Dunagiri is a mystical place located near Almora, Uttarakhand and indeed a road less travelled. Composed of a cluster of 6-7 small villages, it is situated at an elevation of 7,600 feet. Despite its remote allure, Dunagiri is easily accessible from major cities like New Delhi, Chandigarh, and Dehradun.
The area is renowned for its ancient forest trails, where revered sages meditated and many others chose to make Dunagiri their home. It is also counted among the seven Kulparvats mentioned in the Puranas. Additionally, the Ashram of Garg Muni, the sage credited with bringing the River Gagas to earth, was located here.
Biswaroop Mukherjee
According to mythology, when Lakshman was nearly killed by Indrajit, Lord Hanuman was sent to retrieve the Sanjeevani from Dronagiri Mountain. Unable to identify the herb, Hanuman lifted the entire mountain and brought it to the battlefield. The people of Dronagiri, still don’t worship Lord Hanuman as he had defaced their sacred mountain.
Places to visit in and around Dunagiri
1. Trek to visit the mystical Mahavatar Babaji Cave
It was at Dunagiri in 1861 that the Kriya Yoga was first revealed by Mahavatar Babaji to Lahiri Mahasaya (Shyamacharan Lahiri), as mentioned by Paramahansa Yogananda in ‘An Autobiography of Yogi’). The entrance to the cave may appear small, but the interior is surprisingly spacious, measuring 30 feet in length and 8-10 feet in width. While you do need to squeeze through the entrance to get inside, the cave opens up significantly once you’re in.
How to Reach the Cave: Take a taxi or travel by road to Kukuchina and then trek for about 50 minutes to reach the cave entrance.
2. Pandavkholi: After visiting the cave of Mahavata Babaji, you can trek up to Pandhavkholi, a Himalayan meadow rich with rare medicinal plants and herbs. It is believed to be one of the places where the Pandavas stayed during their one-year ‘Agyatvas’, an “anonymous stay” after their 14-year exile ended.
How to Reach: The 3 km trek to Pandavkholi offers stunning views of Himalayan peaks like Nanda Devi, Panchachuli, and Trishul. It’s also renowned as the site where Mahant Balwant Giri Maharaj Naga Baba performed Tapasya for 35 years and established an ashram. Baba achieved mahasamadhi on December 14, 1994, on Mokshda Ekadashi.
3. Dunagiri Temple
Distance: 14 km from Dwarahat, 48 km from Ranikhet, and 78 km from Almora
Dunagiri Temple is a popular pilgrimage site dedicated to Ma Shakti. It is believed that Ma Bhairavi (consort of Lord Shiva) turned into Vaishnavi Mata to award liberation to her devotee. 365 steps of uneven height take around 30 minutes to an hour to climb, but the fascinating views from the top are worth every step.
Dunagiri Temple is one of the two Vaishnavi Shakti Peeths in India, the other one being the Vaishno Devi mata of Katra, Jammu & Kashmir.
4. Sukhadevi Temple and Ashram: The temple is small but of high importance historically as it is the Birth place of King Bharat (son of King Dushyanta and celestial Shakuntala and on whose name ‘India’ was named Bharatvarsh!
The Sukhadevi Temple site offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of the surrounding mountain area.
About Dwarahat (17 Kms from Dunagiri)
‘Dwarahat’ originates from ‘Dwara’, meaning ‘Gate’, and ‘Hat’, meaning ‘Heaven’.
Visit ancient Dwarahat Temples (located 17 Km from Dunagiri)
Once the seat of the Katyuri Kingdom, Dwarahat is a historic town located just 17 km from the Dunagiri retreat. Before their defeat by the Chand rulers, the Katyuris played a crucial role in shaping the architectural splendor of the Garhwal region. The Dwarahat Temples, comprising over 55 intricately crafted structures are divided into 8 groups, and each group stands as a testament to the Katyuri Dynasty’s architectural prowess. Nestled between Ranikhet and Garsian, Dwarahat occupies a strategic position at the crossroads of the Ranikhet-Kausani and Almora-Badrinath roads.
Other places of interest near Dwarahat
Chaukhutiya (18 km): is located at the banks of Ramganga River and is also famous as Rangilo Gewar. Chaukhutiya lies on the Ranikhet-Badrinath highway and the scenic beauty of this small river valley town is beautiful.
The place is popular for Maa Kali & Vaishno Devi Temples and the Ancient Fort ruins of the Katyuri dynastry. The place is an explorer’s delight.
Tarag Tal: is located about 9 Km from Chaukhutia Market and is well connected by motor-able road.
On your return, you can hire a taxi. All though it is connected now with a motorable road, the trek to Tarag Tal is a beautiful experience as you trek through the fir, deodar, rhododendron, oak and pine forests. The PWD Rest house at Ganai offers a good budget stay option.
Someshwar (32 Kms): has a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and was constructed by the founder of Chand Dynasty, Raja Som Chand.
Bharat-Kot or Bhatkot Trek: At a height of 9086 ft, Bharat-Kot (where Bharat, brother of Lord Ram meditated) is the highest peak in the region and was a preferred meditation place for all famous saints including Mahavatar Baba, Haidakhan baba and Nantin baba. Bahrat-Kot has been mentioned as Lodhra Parvat in Ancient Hindu scripts. The hard trek is 30 km and is recommended only for professionals. It takes about 2 days including camping at night.
Places to stay in and around Dunagiri and Dwarahat
Dunagiri Retreat: Dunagiri Retreat is a yoga retreat center and boutique hotel in the Himalayas for nature enthusiasts, yoga practitioners, and spiritual seekers. Founded in 2005 amidst the serene beauty of Uttarakhand’s Himalayas in the quaint town of Kukuchina, Dwarahat, Dunagiri Retreat caters to those seeking self-discovery through Kriya Yoga and the teachings of Mahavatar Babaji. Visit website https://www.dunagiri.com
Distance guide to Dunagiri from other Cities
- From Dwarahat: 17 Km
- From Almora: 65 Km (2.5 hrs)
- From Jageshwar: 100 Km (3.5 Hrs)
- From Nainital: 100 Km (3 hrs)
- From Ranikhet: 43 Km (1.5 hrs)
- From Kausani: 50 Km (2 hrs)
- From New Delhi: 400 Km (10 hrs)
- From Jim Corbett National Park: 136 Km (4 hrs)
- From Mukteshwar: 120 Km (4 hrs)
- From Binsar: 100 Km (3.5 hrs)
- From Rishikesh: 287 Km (7 hrs)
- From Haridwar: 312 Km (7.5 hrs)
- From Gwaldham: 88 Km (3 hrs)
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Thanks for the pictures and the authentic description of one of the lesser known but very enjoyable group of places.
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