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Beautiful Mahakaleshwar Pandoi Devta ji Temple at Pandoa (Shimla)



 You are aware of my road trip on the stretch Nalagrah-Ramshehr-Arki-Basantpur-Luhri-ANNI. When from Basantpur-Tatapani Road, we take a right turn on MDR 22 towards Luhri and Rampur then we follow the Satluj river continuously and get a chance to see communities living near Satluj river and in this valley. We also get a chance to see their culture and beliefs. Today, I am going to talk about the Pandoi Devta temple situated just a few meters away from this road at Pandoa village. Himachal Pradesh can be known as a place of thousands of deities; therefore, we say it the land of Gods. This temple is not visible from the road and you need to take an unpaved road that is 300 meters long to reach this temple. Pandoi Devta temple is a set of one main temple and two Kothis. 

Pandoi devta,


At this place, we can find the same style of Shivlinga as we find at the Ujjain; therefore, this place is also known as Mahakaleshwar Pandoi Devta ji Shahib. It is believed that this Shivlinga was created by Pandavas during their exile. When Pandavs created this place then it was known as Pandowas, but today it is known as Pandoa. These kinds of temples are the beauty of this place only and they are unique to the location. This temple is made with the help of stones and wood. We see the construction of the lower part of the temple with the layers of stones and wood integrated with each other to make a wall. This architecture is unique to this area and we can find the use of this technique on many old and new temples, building situated in Kullu and Shimla district. Apart from it, we can also find great craftsmanship on the wood by hand which looks very beautiful on the first look. 



Today, we do not see this much detailing on the wooden crafts in other parts of India. We can find a similar look at the Hatu Mata Temple too which is also constructed in a similar design. This a new temple constructed at this place whereas the old temple is situated at the top of the hill at Kotighat which is not totally linked to the road so far. The idol of the main devta is moved from this temple to the old temple from time to time. The areas around the upper hills are divided among various local devtas and the area around lower and upper temples is part of the jurisdiction of the Pandoi devta. People of this area have great faith in the Pandoi devta and they often come to him for blessings. 

Shivlinga, Pandoi devta


Overall, it was a great visit to the lower Pandoi devta temple situated near the MDR 22 road to Luhri (Rampur) and it was by luck and with the help of a local people, we found it.  This temple is a gem hidden in the hills and very unique to a person like me who doesn't find similar things often. 

Also Visit - Discover Paneu Hill Station and Naag Temple


Watch the Video of Lower Pandoi Devta Temple-

 

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