Dunagiri Temple, Ranikhet - Timings, History, Darshan, Pooja Timings

At a distance of 14 km from Dwarahat, 48 km from Ranikhet, and 78 km from Almora, Dunagiri Temple or Doonagiri Temple is the most famous temple situated at Dunagiri in Almora district of Uttarakhand.

The temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga in the form of Goddess Vaishnavi Devi and is located on a small hillock of Kumaon Hills. According to the legend, when Hanuman was carrying the rock laden with Sanjiwani to rescue Laxman injured in the battle of Ramayana, a piece of the hill fell here. This incident gave this place its name Doonagiri.

The temple is popularly known as Mangalikhan among locals. The Temple is one of the two Vaishnavi Shakti Peeths in India other one being Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu Kashmir. It is believed that the bronze plate inside the temple dates back to 1181 AD. Considered to be one of the powerful Shakti Peeths, the temple offers a panoramic view of the Gogas Valley. Visitors need to climb a stairway of 500 steps to reach the temple. The temple attracts a large number of pilgrims during Chaitra and Ashwin months of Navratras.

Tourists visiting Dunagiri can also visit Dwarahat and Pandavkholi. Pandavkholi is one of the places where Pandavas of Mahabharata spent some time during their exile. Located amidst the Dronagiri Hill ranges, Pandavkholi caves offer panoramic views of the surrounding Himalayan peaks. To reach Pandavkholi, one needs to ascent a small trek from Kukuchina that can be reached from Dunagiri.

Timings: 5 AM - 12 PM and 4 PM - 9 PM