Kasar Devi Temple: Most Mysterious Place of Almora
Deodar and pine forests can be found in the area. It also offers views of Almora and the Hawalbagh Valley, as well as a panoramic vista of the Himalayas stretching from Bandarpunch Peak on the Himachal Pradesh-Nepal border to the Api Himal in Nepal. On the festival of Kartik Poornima in the Hindu calendar, which corresponds to November and December, a big fair known as Kasar Devi Fair is conducted at the Kasar Devi temple.
The temple is divided into two sections, one dedicated to devi and the other to Lord Shiva and Bairava. The main temple has an akhand jyoti that burns continuously for years. It also has a dhuni (havan kund), which burns wood logs 24 hours a day. Dhuni ash is said to be extremely powerful, capable of curing any mental illness.
Kasar Devi rose to prominence after Swami Vivekananda visited and meditated here in the 1890s, and wrote about his experience in his diaries. Walter Evans-Wentz, a pioneer in Tibetan Buddhism research and translator of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, stayed here for a while.
Kasar temple is also famous among Archeologists as the place consists of stone having Brahmi lippi carvings written on it which is preserved under ASI. Most people don’t know about this but when you visit the temple you must visit this stone to see the calligraphy carved in the stone.
The Temple is surrounded by beautiful Pine and Deodar Trees. Walking in the beautiful lanes of Kasar Temple, many thought comes to mind like so many great people in past have walked these lanes. Today walking on the same lane maybe some of the comic energies can conspire to enlighten some part of our lives.
How to Reach Kasar Devi Temple
By Train:
Kasar Devi is the closest railway station to Kathgodam. It is approximately 88 kilometres away from Kasar Devi. Every day, taxis and buses run from Kathgodam to Almora. Kathgodam is served by two trains: the Ranikhet Express and the Sampark Kranti Express.
By Air:
The nearest airport to Kasar Devi is Pantnagar, which is 124 kilometres away. Cabs and taxis are readily available from Almora to Kasar Devi. Kasar Devi is around 8 kilometres from Almora. Pantnagar to Almora is also served by buses and shared taxis.
By Road:
Almora is only 8 kilometres away from Kasar Devi. Almora is well connected to the major cities of northern India by motorable highways. From ISBT Anand Vihar in Delhi, buses to Kathgodam and Almora are available. In the Kumaon region, taxis, shared cabs, and local buses to Almora are readily available.