Visit to Kesar Devi Temple in Almora, Uttarkhand, India

Looking to explore a little more of the area that I am in, I took a side trip to Almora, Uttarakhand for the last few days. Almora is only 30 miles away from the ashram I am at in Kausani but the winding mountain road takes over two hours to navigate.

As background, Uttarakhand is one of the six northerly states of India. It used to be part of Uttar Pradesh until it became its own state in 2000. It most well known for the Himalayas and its foothills that dominate the scenery in most parts of the state.

It is also the home of many of India's most holy places of pilgrimage and numerous temples. Most people of the state are descended from two ancient kingdoms: Garhwal and Kumaon. The ashram is in the eastern part of the state previously part of the Kumaon kingdom. People in this area speak a dialect called Kumaoni that is now classified as an endangered language.

Delicious fruits like plum, apricot and apples grow here. Rice, wheat, pulses, and oil seeds are popular crops. Due to the abundance of hilly terrain, terrace farming is seen everywhere. The beautifully terraced hills remind me of womens' dresses cascading with layers of ruffles until the edge of the dress rests at the base of a winding river bed scattered with boulders.

Kasar Devi Temple dates back many centuries. It is a small temple partially built from the shelter of a huge boulder. It is Durga Temple and the murti or statue is a the seated Devi (Goddess) riding on her lion holding various symbolic weapons. The temple is famous in this and the previous century as a place for musicians and people in the creative arts to come and seek blessings for their work. The Beatles came here, Bob Dylan etc. There still is a residual "hippy"community of westerners in the area harking back to that time period.

According to NASA, the area of the Kesar Devi Temple and environs are part of the Van Allen magnetic belt that surcharges the area with special energy. This same belt goes through the Stonehenge area and Machu Picchu. Throughout the ages, rishis and saints have been drawn to this area spontaneously to enjoy deeper meditations and spiritual enlightenment. Here is a view of the outside of the temple.

The temple is at 6,000 ft elevation so there are a lot of picturesque views from all sides