Located at the center of Bharmour town, Chaurashi temple has huge religious significance for the people of this area as well as numerous other Hindus of the country. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the temple occupies a central place in the lives of people in Bharmour. Chaurashi in Hindi language means the number eighty four.
The sacred place has obtained its name because of the eight four shrines built in the whole temple complex. Most of these are dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi and Narsimha (an incarnate of Lord Vishnu). The center of the complex is inhabited by the Manimahesh Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and houses an enormous Shiva Linga.
Legend and history of Chaurashi Temple
There are a couple of mythological stories associated with Chaurasi Temple of Bharmour. It is held that 84 Yogis had come to this place during the reign of King Sahil Varman while he was facing difficult times of his life. These yogis were extremely impressed by his generosity and hospitality that they blessed him with ten sons and a daughter Champavati. With her name, the capital of this place came to known as Chamba. While some of the shrines that form a part of the Chaurasi Temple already existed, the King got the remaining ones built-up to sanctify the saints’ blessings.
There is another legend related to the temple which is of the times when this place was known as Brahmpura. It is believed that Lord Shiva reached Brahmpura with 84 Sidhas on their way to Manimahesh Kailash while Brahmini Devi, the presiding deity of this place had gone somewhere. Lord Shiva wanted to leave these Sidhas here but when Brahmini Devi returned in the evening and saw fire lit by these Sidhas, she got very furious. Lord Shiva requested her politely to allow these Yogis to spend the night in her beautiful gardens as they were very tired. The Goddess permitted them and went to place from where she could not see the fire. In the morning, Lord Shiva left these Sidhas sleeping and departed to Kailash. These Sidhas wanted to settle here so transformed themselves into 84 Shiva Lingas. After that Lord Shiva endowed Devi Brahmini with a boon that every visitor will first take a bath in Devi Brahmini’s holy pool before offering prayers at Manimahesh, else their prayers will not be accepted. The holy pool of Goddess Brahmini is about 20 sq m below the Brahmini cave. It is believed that Brahmini had stolen this water Lord Sangola Naag lying on the other side of the ridge.
Architecture
These magnificent temples were built around 1400 years ago with beautiful Shikhara style of Architecture. Originally, the Manimahesh temple and the complex was constructed and additions of more temples to it as well as the repairs of existing ones continued to be done. The Manimahesh Temple dominates the square of Chaurasi Temple’s periphery. It’s Garbha Griha or the sanctum contains a huge Shiva Linga. The Narsimha temple built in dedication to Lord Vishnu also has the architecture of same style. The other major temples include Lakshana Devi temple, Nandi Bull temple, Dharmeshwar Mahadev temple and Ganpati temple. The mountainscape surroundings offer an incredible and pleasant view in the temple’s background. Also there are a number of schools around the temple complex.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Chaurasi Temple is from the month of May to November as the trek to Manimahesh Lake remains open during these months. Moreover, the season of monsoon further enhances the natural scenic beauty of this place.
Accommodation
Though there are a plenty of good guest houses and hotels in and around Bharmour, PWD Rest house and Rajdhani Hotel are the best options.
- Location – Bharmour – Chamba → Himachal Pradesh
- Dedicated to → Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Nandi Bull, Goddess Lakshmi etc.
- Main Attraction → The complex comprising of 84 distinct temples built in Shikhara style
- Best time to visit → May to November
- How to reach by Air → the nearest airport – Gaggal (85km)
- How to reach by Rail – Nearest railway station →Kangra (83km)
- How to reach by Road → Chamba is 56-km from Dalhousie. Numerous state transport buses are available to Chamba and thereafter to Bharmour which is 65km further. Alternatively, one can also hire a taxi or drive own car.
