HADIMBA DEVI TEMPLE

It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, sister of Hidimba, who was a character in the Indian epic, Mahābhārata. The temple is surrounded by a cedar forest at the foot of the Himālayas. The sanctuary is built over a huge rock jutting out of the ground, which was worshiped as an image of the deity. The structure was built in the year 1553.[1]

The Hidimbi Devi Temple has intricately carved wooden doors and a 24 meters tall wooden "shikhar" or tower above the sanctuary.[2] The tower consists of three square roofs covered with timber tiles and a fourth brass cone-shaped roof at the top. The earth goddess Durga forms the theme of the main door carvings.[3] The temple base is made out of whitewashed, mud-covered stonework. An enormous rock occupies the inside of the temple, only a 7.5 cm (3 inch) tall brass image representing goddess Hidimbi Devi. A rope hangs down in front of the rock, and according to a legend, in bygone days religious zealots would tie the hands of "sinners" by the rope and then swing them against the rock.[4]

About 70 metres away from the temple, there is a shrine dedicated to Goddess Hidimba's son, Ghatotkacha who was born after she married Bhima.

Museum of Traditional Himachal Culture

This small, privately funded museum near the Dhungri temple is worth a quick visit. The curator has spent years collecting folk art and handicrafts from surrounding villages to protect the traditions of the Kullu valley.

Green Forest cafe
Green Forest cafe, lying on the Hadimba-temple old manali road, only a few hundred meters from the temple, is also a very popular destination for both locals and foreigners. It serves tibetean soups, veggie dumplings and other sandwiches and snacks.