Champavati Temple, Chamba
temple · 172 m away
temple1 min from Chamba
Hari Rai Temple, Chamba
Hari Rai Temple is a stone tower temple in Chamba's old town, tied to the Minjar fair by a legend of the Ravi's course, a short walk from the Chaugan.
What it is
Hari Rai Temple is one of the old stone temples of Chamba, a tower of carved stone under a wooden cap, with a small shrine in front of it. It stands in the old town, a minute from the Chaugan, among the other temples the town is known for.
Photos: Ms Sarah Welch (CC0) · Ms Sarah Welch (CC0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
It is on foot from anywhere in the old town: a minute from the Lakshmi Narayan temples and Champavati Temple.
The visit
A legend links the temple to the Minjar fair: the fair is said to mark the moment Raja Sahil Varman turned the river's course so that the temple could be reached by everyone. Look at the carved figures set into niches up the tower; the stone is worn but the figures are clear in side light. Little is published about the temple's age, so this guide gives none.
When to go
Any month. The Minjar fair, in April, fills the Chaugan beside it for 21 days. See when to visit Chamba.
Around it
Champavati Temple, the Lakshmi Narayan temples and the Chaugan are all within a few minutes. The old-town temples walk puts them in one loop.
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Questions people ask
Where is Hari Rai Temple in Chamba?
In the old town, a minute or so from the Chaugan and from the Lakshmi Narayan temples, so it is on foot from everything else on a one-day walk. It is one of several old temples around the Chaugan, alongside Bansi Gopal and the Lakshmi Narayan group.
What is the legend linked to Hari Rai Temple?
The Minjar fair marks an event in which Raja Sahil Varman is said to have changed the course of the river, so that the Hari Rai temple could be reached by all devotees. The fair begins in April on the first day of Baisakhi and runs for 21 days.
How long should you spend here?
Fifteen to twenty minutes is enough for the carved tower and its small shrine. Little is published about the temple's age, so this guide gives no date. Pair it with the Lakshmi Narayan temples and Champavati Temple, which are a minute away.