A winter breeze fills the air as we trudge uphill towards the Kasar Devi temple. It is a delight to be away from the smog-filled teary-eyed sights of Delhi, and I finally put my legs to work as we make our way through pine trees and dried-up deodars. Kasar Devi temple, in the quaint hill village that gets its name from this temple, in the district of Almora in Uttarakhand, offers a respite from the daily humdrum of life and has been, for ages, a huge draw for &ldquomystics and hippies&rdquo alike, as the pandit at the temple jokingly tells us.
Surrounded by lush green forests, the temple juts out from the top of the hill and sits adjacent to a Shiv temple that lies a few steps away. Offering a panoramic view of Almora and the Hawabagh valley, the temple is believed to date back to the second century and was carved out of a cave. The structure that is visible today was developed in 1948. According to Skanda Purana, this cave temple was built by Yakshas and Gandhars ( nature spirits and heavenly beings) while Devi Bhagwan Purana marks this place as the site where Kaushiki Devi slayed demons Shumbh and Nishumbh. There is an imprint of the goddess Durga&rsquos lion on the rock behind the idol inside the Kasar Devi Temple.
Even though we feel the mysticism in the air, the most bewildering aspect of this temple, which is frequented by believers from all corners of the country, is its unique connection to Machu Picchu in Peru and Stonehenge in the UK.
Kasar Devi sits on the earth&rsquos Van Allen Belt the locals share anecdotes of how NASA experts came to the village to understand the unique geomagnetic field on which sits this quaint temple. It is its unique position, shared by UK&rsquos Stonehenge and Peru&rsquos Machu Pichu, that endows these three heritage structures with an inexplicable cosmic energy. While there is little official confirmation to confirm this belief, the locals swear by the temple&rsquos power and suggest meditating here to quiet one&rsquos mind. It is the same energy, locals believe, that brought artists, mystics, philosophers, and spiritual seekers to Kasar. Swami Vivekananda, Bob Dylan, Rabindranath Tagore and DH Lawrence are some of the famous names that made Kasar their pitstop.
A cave, called the Kasar Devi cave, is believed to have been the meditating spot for Swami Vivekananda in 1890 from where he penned his experiences. A local guide tells us how, in spite of nearing the highest spiritual experiences, Swami Vivekananda forego his spiritual bliss to help save the world from misery. There is a tattered yoga mat where you too can sit and search for inner peace, or if you&rsquore restless like this writer, head to the Crank&rsquos Ridge.
Popularly called the Hippie Hill, this point, a short walk from the temple premises, is where spiritualist meets youth. Bob Dylan and actress Uma Thurman are said to have visited this spot where tourists are often seen spending time basking in the sunlight.
How To Reach Kasar Devi
Pantnagar is the nearest airport to Almora. You can also take the daily Shatabdi between New Delhi and Kathgodam from where a cab can take you to Kasar Devi in 4 hours. The temple is approximately 400kms from Delhi by road.