Raghunathji Temple, Devprayag, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

About the TempleRaghunathji Temple stands in Devprayag town of Tehri Garhwal district in of Uttarakhand. The temple is consecrated to Lord Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu who is worshipped as Raghunathji in this temple. Raghunath temple is the foremost religious shrine in the pilgrimage city of Devprayag.

Temple View

Temple View

Temple History

Raghunathji temple is constructed in the Deula style architecture. According to the local folklore, this temple was built by Raja Jagat Singh of Kullu. He brought an idol of Lord Ram from his birthplace Ayodhya in an unethical manner. To get rid of his sin, he constructed the temple of Lord Ram. The construction for the current structure of the shrine was started in 1835 by Maharaja Gulab Singh who was the founder of the kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir. The temple construction was completed in 1860 during the reigns of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, son of Maharaja Gulab Singh.

As per another belief, the temple was originally established by Adi Shankaracharya during the 8th century. It was later expanded by the Garhwal Kingdom.

Temple Inner View

Temple Inner View

Temple ArchitectureThe sculptures on the temple walls are a combination of Buddhist and south Indian architecture. The inner walls of the temple are adorned with gold sheets on the three sides and also depicts life history of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. The temple has a single base and all the shrines are enclosed in enclosures. There are separate shrines in the temple for Badrinath, Adi Shankara, Lord Shiva, Goddess Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman around the main shrine. The main shrine has a conical roof over the sanctum and houses a granite idol of Lord Raghunathji in standing posture.

Temple LegendAs per the legend, Rghunathji temple is associated with Ramayana era. Lord Ram performed atonement at this place to get rid of the sin which he committed by killing Ravana, a demon king who was a Brahman. The god of creation, Lord Brahma is also believed to have performed penance at this place. The Pandavas also performed penance here before the battle of Mahabharat. Sage Bharadwaja is also believed to have performed atonement here and became one of the seven sacred sages, the Saptarishis. Hence, this place came to be known as Prayaga, meaning the holiest place to do penance. As per the local legend, Vataka or Banyan tree which stands in the temple premises would resist all earthly disasters and would remain through ages. It is believed that Lord Vishnu resides in the leaves of this tree.

Festivals and Celebrations

The most prominent festivals of the temple are Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Deepavali and Dusshera.

How To Reach

By Air: The nearest airport is Jolly Grant (116km) which is located at Dehradun.

By Train: The nearest railway stations are Rishikesh and Haridwar

By Road: Devprayag lies on national highway NH58. It is well connected by motorable roads with major towns of Uttarakhand.

 

Tags: Temples

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