Daksha Mahadev Temple

Daksha Mahadev Temple is a most prominent place of pilgrimage for Shaivaite, located in the town of Kankhal, Haridwar of Uttarakhand. This is very historic temple and connected with Lord Shiva and Goddess Sati. The Kankhal was the kingdom of the Raja Daksh and Goddess Sati his daughter.

Daksha Mahadev Temple is located at the site where a grand Yajna was organised by the King Daksha in the past. Lord shiva and Devi Sati were not invited to this Yajna despite the fact that Lord Shiva was Daksha’s son-in-law. It was this place where Sati give up her life and Daksha’s was beheaded by Shiva’s Gan. On regretting and repenting, Daksha’s was given back life. It’s a very well maintained Temple and very thin crowd.

The Daksha Mahadev Temple houses the Yagna Kund wherein Sati Mata burnt herself. Adjacent to the main temple on the right side is the Das Mahavidya temple of Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi & Kamala. On the left of the main temple is the Daksha Ghat where devotees take a dip in the holy Ganga river. There are a few shops at the entrance of the premises which selling Rudraksha, Shivling, gems & stones. The peace & serenity as well as the holiness of this place compels devotees to visit the temple each time.

Daksha Mahadev Temple History
As per mythology King Daksha Prajapati, the father of Sati, Shiva’s first wife, performed yajna at the place where the temple is situated. Although Sati felt insulted when her father did not invite Shiva to the ritual, she attended the yajna. She found that Shiva was being spurned by her father and she burnt herself in the Yajna Kunda itself. Shiva got angry and sent his Gaṇas, the terrible demi-god Virabhadra and Bhadrakali to the ritual. On the direction of Shiva, Virabhadra appeared with Shiva’s ganas in the midst of Daksha’s assembly like a storm wind and waged a fierce war with the gods and mortals present culminating in the beheading of Daksha, who was later given the head of a goat at the behest of Brahma and other gods. Much of the details of the Ashvamedha Yagna of Daksha are found in the Vayu Purana.

Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit in Daksha Mahadev Temple are February, March, August, September, October. Summers aren’t as hot as the rest of India, but they definitely are hot with cooler nights. Monsoons are beautiful too.

How To Reach Daksha Mahadev Temple
The temple is placed in Kankhal,4Km from Haridwar. One can reach at the temple by bus or taxi from Haridwar. Haridwar Railway Station is the nearest railway station is 03Km and Jolly Grant Airport is 35Km and Rishikesh is 30Km.