A large bronze bell hanging under a small green roof at the top of steps among tall deodar trees at Tarkeshwar Mahadev

temple2 h 3 min from Lansdowne

Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple near Lansdowne — Shiva's shrine in the deodar forest

Tarkeshwar Mahadev, the Shiva temple at about 1,800 m in deodar and pine forest east of Lansdowne: Tarkasur's story, Shivratri, and the road from Lansdowne.

What it is

Tarkeshwar Mahadev is a temple of Shiva at about 1,800 m, set in thick forest of deodar and pine east of Lansdowne. Here Shiva is worshipped as an idol dancing the tandava, with the Shivling placed below it, and beside his shrine stands a temple of the goddess Shakti. Wikipedia notes that a special worship is held at Shivratri.

Photos: Ashish Gupta from Noida, India (CC BY 2.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

The story of the place

This is where the demon Tarkasur sat in meditation and won a boon from Shiva: that no one but Shiva's own son could kill him. Armed with it he turned on the sages and the gods, so Shiva married Parvati, and their son Kartikeya was born and slew him. As he died, Tarkasur prayed to Shiva for forgiveness, and Mahadev joined the demon's name to the place where he had once worshipped. That is why it is Tarkeshwar Mahadev.

Getting there

Wikipedia puts the temple 36 km from Lansdowne; our routing over OpenStreetMap measures a longer road, about 56 km and 123 minutes, so plan two hours each way. The last stretch is on foot along a paved, railed path through the forest. The temple committee keeps a dharamshala, by Wikipedia's account; we have no verified timings or rules, so ask locally before you set out.

Plan it

The weekend from Delhi gives the temple its own day. Read things to do in Lansdowne.

Plans that include this

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A weekend in Lansdowne from Delhi — the town, then Tarkeshwar Mahadev in the forest

1 night · 2 days · weekend travellers from Delhi · hill weekend

A two-day Lansdowne weekend from Delhi: the drive up, Bhulla Tal, St Mary's Church and Tip-n-Top, then the forest temple of Tarkeshwar Mahadev before home.

Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov

See the plan →

Nearby places

All of Lansdowne →

St Mary's Church, Lansdowne — the old stone church on the ridge by Tip-n-Top

temple · 11 km away

Bhulla Tal, Lansdowne — the small lake the Garhwal Rifles' young soldiers built

lake · 11 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →

Rishikesh

57 km away · 3 itineraries · 4 places

A wide grassy river valley in Jim Corbett National Park under a pale sky, with forested ridges and blue hills beyond

Ramnagar

59 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places

The ghats of Har Ki Pauri on the Ganga, with the clock tower, small red-roofed shrines and bathers on the steps

Haridwar

61 km away · 3 itineraries · 5 places

Ranikhet

65 km away · 2 itineraries · 3 places

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Questions people ask

How far is Tarkeshwar Mahadev from Lansdowne?

Wikipedia puts the temple 36 km from Lansdowne. Our routing over OpenStreetMap finds a longer road of about 56 km and 123 minutes, so allow two hours each way and start early. The temple stands at about 1,800 m in thick deodar and pine forest, and the last part is a walk along a railed path.

What is the story of Tarkeshwar Mahadev?

The demon Tarkasur meditated here and won from Shiva a boon that only Shiva's son could kill him. Shiva then married Parvati, and their son Kartikeya slew him. As he died, Tarkasur begged Shiva's pardon, and Mahadev joined his name to this place: so it is Tarkeshwar, the lord of Tarkasur.

When is the special worship at Tarkeshwar Mahadev?

At Shivratri, Wikipedia says, when a special worship is offered to Mahadev here and the temple is at its busiest. On other days it is a quiet forest shrine. Dress modestly, follow the priests' guidance in the temple, and ask locally about the day's timings before you make the long drive from Lansdowne.