Almora District's Ancient Kutumbari Temple Is Found Again

On the verdant hills of Dwarahat, in Almora, a temple stood bathed in grandiose. In 2000, its ruins were found by the Archaeological Survey of India. But suddenly, the ruins were no longer there, and the apex body had to deem the 8th-century Kutumbari temple as "lost." 

But recent findings have blurred its status as lost. Even though the structure doesn't stand as it did, its remains are spread across the village as a part of the local homes. Recent findings indicate that locals have used the ruins to construct their houses, but not for spiritual reasons. 

It has been reported that at least half a dozen houses in the quaint village feature the temple ruins. Interestingly, the decision of the villagers to repurpose the ruins as building materials was not in the hope that it would bring otherworldly luck. Instead, it was guided by practicality and, assumingly, a lack of understanding of its true origins. 

The current number only suggests a new finding and is tentative. ASI has indicated that there is a chance that more research may disclose the number of houses with temple ruins as the building material may increase. For authorities and history buffs, this opens up a pandora's box, as the last mention of this temple was recorded in 1957 when it was part of the Agra circle. 

Especially for ASI, this stands to be an exciting discovery, as it had begun the process of deprotection when the remains vanished. While there has been no announcement about the next course of action, they will likely arrive at a decision after conducting a short survey, followed by a meeting. 

Although Dwarhat is not a popular destination for tourists, it does attract many pilgrims as the village is home to several temples and shrines. Even the surrounding areas are dotted with many ancient temples you can visit. 

The best way to reach Dwarhat is to travel by train to Kathgodam and hire a private taxi or hail a bus to Dwarhat. The nearest airport is at Pant Nagar, located 30 km away from Kathgodam. 

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