there at suitable prices . But it can also be reached by hiking and trekking.

Overview and mystery

Kasar Devi is situated on a hilltop, on the edge of a ridge off the Almora-Bageshwar highway on the Kaashay hills of Kumaon Himalayas. As it is situated above the ridge of Almora town, it is accessible through eight-km hike from Almora or 10 km by road. [4] One km away is the village of Kalimath popular with tourists. Also close by is the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, which lies 30 km away. [10]

It is being developed as a tourist place in Uttarakhand and Uttarakhand government have many plans to develop this place. Presently the work of construction of ropeway from the district headquarter to Kasar Devi is in progress.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumaon division</span> Administrative division in India

Kumaon is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian State of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Nepal, on the south by the state of Uttar Pradesh, and on the west by Garhwal. Kumaon comprises six districts of the state: Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anagarika Govinda</span>

Anagarika Govinda was the founder of the order of the Arya Maitreya Mandala and an expositor of Tibetan Buddhism, Abhidharma, and Buddhist meditation as well as other aspects of Buddhism. He was also a painter and poet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uttarakhand</span> State in northern India

Uttarakhand, also known as Uttaranchal, is a state in northern India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" due to its religious significance and numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas, the Bhabar and the Terai regions. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north; the Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal to the east; the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west. The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The winter capital of Uttarakhand is Dehradun, the largest city of the state, which is a rail head. Gairsain, a town in Chamoli district, is the summer capital of Uttarakhand declared on 5 March 2020. The High Court of the state is located in Nainital, but is to be moved to Haldwani in future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almora district</span> District of Uttarakhand in India

Almora is a district in the Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand state, India. The headquarters is at Almora. It is 1,638 meters above sea level. The neighbouring regions are Pithoragarh district to the east, Chamoli district to the west, Bageshwar district to the north and Nainital district to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranikhet</span> Town in Uttarakhand, India

Ranikhet is a hill station and cantonment town, near Almora Town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home of the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment (KRC) and Naga Regiment and is maintained by the Indian Army.

Crank's Ridge, sometimes called Hippie Hill, is a pine-covered ridge located on the way to Kasar Devi temple, above the town of Almora, Uttarakhand, India, the ancient capital of Kumaon.

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The Chand kings were a Hindu Rajput ruling clan of Kumaon Kingdom. The Chand kingdom was established by displacing the Katyuri kings by Som Chand,a prince from Jhushi. They ruled until before they were defeated by the Gorkha Kingdom in 1790 CE. The Chand kings ruled over the Kumaon Kingdom and parts of the Farwestern Nepal called Doti in present day Sudurpashchim Province.

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References

  1. ↑ "Why Kasar Devi is Perfect for Meditation". www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "The Geomagnetic - Kasar Devi - Reviews, Photos - Kasar Devi Temple". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "Kasar Devi: The Tempting Energetic Place In Almora (Updated)". 9 February 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Siddhartha Sen (10 March 2013). "Trekking to a Himalayan hill that Dylan loved and Vivekananda called home". MiD DAY. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  5. 1 2 Bill Aitken (2003). Footloose in the Himalaya. Orient Blackswan. pp. 47–. ISBN   978-81-7824-052-7 . Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  6. ↑ Donald S. Lopez (1 May 1999). Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West. University of Chicago Press. pp. 61–. ISBN   978-0-226-49311-4 . Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  7. 1 2 Anurag Mallick; Priya Ganapathy (12 February 2012). "In the woods of gods". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  8. ↑ Meera Joshi (14 December 2007). "Dev trail of Kumaon". The Hindu, Business Line. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  9. ↑ Purnima S. Tripathi (25 February – 10 March 2006). "A tourist's paradise". The Hindu, Frontline. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  10. ↑ "Don't Miss: Kasar Devi, a piece of paradise". Rediff Getahead. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.

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