![]() Uttarakashi is a town packed with temples, historical monuments, 'ashrams' and 'dharamsalas'. It is a Shiva town populated by over 12,000 people. Lord Shiva is the leading deity and is worshipped morning, noon and night in the ancient temple of Lord Vishwanath. The evening song evokes an atmosphere of beauty in religion as the music of singing bells blends with the chants of the pandits. Within the courtyard and directly opposite to the temple is the Shakti Temple dedicated to the Goddess of Energy, projecting a massive brass trident which, according to an inscription in Sanskrit fixed on it reveals that the temple of Vishwanath was built by king Ganeshwar, whose son, Guh a great warrior, had the trident forged. It is 8 metres high with a base measuring 2.74 metres and atop measuring almost a metre in circumference. Another inscription bearing trident, on a smaller scale, can be found in the Shiva Temple in the town of Gopeshwar, near Chamoli. ![]() On the day of Makar Sankranti, Uttarakashi in Uttarakhand is energetic and enthusiastic with the costumes of the people from the surrounding villages while the gods and goddesses are carried through the town, men, women and children throng the temples at the banks of the Ganga River. The colourfully dressed women bejeweled with chunky ornaments, worn on festive occasions, join the men in song and dance as music fills the air. The Ganga, worshipped as the 'Mother' who gives life to the making the most fertile Gangetic plains, now she is providing energy with the construction of the series of hydroelectric projects in the hills. Here, in Uttarakashi is the Maneri-Bhali Project, on the left bank of the Bhagirathi generating 93 MW of power. The Peshwa ruler, Naina Saheb Dhundu, while in exile, built the inspection House in Uttarakashi in Uttarakhand. ![]() |