Maa Dhari Devi: Mystical Protector of Uttarakhand & Char Dham

This is one of the most admired temples, dedicated to Maa Dhari Devi (a version of Goddess Kali), Uttarakhand's angel deity and the guardian of the Char Dham Yatra. Dhari Devi is a Hindu temple in Kalyasaur, Uttarakhand's Garhwal district, in the middle of the Alaknanda River between Srinagar and Rudraprayag.   

Table of Contents

1. Geographical Setting of the Temple
2. Origin Story of the Goddess
3. The Split Idol and Its Connection to Kalimath
4. Belief in Dhari Devi as the Char Dham Guardian
5. Temple Darshan Timings
6. Visiting Season and Travel Tips  

Geographical Setting of the Temple

It is located 15 kilometers from Srinagar Garhwal, 20 kilometers from Rudraprayag, and 360 kilometers from Delhi. The Dhari Devi Temple has the upper half of the idol of Goddess Dhari, and the lower half of the statue is in Kalimath Temple, where she is revered as the expression of Goddess Kali.   

Origin Story of the Goddess

On June 16, 2013, a flood surged through Uttarakhand as engineers worked on a project on the Alaknanda River, and the figure of Dhari Devi was removed from its original location. The deluge, which killed many, is thought to have occurred as a result of Maa Dhari Devi's wrath. Similarly, in 1882, a king displaced Dhari Devi's idol from its original location, resulting in a landslide. When people attempted to confront the place's grace, peace, and strength, the Maa Dhari devi justified the consequences by demonstrating her presence in her stormy style.

It is claimed that Maa Dhari Devi guards Char dham as the protector of Char dham and thus protects divinities who pay visits there, as well as followers of the Char dham yatra. According to tradition, the Maa Dhari Devi temple was founded after Maa Dhari Devi, the only sister of her seven brothers, lost their parents while they were young. Maa Dhari Devi adores her brothers because they raised her after their loved ones died. She was seven when she cooks for them, and she loves all of her brothers very much, but when the brothers discovered that their sister's stars were not favorable to them, they began to dislike her. Later, Maa Dhari Devi's five brothers died, and the surviving two believed it was due to the adverse effects of her sister's presence, so they decided to kill her to preserve their own lives.

She was thirteen years old when they devised a plan to murder her, chop her head off from the rest of her body, and flush it away in a river. The head ended up in Kalyasaur in Dhari Village, where a washerman noticed a girl floating and decided to help her, but he was afraid to get into the river because it was so deep, when he noticed a scream and an angelic voice instructing him to save her and assuring him of his safety. It happened just as the angelic voice said.

He exclaimed when he realized that there was no girl, only a head, and that figure commanded the idol to be put on a stone there. And this is how the idol of Dhari Devi became caught in the rocks of Dhari hamlet.  

The Split Idol and Its Connection to Kalimath

The devi's remaining lower portion of the figure made its way to Kalimath, where it is known as Maa Methna Temple and is considered one of Maa Kali's 108 Shakti Sthals.

Belief in Dhari Devi as the Char Dham Guardian

Maa Dhari Devi is known as the Guardian of Char Dham because she is said to protect Uttarakhand's four holy shrines: Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. According to local legend, she is the embodiment of Goddess Kali, who protects the entire Char Dham circuit and keeps natural disasters and tragedies away from the region. It is stated that disturbing or moving Maa Dhari Devi's idol from its original location causes divine wrath and natural calamities in Uttarakhand.

The 2013 Kedarnath flood catastrophe occurred on the same day her idol was transferred, bolstering the strong belief that she is the celestial protector (Rakshak Devi) of the Char Dham shrines and the spiritual equilibrium of the Himalayas.    

Temple Darshan Timings

The Dhari Devi Temple in Uttarakhand is available to visitors for most of the day. Here are the regular times:
Morning Darshan: 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Evening Darshan: 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
To properly enjoy the spiritual atmosphere, it is recommended to attend early in the morning or during the evening aarti.  

Visiting Season and Travel Tips

Dhari Devi Temple is open year-round, so you can come at any time. However, avoid visiting the mountains during the rainy season, as it presents a variety of obstacles such as landslides, floods, stone shooting, road blockages, and so on. The most suitable time to go to Maa Dhari devi temple is throughout the holiday season, particularly around Navratri. The environment surrounding this temple will be radically different, and you will be able to experience local culture and traditions in their most raw form.