Indian Institute of Advanced Study
viewpoint · 2.0 km away
temple16 min from Shimla
Sankat Mochan Temple
Sankat Mochan Temple, at 1,975 m on the Chandigarh-Shimla highway, was founded in 1950 by Neem Karoli Baba, Shimla's second-busiest Hanuman shrine today.
What it is
On the Chandigarh-Shimla highway at 1,975 m, Sankat Mochan Temple is a shrine to Hanuman, and Shimla's second most visited Hanuman site after Jakhoo Temple. It was established in 1950 by the religious figure Neem Karoli Baba, after he spent 10 to 12 days meditating in the surrounding forest.
Getting there
About 16 minutes by road from the edge of Shimla, roughly 7 km, on the Chandigarh-Shimla highway.
The visit
Construction began in 1962, backed by the region's then lieutenant governor, Bajrang Bahadur Singh, among other followers, and the temple opened on 21 June 1966. Beside the main shrine to Hanuman stand further statues of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Shiva and Ganesha, plus a smaller temple to Neem Karoli Baba himself, added in 1998. Views over Shimla open up from the site.
> Sundays draw much larger crowds, with a community Bhandara meal organised every Sunday.
When to go
Any time of year for the temple itself, though the forested surroundings are most pleasant outside the heaviest monsoon rain.
Around it
Chadwick Falls and the Army Heritage Museum, both closer to town, fill out the second day of the three-day circuit from Shimla. The Ridge and Jakhoo Temple, the day-one stops, sit on the shorter one-day loop instead.
Plans that include this
All 1 plans that stop here →Nearby places
Questions people ask
Who founded Sankat Mochan Temple?
Neem Karoli Baba, a noted religious figure, established it in 1950 after spending 10 to 12 days meditating in the surrounding forest, where he felt a Hanuman temple should be built. Construction began in 1962 and the temple was inaugurated in June 1966, a Tuesday.
How busy does Sankat Mochan Temple get?
Every Tuesday and Saturday see larger crowds, and Sundays draw the biggest numbers of all, when a large Bhandara community meal is organised for everyone who comes. Only Jakhoo Temple, on the town's own highest point, draws more Hanuman devotees than this one.
What else is at the temple besides the main shrine?
Statues of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana stand near the Hanuman shrine, alongside separate idols of Shiva and Ganesha, and a smaller temple dedicated to Neem Karoli Baba himself was added in 1998. Good views over Shimla are visible from the site itself.