Shikari Devi Temple At Mandi,Shimla- Himachal Pradesh

Shikari Devi Temple
Shikari Devi temple is about 18 Kms from Janjehli and connected by a jeepable Forest road. It is situated at an altitude of 3359 Mtr. Thick forests on the way to Shikari peak are amazing. Being the highest peak of Mandi District it is also called Crown of Mandi. Vast green pastures, captivating sunrise and sunset, panoramic view of snow ranges make this place favorite to nature lovers. The place receives a lot of snow during winters. The place can be approached from Karsog which is just 21 Kms from Shikari Devi. On the Shikari peak, there is a roofless temple of Shikari Devi, the Goddess of hunters and this temple is said to be established (Sathapit) by Pandavas. It is said that sage Markanday also meditated at this place for number of years. It has been observed that despite the fact that temple has no roof, no snow is spotted in temple premises during winters when the entire region around this temple is covered upto several feet by snow.

At a distance of 91 km from Mandi, Shikari Devi Temple is a Hindu shrine located near Janjehli in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Himachal and among the must-visit places in Mandi for trekking enthusiasts.

Situated at an elevation of 3359 m, the Shikari Devi temple is located atop Sikhari Devi Peak, the highest peak of the Mandi district. It is believed that the temple has been existing since the time of Mahabharata. The temple is dedicated to Shikari Devi, the Goddess of hunters. In the archaic days, the hunters or shikaris of the region would worship the Goddess in the temple to seek blessings for a successful hunt. Hence, the temple got its name, Shikari Devi. Besides, the temple also has a great significance in the holy book Markandeya Purana as sage Markandeya is believed to have meditated in this beautiful temple.

The temple is on a flat cemented square platform and the goddess is idolized in the form of a stone image. The most interesting fact about Shikari Devi Temple is that this temple does not have a roof as no one has ever been able to build a roof over the top of this temple. It has been observed that even though the temple has no roof, no snow is spotted inside the temple during winters when the entire region around this temple is covered up to several feet by snow.

Visitors can reach Shikari Devi either from the towns of Karsog (21 km) or Janjehli (16 km). One can hike the whole way or hire a car. Vast green pastures, plenty of wildflowers, captivating sunrise, and sunset, panoramic view of snow ranges make this place favorite among nature lovers. The road stops about a kilometer short of the temple, from where one has to climb nearly 550 steps to reach the temple. Visitors can trek to Chindi, Karsog, Janjehli through different trek routes from Shikari.