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A covered walkway under a canopy of colourful prayer flags beside a red prayer wheel rack and a stone bench at the Mahakal temple
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Photo: Sumitsurai · CC BY-SA 4.0
temple5 min from Darjeeling

Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling — the Shiva shrine on Observatory Hill

The Mahakal Temple on Observatory Hill in Darjeeling: a Shiva shrine shared by Hindus and Buddhists, its 1782 origins and the monastery that stood there.

What it is

The Mahakal Temple, Mahakal Mandir, is a Hindu temple to Shiva at the top of Observatory Hill in Darjeeling, reached from Chowrasta. Wikipedia calls it an amalgamation of Hindu and Buddhist religions, where both coexist.

Photos: Sumitsurai (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Sumitsurai (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

History

The temple stands where a Buddhist monastery named Dorje-Ling is said to have been built by Lama Dorjey Rinzing in 1765, on ground that was sacred to the Lepchas before it. Wikipedia dates the temple to 1782 and says Gurkha troops damaged the monastery around 1788 and again in 1815, after which the monks moved to Bhutia Busty. By legend three Shiva lingams, representing Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, appeared here in 1782, and a legend also says the name Darjeeling comes from Dorje-Ling.

What you see

Prayer flags and bells line the climb to the hilltop, and the shrine has gold-plated lingams with images of the Buddha beside them. A white chorten holds the relics of Dorjey Rinzing, and smaller shrines to Kali, Durga, Ganesha, Krishna, Rama, Hanuman and other deities stand around. Wikipedia also notes monkeys on the hill.

Getting there

A short climb up from Chowrasta; see the quick facts for the measured road time to the foot of the hill. We have no verified opening hours or entry rules.

Combine it with

Chowrasta is at the foot, and the two-day plan opens with the temple. The Buddhist side of town is at the Peace Pagoda. Read things to do in Darjeeling.

Plans that include this

All 2 plans that stop here →
The snow summits of the Kangchenjunga range glowing pink-gold in first light above a bank of cloud, seen from Tiger Hill
One day in Darjeeling — Tiger Hill sunrise and the ridge road
Day plan · First visit · Classic
A one-day Darjeeling plan: Tiger Hill at sunrise, the Batasia Loop, the Yiga Choeling Monastery, the Peace Pagoda, Mahakal temple and Chowrasta.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
A blue Darjeeling Himalayan Railway train with blue carriages running beside a road between green forest and a stone drain
Two days in Darjeeling — the old town, the tea estate and the toy train
1 night · 2 days · First visit · Temples & heritage
A two-day Darjeeling plan: Chowrasta, the Mahakal temple, St Andrew's Church, the botanical garden and tea, then the toy train to Ghum, the loop and pagoda.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

Nearby places

All of Darjeeling →
St Andrew's Church, Darjeeling — the town's oldest church
St Andrew's Church, Darjeeling — the town's oldest church
monument · 120 m away
Chowrasta, Darjeeling — the town square on the Mall
Chowrasta, Darjeeling — the town square on the Mall
area · 296 m away
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — the toy train and its loops
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — the toy train and its loops
monument · 316 m away
Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Darjeeling — the Himalayan plants below the town
Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Darjeeling — the Himalayan plants below the town
monument · 612 m away
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
park · 1.8 km away
Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling — the white Japanese stupa on Jalapahar
Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling — the white Japanese stupa on Jalapahar
temple · 2.3 km away
Batasia Loop, Darjeeling — the spiral of the toy train and the Gorkha memorial
Batasia Loop, Darjeeling — the spiral of the toy train and the Gorkha memorial
monument · 4.0 km away
Yiga Choeling Monastery, Ghum — the Old Ghoom Monastery and its Maitreya statue
Yiga Choeling Monastery, Ghum — the Old Ghoom Monastery and its Maitreya statue
temple · 4.4 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
Pastel-coloured buildings of Gangtok climbing a steep, forested hillside, seen from a viewpoint across the valley
Gangtok
47 km away · 4 itineraries · 11 places
A wide view over the houses of Shillong spread across forested hills under a sky of towering white clouds
Shillong
395 km away · 3 itineraries · 6 places
A deep, steep-sided green valley filled with low grey cloud seen from the Mawkdok Dympep viewpoint near Cherrapunji
Cherrapunji
397 km away · 1 itineraries · 2 places
The town of Almora spread across a terraced ridge under a blue sky with clouds
Almora
890 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
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Questions people ask

What is the Mahakal Temple in Darjeeling?

A Hindu temple to Shiva at the top of Observatory Hill, behind Chowrasta. Wikipedia says Lama Dorjey Rinzing raised it in 1782 where an older Buddhist monastery had stood, and that it blends Hindu and Buddhist practice, with a Hindu priest and a Buddhist monk performing rituals together.

Is the name Darjeeling linked to this temple?

Wikipedia records a legend that the name Darjeeling comes from the monastery Dorje-Ling that once stood here, and says another reading derives it from a Sanskrit phrase for Shiva of invincible prowess. These are traditions, not a settled etymology. The Observatory Hill article also notes monkeys on the hill, so keep food out of sight.

How do you get to the Mahakal Temple?

It stands on Observatory Hill, a short uphill walk from Chowrasta, the town's central square, with prayer flags and bells along the way. Our measured road time to the hill's foot is in the quick facts above. We have no verified opening hours or entry rules, so ask locally and keep your shoes off the shrine floor.