Skip to main content

My Journey to Historical Shakti Devi Wooden Temple Chhatrari (Chamba) (Pictures)

Shakti Devi Temple, Chhatrari, Chamba, wooden Temple
Historical Shakti Devi Wooden Temple

Read in Hindi

My visit to Bharmour in Chamba was filled with lots of excitement and thrill because of the tough terrain and narrow roads. The most difficult drive was to reach Chhatrari to see the Historical Shakti Devi Temple. Chhatrari village is situated 40 KM from Chamba (HP) on the Chamba-Bharmour Road. I decided to visit this place on the return journey from Bharmour. The road to Chhatrari is a steep ascend and you need to be very cautious while driving on this road. However, once you reach there, it is a paradise and you find it very peaceful. The temple is situated at a distance from where the road ends and you need to travel through the village to see the temple.

Chamba, Chhatrari, Shakti Devi, Temple
Front View 680 AD Historical Shakti Devi Temple

Chhatrari is situated on the old by foot road to Manimahesh which is not used nowadays because of the direct road connectivity. Chhatrari village is situated at the top of a hill and you enjoy a great view of the hills around and small-small villages situated on the hills opposite to it. By visiting this place, you come to know about the tough life of the people of upper Chamba and how was their life before road connectivity. The good point about this village and the people of this area is that they have still preserved their old traditions and culture.
Step Fields, Fields, Hills, Chamba, Himachal, Chhatrari
Step Fields at Chhatrari Village


This temple was constructed in 680 AD by Raja Meru Varman and it is made of wood and slate roof. Shakti Devi Temple at Chhatrari is one of the oldest temples in the area and we can observe great artwork on wooden walls. This temple is situated at a height of 6000 feet. Chhatrari is a village belonging to Gaddi population which is the main and oldest natives of this area.

Ancient, Hand made, Art, Wooden Wall,
Ancient Handmade Art and Drawings on the Wooden Wall
The main attraction of this 680 AD temple is ancient handmade art and drawings on its main wooden wall which provides us a chance to get a glimpse of artwork prominent in 680 AD. This temple is the oldest temple in the area and the only temple made of wood.


The whole of the temple was believed to be constructed by a craftsman Gugga without any help from others. The main murti in the temple is of Maa Shakti made of brass and it is 4 feet 6 inches long.

Maa Shakti, Chhatrari, Chamba,
Main Statue of Maa Shakti at Temple

Inside the temple, we can clearly see the statue of Maa Shakti who saved the lives of pilgrims to Manimahesh by killing the demons who were eating alive the pilgrims. The new road route to Manimahesh which cross adjacent to the bank of Ravi is much below this temple; therefore, nowadays very fewer numbers of people visit this temple.

Demon, Masks,

At the temple, we can also see the masks made of real demons' skin as claimed by the locals. In the month of September, a fair is held at the temple in which local dress as demons by wearing the real masks present in the temple. This fair is known as Chhatrari fair or Shakti Devi Fair.

Wooden Temple, Rooftop, Shakti Devi temple,


Overall, the visit to the ancient Shakti Devi Temple at Chhatrari was very exciting and enlightening and I will definitely want to visit this again in the future.

Watch the Video Presentation on Chhatrari Shakti Temple-
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dera Baba Murad Shah Ji (Nakodar ) Pictures and Detail

   Punjab is a state of Saints and Fakirs, therefore, we find many famous places of religious belief. Dera Baba Murad Shahji is one similar famous religious place situated in the Nakodar town of Punjab. Every year millions of people from across Punjab and other parts of the world come to get the blessing of Baba Murad Shah and Sai Gulam Ladi Shah. Both are believed to be Sufi saints and are revered by followers from various religious backgrounds, including Muslims and Hindus. The shrine of Baba Murad Shah is a popular pilgrimage site and attracts devotees seeking blessings, healing, and spiritual solace.  Devotees visit the shrine to pay their respects, offer prayers, and seek the saint's intercession for their wishes and desires. It is believed that Baba Murad Shah has the power to fulfil the heartfelt prayers of his devotees. The atmosphere around the shrine is often filled with spirituality, devotion, and a sense of tranquillity. Baba Murad Shah's teachings revolve aro...
Post a Comment
Read more

Map of Chennai, Tamilnadu (Interactive Map)

Chennai is one of biggest city of India and it is capital of Tamilnadu. Chennai is connected with all major cities of India through air, train and road routes. Chennai is also directly connected with many international destinations across the world as presence of international airport in city. Chennai is combination of historical and modern city where we can see old cultures meeting with new generation of high tech life. To learn more about Chennai city and find direction up to street level, people can use interactive map available below. Use arrow and plus/minus signs to change directions and increase/decrease size of this graph. View Larger Map
Post a Comment
Read more

17th century Maa Tarna (Shyamakali) Temple, Mandi (Himachal)

I have visited many ancient and beautiful temples of the Himachal  and found them all unique in their beauty and construction. With changing landscape, we can see changes in the designs of temples. From the ancient wood temple of Shakti Devi in Chamba to Masroor Rock temple in Kangra , all temples in Himachal offer something unique and special. Today, I will talk about the Tarna Mata temple situated in the Mandi city of Himachal Pradesh that is also known as Choti Kashi because of 80 plus temples. The actual name of the temple is Shyamakali Temple and it was built by king Shyam Sen in the 17th century on the hill called Tarna; therefore, this temple has got its name of Tarna Mata from the name of the hill on which it was built.  This temple is also a sign of victory of the Mandi kingdom because Raja Shyam Sen built this temple after winning a battle against the rival king of  Suket Jeet Sen. Raja Shyam Sen of Mandi wished from Maa Kali to grant him a win over the Raja J...
Post a Comment
Read more

About Holy city of Varanasi (Banaras), India

Banaras or Varanasi is one of the most famous and holy city of India which is situated on the bank of river Ganga. Every Indian wants to visit it at least once in a lifetime and it is also very famous among foreign visitors too. I also got a chance to visit the holiest cities of India, Banaras also known as Varanasi. Varanasi is a very popular religious destination because of presence of many places of religious importance around it. It is situated on the bank of holly river the Ganga. Banaras is also known as Kashi because of the Lord Kashi Vishwanath temple of Lord Shiva situated in it.  This city holds a great significance in the life of every Hindu because of its religious value. According to the Hindu religion, any person who dies in Kashi attains a godhood and gets himself free from the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, it is a desire of many Hindus to die in this place. This place is known to be constructed by the Lord Shiva himself for the welfare of mankind so that they...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tourist destination England

Brittan and India have strong relationship with each other. Though, there are number of painful memories of British rule still present in India; however in the present world both countries are rediscovering new relationships with each other. Every year thousands of British tourists come to India because many of them have old memories attached with India or they want to discover new India. Indians are also visiting Brittan from the past many years, however, earlier very less people were visiting Brittan as tourist destination. Today with the increasing earning power of Indian people, many Indians are finding Brittan as excellent tourist option to them. Not only Indians but people from across the world are finding Brittan as excellent option to visit and enjoy vacations. Hotels in London try to provide all kinds of comforts to Indian visiting London and we can easily find number of Indian cuisine specially served for the Indian visitors. For most of Indians, it is really an exciting adve...
Post a Comment
Read more