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Bagnath Temple: Bageshwar gets its name form this
ancient temple of Lord Shiva set in the heart of the
town. According to mythological legends, sage
Markandey lived here and the place was visited by Lord
Shiva in the form of Bagh or tiger. The sacred shrine
was built during the reign of the Chands and it is
believed that no one could install the Shivlinga in
the sanctum, finally, Shri Manorath Pandey of Palayn
village performed penance and succeeded in installing
the Shivlinga on Shivratri. Since then a massive fair
is held here on 'Shivratri' to mark this auspicious
occasion. Large number of pilgrims flock to the
shrine, especially on Shivratri and on every Monday of
the holy month of Sharvan'. |
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There are also group of temples dedicated to various
Hindu deities. The main shrines among them are the
Bhairav temple, Dattatrey Maharaj, Ganga Mai temple,
Hanuman temple, Durga temple, Kalika temple, Thingal
Bhairav temple, Panchnam Junakhara and the Vaneswar
temple etc.
Chandika Temple: This beautiful shrine of
Goddess Chandika attracts large number of devotees
during the holy Navratras.
Shri Haru Temple: This important shrine lies
about 5 kms from Bagheswar. It is believed that the
wishes. of the devotees are fulfilled here. A large
fair is held here on the auspicious occasion of Vijaya
Dashmi.
Gauri Udiyar: The sacred site is 8 kms from
Bageshwar and has a large cave enshrining idols of
Lord Shiva.
Other important shrines in
and around Bageshwar are :
Ram Ghat temple, Agnikund temple, Nileshwar temple,
Kukuda Mai temple, Shitla Devi temple, Trijugi Narayan
temple, Hanuman temple, Nileshwar Dham, Swarg Ashram,
Ramji temple, Loknath Ashram, Ashram of Amitji, Jwala
Devi temple, Veni Mahadev temple, Radha Krishna
temple, Bhileshwar Dham, Suraj Kund, Siddartha Dham,
Gopeshwar Dham, Golu temple and Praktishwar Mahadev.
Around Bageshwar
Baijnath (26 kms): This historical and pilgrim
site on Gwaldam motor road is set on the banks of
river Gomti in Katyuri valley. It was once the capital
of Katyuri dynasty and the ancient temples here stand
in testimony of the erstwhile era. The ancient Shiva
temple here is famous for the magnificent idol of
Goddess Parvati. Another important shrine is the
Kotkimai temple, 8 kms from here.
Another sacred site nearby is the Pandusthal, which is
said to be the legendary battle ground of the Kaurvas
and Pandavas.
Kanda (25 kms):The charming site on Bageshwar
Chaukori road is a nature lover's delight. Nearby is
an ancient temple of Bhadrakali.
Vijaypur (30 kms) : It affords panoramic views
of the snow-clad Himalayan peaks.
Pindari Glacier: This world famous glacier is situated
in the Pinder Valley at an altitude of 3353 mts.
between the Nanda Devi and Nanda Kot mountains. The
glacier is a trekker's paradise, as it is one of the
most easily accessible of all the Himalayan glaciers.
The rugged beauty of the glacier presents an
awe-inspiring site. The glacier is 5 kms long, the
snout is about 6m high and 2.5m wide and above the
snout, the glacier extends for about 3kms in length
and 300- 400m in width, between an altitudinal range
of about 3600m to 5000m. The color of Pindari Glacier
is very white and Pinder river emerging from it is a
sight to behold.
Pindari Glacier Trek: The base camp is at Song
which can be reached by road from Bageshwar (36 kms),
Almora (109 kms), and Kathgodam (199 kms). After that
one has to trek 45kms upto zero point (Pindari
Glacier).
Song to Loharkhet - 3kms trek
Loharkhet to Dhakuri - 11kms
Dhakuri to Khati - 8kms
Khati to Dwali - 11kms
Dwali to Phurkia - 7kms
Phurkia to Pindari Glacier - 5kms
Sunderdhunga Glacier
Sunderdhunga or the 'valley of beautiful stones' is
slso located in the Pindar region. The glacier offers
a tough trek as compared to Pindari and Kaphini. There
are two glacier for trekkers and nature lovers, namely
Maiktoli and Sukhram. The route upto village Khati is
common for both Pindari and Sunderdhunga glacier.
Sunderdhunga Glacier Trek:
The trek length is 54 kms from Base Camp - Song.
Song to Loharkhet - 3kms Loharkhet to Dhakuri - 11 kms
Dhakuri to Kathi - 8 kms
Kathi to Sundarrfhunga Glacier - 30 kms
How to reach Bageshwar
By Air: The nearest airport for Bageshwar is
Pantnagar (206 kms)
By Rail: Nearest rail head is Kathgodam (180
kms)
By Road: Bageshwar is well connected by road to
major towns and cities.
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