Situated in chandar bhan, jia in kangra valley, himachal pradesh, india, in the himalayas, “Maa Aadi Himani Chamunda Devi Temple”, Also Known As “Mata Kaushiki Aadi Chamunda Temple” is dedicated to the worship Of The Divine Mother Mata Chamunda.

𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

The inception Of The “Maa Aadi Himani Chamunda Devi Temple” dates back to around 1660. The area, known as chandar bhan nagar, was named after raja chandar bhan. His palace ruins are just 50 meters from The “Maa Aadi Himani Chamunda Devi Temple”, and the ruins of his fort are 200 meters away, showing that the area was once vibrant.

In 1992, the temple was restored mainly due to the hard work of mr. p. d. saini, a retired class 1 officer, who spent 20 years on the restoration with the help of devotees. Even after the government took over the temple’s administration, the devotees continued to work on its improvement.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮

“The Devi Mahatmya” in Chapter 7 describes the allegorical battle where The Divine Mother Of the universe Emerges In Her Fierce And Formidable Form As Maa Maha Kaali, Slays the asuras chanda and munda, And Is Revered As Mata Chamunda.

Chanda and munda were the servants of the asura brothers shumbha and nishumbha, who had dispossessed the gods and took reign of the three worlds. The Divine Mother Had Promised That whenever remembered in times of distress, She Would Appear And Put An End to misfortune, and so the gods invoked The Divine Mother With praise. The Divine Mother Emerged In A Resplendent Form And Destroyed the asuras, Restoring balance in the universe.

The locals believe that Mata Chamunda Slayed the asuras chanda and munda on the hilltop of the holy site of The “Maa Aadi Himani Chamunda Devi Temple”.

𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Situated within the kangra quarter of himachal pradesh, the trek to “Maa Aadi Himani Chamunda Devi Temple” takes you to an elevation of 3185 meters above sea level. The devotees Of Mata Chamunda undertake this journey with Great Reverence.

The temple address is: Trail To “Maa Aadi Himani Chamunda Devi Temple”, kudan, chandar bhan, himachal pradesh 176059, india.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲

The “Maa Aadi Himani Chamunda Devi Temple” Is open from march 15 to november 15 each year. The best time to visit is from april to june and september to mid-november, as the monsoon season (july to september) and the winter season (post-october) make the trek difficult due to heavy rains and snow. During the winter months, the temple is unmanned, but the sarai (rest house) remains open with some basic cooking utensils and bedding provided.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲

The “Maa Aadi Himani Chamunda Devi Temple” Provides panoramic views of the dhauladhar range, making the hilltop a favorite destination for nature lovers and travelers seeking tranquility.

To reach the temple from both within and outside India, these steps can be followed:

From Outside India

1. By air:
– Nearest international airports:
– indira gandhi international airport (DEL) in new delhi.
– sri guru ram dass jee international airport (ATQ) in amritsar.
– From these international airports, take a domestic flight to kangra airport (also known as gaggal airport) in himachal pradesh.

2. By train:
– Nearest railway stations:
– Pathankot railway station (PTK), from where you can take a taxi or bus to kangra.
– Alternatively, you can travel to chandigarh railway Station and then take a taxi or bus to kangra.

3. By Road:
– From delhi or chandigarh, you can hire a taxi or take a bus to kangra.
– There are regular state-owned and private buses available from major cities like delhi, chandigarh, amritsar, and jammu to kangra.

From within india

1. By air:
– Domestic flights:
– Book a flight to kangra airport (gaggal airport), which is 13 km from kangra and 20 km from dharamshala.

2. By train:
– Nearest railway station:
– Pathankot railway station is the nearest major railhead, approximately 87 km from kangra.
– From pathankot, you can take a taxi or bus to kangra.

3. By road:
– From major cities:
– From delhi (500 km), chandigarh (250 km), amritsar (200 km), and jammu (200 km), you can drive or take a bus to kangra.
– State transport and private buses frequently operate to kangra from these cities.

Reaching the Temple

1. From Kangra to the Temple:
– By Trekking:
– The “Maa Aadi Himani Chamunda Devi Temple” is accessible via a 12-kilometer trek from two main starting points:
– Jia Village: The trail starts near nagrota bagwan and involves a steep climb through lush meadows and challenging terrain.
– “Maa Chamunda Devi Temple”: This route merges with the trail from jia village, and both are around 12 kilometers long with a steep ascent.

2. By local transport:

– From kangra, you can take local buses or hire a taxi to jia village or “Maa Chamunda Devi Temple”, which are the starting points for the trek.

Visit the following link for more information:
https://www.heyhimalayas.com/himani-chamunda-trek
https://lookindharamshala.com/dharam…/Aadi+Himani+Chamunda
https://tourtripmart.com/aadi-himani-chamunda-trek.html
https://tripologer.com/category/travel-tips/

Google map link: https://www.google.com/…/data=!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1…

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 “𝗠𝗮𝗮 𝗔𝗮𝗱𝗶 𝗛𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲” 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗸

Clothing:
Winter hat or wide-brimmed hat, or insulating hat
Waterproof jacket and pants
T-shirt
Sweater
Sun hat or scarf
Polypropylene underwear
Long sleeved shirt
Lightweight gloves
Lightweight cotton pants
Hooded rain jacket
Hiking shirts
Heavyweight winter gloves
Fleece jacket
Down jacket
Personal accessories:
Watch
UV-protected sunglasses
Notebook and Pen
Money
Extra passport photos and photocopies of passport
Cell phone
Camera
Binoculars

Toiletries:
Toothpaste and toothbrushes
Small mirror
Nail clippers
Medium-sized drying towel
Face or body wipes
Deodorant
Biodegradable bar soap
Medicine and first-aid kit:
Anti-diarrhea pills
Anti-headache pills
Antiseptic ointment for cuts
Bandage
Cough and/or cold medicine
Diamox or Acetylzolamide (for acute mountain sickness)
Skin blister repair kit
Small personal first aid kit
Water filter (optional)

Eatables:
Snacks like biscuits, protein bars, glucose-based chocolates, cup noodles, dry fruits, and quick energy bites must be carried.

Cutlery:
leakproof lunch box, mug, spoon, and disposable plates.

Essentials:
Water purification tablets
Trekking pole
Thermal bottle
Headlight with additional batteries
Backpack or daypack

You can visit the following sites for more information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aadi_Himani_Chamunda
https://web.archive.org/…/www…/HimaniChamunda.html
http://www.indiatraveltimes.com/…/tnaug06/aug06_21.html
https://web.archive.org/…/theabujain…/17/himani-chamunda
https://lookindharamshala.com/dharam…/Aadi+Himani+Chamunda
https://tourtripmart.com/aadi-himani-chamunda-trek.html
https://www.heyhimalayas.com/himani-chamunda-trek
https://tripologer.com/category/travel-tips/