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Tara Devi Temple Shimla

Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, houses many religious places belonging to various regional communities. Temples dedicated to different Gods and Goddesses are there in Shimla District and each of these temples has a history associated with it. The journey to this temple is an amazing experience in its own.  Devotees and visitors have to walk down to the temple through the deep forests of Pine Trees and green pastures.

While they pass through the winding roads through the forest and meadows, they could breathe in cool breeze that infuse vigor and radiance in the pilgrims, devotee or ordinary tourists.  Every Sunday and Tuesday, Langar is organized where food or Prasad is served to the devotees. The Langar is mostly organized by those devotees who had promised to offer Langer after they get their wishes fulfilled.

Tara Devi Temple, Shimla

Mounted on a hill top, this temple is dedicated to Goddess Tara, an incarnation of Goddess Kali. It seems that Devi Ma is keeping an eye on all her disciples from the hilltop and people of the entire Shimla City are getting blessed. Apart from being an important religious place for the Hindus, this temple is visited by different genres of tourists because they enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding lofty mountains and deep valleys from this hilltop.

Historical Significance of Tara Devi Temple

The temple was built more than 2 and ½ centuries ago.  According to the popular belief, the temple had its idol brought from Bengal. About a century ago, a descendent of the famous Sen Dyanstry of Bengal had come to this area. The family deity of the Sen Dynasty was brought by him as a small idol made of gold. There used to be a locket ornamenting the upper arm of the Raja and the idol was placed in it. About more than a century later, King Bhupendra Sen, the famous ruler of Bengal of the same dynasty had been enjoying hunting in Juggar Jungles near the temple. He dreamt of Goddess Tara along with Lord Hanuman and Bhairav, the gatekeepers of Ma Tara, while he was taking rest under a tree.

The entrance of the Tara Devi Temple

Ma Tara wished to give darshan to the people of the locality so Raja had donated about 50 bighas of land at the same place. Then construction of a new temple was done with an idol of Ma Tara installed there. The idol was made of wood. In the later years, another descendent of the same dynasty, King Balbir Sen , got darshan of Ma Tara in dreams.

She wished to be mounted on the Tara Parvat. One of the priests of Raja Balbir Sen, Bhawani Dutt had an idol of Ma Tara made of Ashtadhadu (8 metals). The idol was made by an artisan at Junga and an elephant named “Shankar” carried the idol. The idol was installed in the year 1825 at Tara Parvat.  Every year on the Asthami Day during Navratri, present members of Sen Dynasty still worships Ma Tara, the family Goddess. Wrestling competitions are held in a fair organized on this occasion.

Location of the Tara Devi Temple in Shimla

Tara Devi Temple is situated on the western part of the Shimla Town. It is about 15 km away from the Shimla City along the National Highway 22. The temple is located near Shoghi on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway.

How to Reach Tara Devi Temple in Shimla

From Shimla end, travelers have to walk on the National Highway No. 22 from Tara Devi Station. The station is located about7 km from Shimla. From this station, walking or trekking of 4 km has to be done in order to reach the temple premise.

Another way to reach this temple is from Shoghi, a place located about 13 km before Shimla on the National Highway. From Shogi, the Tara Devi Temple is about 6 km and is well connected by road. Government buses, taxi services are frequently available. Those who wish to take private vehicle must be careful enough to hire expert drivers as there are many U turns on the way and road is narrow. From the parking place, the temple is about 200 m away.

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