Rampur Bushahr
town · 16.2 km away
temple1 min from Sarahan
Bhimakali Temple, Sarahan
The Bhimakali Temple at Sarahan, also written Bhima Kali, is a 13th-century kath-kuni temple and one of the 51 Shakta pithas, with three courtyards.
What it is
The Bhimakali Temple, also written Bhima Kali and first known as the Bhimadevi Temple, stands at Sarahan above the Satluj. It is the temple of the goddess Bhimakali, the presiding deity of the rulers of the former Bushahr state, and it is counted as one of the 51 Shakta pithas. It is built in the kath-kuni way, with alternate rows of stone and timber, and its decoration mixes Hindu and Vajrayana Buddhist elements, a sign of the trade that once ran through the town on the old Indo-Tibetan road.
Photos: Original: Gerd Eichmann Derivative work: UnpetitproleX (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Gerd Eichmann (CC BY 4.0) · Gerd Eichmann (CC BY 4.0) · Gerd Eichmann (CC BY 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
The temple is at the heart of Sarahan, about a minute from the centre by road and within walking distance of the market. The town itself is 79 minutes above Rampur Bushahr, so most visitors make the temple the first stop of the day and the reason for the night.
What to look for
Come in through the gateways in order. There are four carved gates: the first is gold-plated, the second silver-foiled, the third opens to the Raghunath temple, and the fourth, the Shri Dwar, opens to the twin towers. Between them are three courtyards. The first holds the Narsingha temple, the second the Raghunath temple, and the third the twin towers that house the goddess. Stone and deodar are the materials throughout, and the walls and doors carry wooden and silver carving. Under the roofs, wooden chimes hum when they move.
Look at the raised platform in front of the first entry gate. Legend says the head of the defeated Banasura, who ruled this country before the temple's time, was buried there after his battle with Krishna. Another account says the goddess's ear fell here when Sati's body was carried across the land.
The tower has a story too. In the 1905 Kangra earthquake it is said to have tilted and then straightened in a later tremor. Local tradition also holds that a disused tunnel runs from the temple to the village of Ranwin, about a kilometre off. The priests are said to have used it to come and go unseen.
Beside the temple stand the King's and Queen's palaces, which are comparatively recent. The royal family does not live in them and visits occasionally for Durga Puja in October.
When to go
Any month the road is clear; the winters are cold, with snowfall from November to March, so spring and autumn are the easy seasons. See when to visit Sarahan. October brings Durga Puja, when the royal family visits.
Around it
Rampur Bushahr, the winter capital of Bushahr, is 79 minutes down the road, and the temples of Nirmand lie beyond it. The one-day plan and the two-day plan both start here, and things to do in Sarahan has the rest.
Plans that include this
All 2 plans that stop here →
Day plan · First visitTemples & heritage
One day from Sarahan — the Bhimakali Temple and Rampur Bushahr
A one-day Sarahan plan: the Bhimakali Temple with its three courtyards, then the drive down to Rampur Bushahr, the old winter capital. Free, copyable itinerary.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visitTemples & heritage
Two days around Sarahan — Bhimakali, Rampur and the temples of Nirmand
A two-day Sarahan plan: the Bhimakali Temple, a night in Rampur Bushahr, then the old wooden temples of Nirmand on day two. Free, copyable itinerary.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →Nearby places
Questions people ask
What is the Bhimakali Temple?
The temple of the goddess Bhimakali, the presiding deity of the rulers of the former Bushahr state, at Sarahan. It was built in the 13th century in the kath-kuni style and is counted as one of the 51 Shakta pithas. It was first known as the Bhimadevi Temple.
What should you look for inside the temple complex?
The three courtyards, which hold the Narsingha temple, the Raghunath temple and the twin towers of the goddess, and the four carved gateways, the first gold-plated and the second silver-foiled. The walls carry wooden and silver carving, and wooden chimes hum in the open spaces.
Is the temple open to visit right now?
We have no verified opening hours, entry rules or photography rules. Part of the foundation collapsed in 2022 and a conservation committee began work in 2023, so ask in the town before you plan the day around it and expect some areas to be restricted.
How far is the temple from the centre of Sarahan?
It stands within walking distance of the market area, which is why most visitors simply walk to it from wherever they are staying. By road it is about a minute from the centre of town, and the royal palaces sit right beside it.