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Uttaranchal Duryodhan Mandir
Duryodhana Temple at Saur village is a famous shrine situated in Jakhol near Mori, which is known as the biggest temple in Uttrakhand.
Duryodhana is an important character of epic Mahabharata, although depicted as villainous against his own cousins Pandavas, ultimately losing the kingdom to them in Kurukshetra war. There is a temple for him at Saur village in Rawainparagana, which is in Parola tehsil of Uttarkashi district. In fact, Duryodhana has about 13 temples the remaining twelve of them situated at Katgaon, Sidari, Khatmer, Gangad, Osala, Kherga, Paun-tala, Paun-Uporala, Jakhol, Dhara, Phetari and Lebadi. In these temples, and elsewhere, Duryodhana is referred as Sumeshu or Someshwar by devotees.
It is also believed that the Tamas River flowing around the area was formed by the tears of Bubruvahan, another character in Mahabharata, who cried at every defeat of the Kauravas, the river deriving its name from a Hindi word 'Tamas', meaning sorrow. It is also said that nobody drinks water from this river. Besides Saur, there are temples for Kauravas at placeslike Osla, Gangar and Datmircan.
History
Some of the writers of history have stated that Pandavas of Mahabharata belong to Mongolian race called Kiratas and Kurus or Kauravas, to which group Duryodhana belongs hail from Khasha cult and there was mutual rivalry between Kashas and Kiratas. The cults of Pandavas and Kauravas having been popular in Mahasu cultic zones, their peripheral influences were at Dhungri, which is Manali and Kafaur, which is Kinnaur, in the Uttrakhand State of India.
Some of the characters of Mahabharata have temples in this region, for instance, Hidimba the one who married Bheemsen has seven temples, in different places in this State, Karna having a wooden temple at Deorah, Uttaranchal, while Duryodhana has his temple at Saur, besides twelve others. Pandavas have their temple at Masali in Pabbar Valley in Shimla district.
This Duryodhana temple was built by the people of Saur Village, the locals of this place believing that they are the descendants of Pandavas and Kauravas.
Architecture
Duryodhana temple ought to have been made in Wooden temple architecture adopted by Khasha cult of those days, indicating the need for understanding the architecture in congruence with the living and dynamic institutions of the society in this region during 7th and 8th century periods.
The inscriptions in the temple reveal that this structure was made in 1974 and rebuilt on 1-7-1980, the earlier one possibly a wooden structure. Now, it is symmetrically made out structure, with a front verandah with a large façade at the entrance door. The wood carvings fitted in the present façade must have been inspired from the earlier part of wooden architecture. The verandah is fully covered with wooden planks and it is leading to functional hall. The celestial area of the temple is in unitary type structure, covered by two concentric rubble stone walls on all sides, between which passage of 1.22 metres left out for doing circumambulation prayers. The sanctum is within the inner four-walls and wooden posts are provided to support extended roof. An exclusive conical canopy covers the sanctum which is superseded by a ‘Kalasha’. The symbols of goat and a Monal are sculpted in the wooden log form of the ‘nala’ over the temple.
How To Reach
By Air
Mori is situated 175 km from Jolly Grant Airport, which is the nearest and there are daily flights to this airport from Delhi. There are motorable roads connecting this airport and Uttarkashi town and plenty of taxis available for transport.
By Rail
Dehradun Railway Station is the nearest rail point to this place, from where one can travel about 175 km by road which is well maintained.
By Road
Mori is approachable by road through comfortable bus transport, including luxury types of buses, available for travel from major destinations of Uttrakhand State, which include Rishikesh, Tehri, Dehradun, Barkot etc.
Attractions
Mori is a location at Harkidun Valley where Swargarohini peak, the Jaundhar glacier and the Bharasu pass leading to Chitkul in the Sangla offering panoramic views of Himachal Pradesh. It is believed that Duryodhana and Karna spent their time here duly attracted by its beauty.
There are a number of tourism spots which one should visit in Mori which include Netwar Hamlet, Sankri Village, Kedarkanta and Judatal trekking spots, Jakhol village, Saruka Lake, Taluka village, Seema Junction, Harkidun meadow, Ruinsara Lake etc.
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