Devalgarh- Uttarakhand Heritage

Located in the lap of the Uttarakhand hills, Devalgarh stands still on a hilltop in Srinagar Garhwal at a height of 4000m above mean sea level. With a rich history, Devalgarh is one of the lesser-explored off-beat locations in Devbhoomi. Located amidst the lush green surroundings of the Uttarakhand hills, Devalgarh was the former capital of the Garhwal kingdom. One can closely witness the beautiful ranges and more captivating sunrises and sunsets from Devalgarh. The town also holds a richness of medieval architecture as seen in the temples present there, namely the Maa Raj Rajeshwari Devi Temple, The Laxmi Narayana Temple, The Gauri Devi Temple and Murli Manohar Temple. These temples are protected by ASI and listed under the Heritage Structures in India. 

History

Devalgarh was established by King Deval of Kangra in 1512 in Pauri District, Uttarakhand. It was the capital of the Garhwal kingdom in the 16th century, reflecting the culture, art, and architecture that prevailed at that time. Uttarakhand, in earlier times, was divided into 52 smaller provinces known as God’s Own.’ So in the 16th century, when King Ajaypal resided on the throne of the Garhwal kingdom, he named Devalgarh as the new capital. Thus, gradually, Devalgarh became known for its religious value and nature’s beauty. After some time, when the capital got shifted to Srinagar Garhwal, the King did not forget to pay his visit to Devalgarh and also hold his judgments in the town.

Maa Raj Rajeshwari Temple

In this historical town, Maa Raj Rajeshwari Temple is a shrine to Maa Raj Rajeshwari, the Goddess of wealth, Yoga, splendour, and Salvation. The temple has been revered for its spirituality since ancient times and is never short of devotees, even from overseas. 

The temple building was built after the king, Ajaypal, named Devalgarh the capital of the Garhwal region. The temple is on a plateau of land with three big portions. Each of these portions is four floors high and is adorned with overhanging eaves and aesthetic bases. The windows of the temple building are carved out of the exterior rock wall, and no wood has been used. 

The temple follows a havan tradition for worship every day and is much more active during the Navratri month, when the Devi is worshipped for nine days. The temple is revered so widely that the ashes of the Havan-Yajna are also sent abroad to places like Australia, Saudi Arabia, London, and the UK. 

Gauri Devi Temple

Another temple in Devalgarh is the Gauri Devi Mandir, which is the oldest of all and was built in the 7th century. According to the legends, Kuber built this Temple, which depicts the Katyuri-Chand dynasty style of architecture. The Gauri Devi temple premise has two other small temples: Shri Styanath Temple and Shri Kamal Nath Bhairav Temple. The sanctum of the temple building has the idols of Bhagwati Gauri and Singh Vahini Devi. 

There is also a cave behind this temple, which is now closed. A legend says that Deval Rishi used to have an ashram here, which was later established as a Satyanath by Guru Mata. Satyanath, according to Hinduism, is a place where people recite Mantras. Every year, in the harvest season, a huge fair is organised in the town. At this fair, the locals offer chapati made of wheat as an offering to the goddess. 

Gauri Devi Temple dates back to the 7th century AD when Temple Architecture blossomed in India. This temple building broadly depicts the Nagara Style of Architecture with a crucified floor plan, decorated Shikharas, and stone as the chief building material. 

Other Structures

Apart from the historic temples, Devalgarh has two other structures: Murli Manohar Mandir and Som ka Manda. Murli Manohar Temple is a small rectangular stone structure that, at the time of its construction, was used as a temple of Lord Krishna. Now, the temple building is abandoned and is visited by travellers to witness the serene views of the surrounding green hills.  

Murli Manohar Temple is a rectangular stone structure built on an elevated platform and supported by pillars on all sides. The pillars supporting the temple have beautifully engraved designs and symbols. The temple has a gate at the centre, providing visibility to the inner sanctum, which is not accessible to humans owing to its low ceiling height.

Next to the temple is a rectangular structure called Som ka Manda, located on an elevated rectangular platform. According to the locals, the structure was used as a courtroom by the king to pass judgments. The structure has a pillar in the middle, providing strength to the building. The pillar, along with the interior of the structure, is incarnated with several designs and symbols. 

Devalgarh Fair

The Devalgarh fair is a fair held for three days in the village to offer prayers to the Raj Rajeshwari maa and Gaura devi. At this fair, the idols of Goddess Rah Rajeshwari are taken out of the temple for people to offer their prayers and offerings. This fair is considered one of the chief occasions in the town, inviting hundreds of devotees from all across India. The fair is one of the reasons that the religious and historical value of the place is preserved for generations. 

References:

1. https://www.uttarakhanddarshan.in/gaura-devi-temple/
2. https://www.travelpeakplaces.com/travel/rajrajeshwari-devi-temple-devalgarh-uttarakhand
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5. https://www.adotrip.com/destination-detail/devalgarh
6. https://www.euttaranchal.com/tourism/devalgarh.php
7. https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/destination/devalgarh
8. https://www.rajyasameeksha.com/uttarakhand/5871-story-of-raj-rajeshwari-devi-temple-devalgarh
9. https://prepp.in/news/e-492-nagara-architecture-north-indian-temple-style-art-and-culture-notes
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