Built in - Ancient
Diety - Golu Devta
Location - Chitai Village, 10 kms from Almora
Timings - 05:00 A.M. to 09:00 P.M.
Uttarakhand is one of the most important places in terms of religious and spiritual destination of India. it is a place where Hindu devotees visit and pray to the Almighty.
This place is also known as ‘DEVBHOOMI’ which means ‘THE LAND OF THE LORD.’ This place has various famous temples, sculptures, monuments, architectures and also the rivers have a high historical importance. This place is full of historical and mythological stories about the various gods and goddesses that live here.
This place also has many sacred Hindu temples like Chhota Char Dham, Siddha Peeth, Shakti Peeth, Panch Kedar, Panch badri and Panch Prayag. All these temples are very important since ancient times. It is believed that every person should visit at least one of these places once in their lifetime.
This place will also provide you with the divine knowledge about the various gods and goddesses. You will learn about the lifestyle, food, culture, their role in various wars etc. about these lords such as Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, Lord Vishnu, Mata Parvati, Mata Durga, Chandika etc.
This place is visited by thousands of devotees throughout the year. you will not only gain the knowledge about the temples but also can enjoy various activities such as hiking, trekking, camping and many more. The weather and the hills will add up on your joy.
This place has been a religious and spiritual magnet since antiquity. There are many famous temples situated in Uttarakhand. One of such temples is Chitai Golu Devta temple.
Let us now learn more about this temple.
The famous temple of Chitai is in Almora and is located about 10 km from Almora in Chitai village at the top of a hill. There are many temples of Golu devta in Almora, but Chitai Golu Devta is the most sacred temple among all. This sacred temple is dedicated to Golu Devta or Lord Golu, and he is considered as the God of justice in Kumaon region. There is a unique devotion among the devotees when it comes to this temple. Golu devta is an avatar of Lord Shiva in the form of Gaur Bhairav.
Thousands of devotes and believers write their wishes on paper and submit in the temple believing that the lord of fairness and justice will accept all of their requests which are made with a pure heart. Devotes express their joy and gratitude towards the lord when their wishes got fulfilled, by tying the bells around the temple premises or even organize a worship ceremony. Worshippers also pray to the god by the means of white cloth, pagri and white shawl. Over the centuries this place is believed to be a place where the devta provides justice and help to all his true devotees.
According to the history, Champawat is considered as the origin of Golu Devta. It was also said by some historians and local people that Golu Devta was the son and general of king Jhal Rai and Kalinka of Katyur dynasty.
The mother of devta was believed to be the sister of two other local deities Harishchand Devjyun who is considered as the divine spirit of Raja Harish at the time off Chand Dynasty, and Sem Devjyun. They both were the uncles of Lord Golu.
There are different kind of brass bells in the temple which are also very historical. Many devotes of Golu devta donated these bells since centuries. These grass bells represent the gratitude of the devotes towards the lord after their wishes got fulfilled.
Some historians also believe that Golu Devta was a general in the army of Baj bahadur, he was the king of Chand dynasty from 1638 to 1678. He died in a battlefield and ever since he was regarded as a god as he was very brave at the war time.
According to the legends and mythologies, there was a very famous story in the Kumaon region that involves a local king. He sent some of his servants to bring some water for him while he was hunting. When the servants went searching for the water, they accidently disturbed a lady who was praying at that time.
The women then got angry, and she said to the king that he could not separate two fighting bulls. The king accepted her challenge, but he failed eventually. Then the lady did it herself and she end up impressing him and the king married her.
The other queens were jealous of her as she had a son with the king. The other queens took away her child and put a stone in that place. They put the baby in a cage and throw him in the water. The child did not die, and a fisherman found him. He was then brought up by that fisherman. When that boy grew up and he came to known about his identity he decided to seek on the injustice done to his mother.He took a wooden horse to the river and went to the king.
The queen asked him that why is he feeding a wooden horse water, he replied that if a women can give birth to a stone than a wooden horse can also drink water. The king then punished the queen and accepted the boy as his son. This boy later went to be known as Golu Devta.
According to the other legend, the king of Binsar killed Golu Devta before he was considered as God because of some wrong doubt. Locals tell the story that the king was beheaded, and his body fell at Gairad at Dana Golu and his head fell in Kaparkhan, near modern day Binsar. There is also an original temple of Golu Devta at Dana Golu.
According to the other saying, the gwala devta also known as ‘Gwala’ which means a herder of cows. It was said that about Golu devta that if you tie a bell in the neck of a sacred cow, the ringing is equals to 1000 bells in a holy temple. It was his belief that every 33 crore gods and goddesses are present in a single temple. Golu devta also have siblings in the form of Bhairava and Garh Devi in the form of shakti. They are in the villages of Chamoli which is very close to Kumaon village, golu devta is also worshipped as key deity.
Golu Devta is worshipped in many areas also the areas which are very far away. Devotees perform 3 days pooja or 9 days pooja and give offerings in the name of Lord Golu Devta which is also know as Goreel Devta famous in Chamoli district. Lord Golu is basically worshipped by offering Ghee, milk, curd, halwa, poori, pakauri.
This temple of Chitai Golu Devta is famous for many reasons:
This is a beautiful temple situated in the hill region where the weather is always very beautiful and adorable. You can visit this temple throughout the year. the weather in this place is very overwhelming, you can see the birds chirping, the sky so clean, the clouds all around the mountains, the scenery is just amazing. The best time to visit this temple is during the months of march, April, may, June, September, October, and November. At the time of summer season this place is full of sunny days and pleasant temperature, the nights are little cold and very enjoyable. At the time of monsoon season this place is full of greenery and the clouds are in their best shape and are surrounded all over the mountains.
There is very less chance of heavy rainfall, landslides, and any other harsh weather conditions during these months. You can also do hiking, trekking, camping, and other activities around this time. During the time of winter season, the weather is little harsh, and the days and nights are very cold at that time. Therefore, it is advisable either you do not visit at that time or bring sweaters and all the necessary equipment to protect yourself from the cold weather conditions.
This place can also be visited during the time of festivals. At the time of festivals this place is full of beautiful lighting and the pooja is also conducted at a huge platform.
Location : Chitai Golu Devta temple is situated in Almora. It is located 9 km away from the Almora city on state highway 37.
Exploration Time : The exploration time of this temple is approx. 2 hours. The entry fee is also zero. You can enjoy and worship this temple free of cost.
Distance\Time Travel : The distance of this temple to Lala bajar, Almora is approx. 9 km which will take you around 24 mins to reach the temple.
Timings of The Temple : The timing of the temple is from 6 am in the morning to 7 pm in the evening. You can visit the temple after this time, but there will be no priests to attend you.
The Chitai Golu Devta can be reach by various transportation systems:
By Road : The Chitai Golu Devta temple is located only 10 km from Almora. It is also connected to the road going to Jageshwar Dham. One can hire a taxi or cab to reach your location. Regular buses are also available to drop at your location.
By Train : The nearest railway station to reach the Chitai golu Devta temple is Kathgodam Railway station which is 94 km away from the temple. Buses are taxis are also available from the railway station and Haldwani on a regular basis. You can also rent a shared taxi to reach to your destination.
By Air : the nearest airport to reach the Chitai Golu Devta temple is Pant Nagar airport. This airport is 124 km away from the temple. Buses and taxis are always available form that place to reach your location.
The nearest international airport to reach the Chita Golu Devta temple is IGI Delhi, which is 352 km away from the temple. Buses are easily available from there, which is obviously a cheap option to pick. There are also available option of taxis or cabs that can drop you to your destination. Shared taxis are also a good and preferably cheap option to choose.
Char Dham Yatra is one of the most important sacred Hindu worship destinations in India. it is one of the most religious and spiritual travel destination in Uttarakhand. In Uttarakhand it is known as Chhota Char Dham Yatra. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas. It is located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand. This circuit consists of four sites namely Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. It is believed that every person should visit all these sites once in their lifetime. It is also believed that if you visit all these places and worship and pray to God with full devotion you can attain ultimate moksha. It is also a place where people go to get the apology on the sins that they have done.
The temple of Golu Devta is the most sacred temple of the place. It is located in the region of the Char Dham as well. It is very much advisable to visit this place on your journey to char Dham because this place is very holy, and it is believed that you can get refreshed by just walking in this temple. This temple also has high historical and mythological importance since ancient times. You can also get knowledge about the Lord Shiva by visiting this place.
Therefore, you can always visit this temple while your journey too Char Dham.
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