Tapkeshwar Temple of

Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, district and is governed by the Dehr ...

, is also known as Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, is one of the most famous temples dedicated to

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...

. It is situated by the forest side. The main

shivalinga A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional ...

at the temple is inside a natural cave. There are water drops from the ceiling of the cave, dropping down over the shivalinga statue.

History

The Tapkeshwar Mahadeva Temple owes its importance due to the natural Shiva Linga in the cave. Long back the river flowed through the caves and continuous water droplets fell on the Shiv Linga. This became a place of reverence for the local people. It is also believed that this was used as a residence by Guru Dronacharya, the esteemed teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas of the Hindu epic Mahabharata written by Veda Vyays. The cave is thus named Drona Cave after his name. When Dronacharya's wife Kalyani gave birth to Aswosthama, she didn't properly feed him with her milk. As Dronacharya was unable to afford cow or cow milk, Aswosthama, the clever child prayed to Lord Shiva. Being happy with his praying, Lord Shiva fed him milk through dripping from the Shivling in Drona cave.

Temple features

Tourists in Dehradun visit Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple located at a distance of 6 km from the main city. Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple is widely popular as a pilgrimage site in Dehradun. The beautiful temple of Lord Shiva established between the two hills attracts hundreds of tourists from inside and around Dehradun all round the year. Travellers from and around Uttarakhand pay visit to Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple for its religious significance and adventurers go there to see the water drops dripping on the Shiva ling in Drona cave, which is a spectacular sight. The water that drops down vanishes underground and can be seen few yards away in the form of a stream. In Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple, cool sulphur-water springs where devoted pilgrims take bath before entering the temple. A large festival is held on Shivratri day around the Tapkeshwar temple. People in large numbers participate in the fair organized on the occasion of Shivratri and pay their obeisance to the deity every year. Drona Cave, surrounded by beautiful hills, is usually covered with picnickers from Dehradun and nearby districts.

Visitor information

The temple is situated on the Garhi Cantt Road and is 30.7 km from

Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun Airport , also known as Jolly Grant Airport, is a domestic airport serving Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, India, located 25 km south of the city. Commercial operations began on 30 March 2008, after a runway extension to accomm ...

Dehradun, 9.7 km from ISBT Dehradun and 7.5 km from Railway Station Deharadun. you can get nnkjh ucxercs 4dfugohgg-um=]i=0a taxi at the airport, a city bus or a three-wheeler near the ISBT or Railway Station which will take you straight to the temple.

References

{{Hindu temples in Uttarakhand Hindu temples in Uttarakhand Shiva temples in Uttarakhand Tourist attractions in Dehradun Buildings and structures in Dehradun