Chandrabadni Temple: Pride of Tehri Garhwal!

Where is the Chandrabadni Temple located?

Chandrabadni Devi Temple is located in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, at a distance of about 34 km from Devprayag, in a village called Jhanau.

Situated at the summit of Mount Chandrakut, also known as Mount Chandrabadni (2,277 meters), the temple is a shrine of Maa Sati and is one of the 51 Shakti peeths in India.

The Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand is a great tourist attraction and has many other attractions like the Tehri Dam, Khaint Parvat, Ghansali, etc.

Chandrabadni Temple Story

According to the legend, Daksha-Prajapati, the father of Mata Sati arranged for a grand Yagna and did not invite Sati’s husband Shiva, at the same time inviting every god.

Feeling enraged and insulted, Maa Sati flung herself into the fire thus foiling the yagna ceremony.

Lord Shiva then performed the cosmic dance known as Tandava, with the corpse of Mata Sati, on his shoulders.

The ‘Taandav’ would annihilate the entire universe if not stopped and so, Lord Vishnu used his Sudharshan Chakra to dismember Mata Sati’s corpse into 51 pieces, which fell at different places.

Thus, lord Shiva was pacified.

Chandrabadni is believed to be the place where the torso of Mata Sati fell.

There are 51 such Shaktipeeths in India, each a shrine of Mata Sati.

Chandrabadni Temple: Interesting Facts

• There is no idol of Mata present in this temple, instead, a Shree Yantra, drawn over a stone is worshipped.
• Since the torso of Maa Sati fell at this spot, nobody can see the shrine and the priest at the temple bathe the idol with a blindfold.
• From the top of the Chandrakoot mountain, the peaks of Surkanda Devi, Kedarnath, and Badrinath are visible.

How to Reach Chandrabadni Temple?

Located in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttrakhand, the Chandrabadni temple sits on top of Chandrakoot Mountain and is a 1 km walk from the Jhanau Village.

The best way to reach the Chandrabadni temple is via National Highway 7.

• Travel to Rishikesh (242 km from Delhi and 35 km from Dehradun).
• Continue on the National Highway 7 to reach Byasi, 35 km from Rishikesh.
• From Rishikesh, head towards Devprayag (74.2 km) and continue to Jamnikhal, which is about 31 km from Devprayag.
• 7 km away from Jamnikhal is the Jhanau Village, from where the temple is about 1 km on foot.

Nearest Airport

The nearest airport to Chandrabadni Temple is the Jollygrant airport in Rishikesh (121 km). From the airport, you can hire a cab either directly to the Chandrabadni temple or stop by at Rishikesh.

If you have a few days to spare, I would suggest you explore Rishikesh.  From Rishikesh, you can hire a taxi to the Chandrabadni temple.

Nearest Railway Station

The nearest railway station to the Chandrabandni temple is the Rishikesh railway station, about 105 km away.

From Rishikesh you can reach Devprayag by bus or taxi, the temple is 33 km from Devprayag. You can easily get shared taxis from Devprayag for the Chandrabadni Temple.

Motorable routes to Chandrabadni Temple

From Delhi

• Delhi to Haridwar: 210 KM.
• Haridwar to Rishikesh: 21 KM
• Rishikesh to Devprayag: 74.2 KM
• Devprayag to Chandrabadani: 33 KM

From Dehradun

• Dehradun to Rishikesh: 40 KM
• Rishikesh to Devprayag: 74.2 KM
• Devprayag to Chandrabadani: 33 KM

Major Places Near the Chandrabadni temple

Public transport to Chandrabadni temple

Buses and shared taxis are easily available to Devprayag from Dehradun, Rishikesh, and Haridwar. You might get lucky and get a direct vehicle to the temple.

Alternatively, get down at Devprayag and take a bus or a shared taxi to the Jhanau via Jamnikhal.

From Jhanau, a short trek of around 1 km will take you to the Chandrabadni Temple.

Places to explore near the Chandrabadni Temple

• New Tehri (Tehri Dam)
• Khaint Parvat
• Ghansali
• Rishikesh

Best Time to Visit the Chandrabadani Temple: Chandrabadni Temple Fair

The temple is open throughout the year, but the best time to visit the temple is in April, where a grand fair is organized and devotes from all across the country flock in to get maa’s blessings and enjoy the festive atmosphere that is created.

Also, for the best scenic views, visit the temple from September to October.