Hidimba Parvat in Bhimtal: Hidimba Dham Location, Trek, and Photos
Uttarakhand is home to many spiritual places that have a rich history and culture attached to them. One such place is the Hidimba Parvat in Sattal, Nainital District of Uttarakhand. In this post, we are going to discuss Hidimba Parvat Location, History, Trek, and other interesting facts that you should know.
Hidimba Parvat Location
Hidimba Parvat is a 1675 meters high hill situated in Sattal, which is at a distance of around 10 Kilometers from Bhimtal and 23 Kilometers from Nainital.
From Sattal, visitors need to trek a short distance of 1.5 Kilometers to reach the top, where they can find a temple dedicated to Hidimba Devi and an Ashram known as the Vankhandi Ashram.
The temple and the ashram were established by Vankhandi Maharaj, a sage and an environmentalist, 45 years ago.
History of Hidimba Dham Sattal
The history of Hidimba Parvat is quite interesting. It is believed that when Pandavas were living in Bhimtal during their exile, Hidimba, along with her brother Hidimb, lived on this hill. Hence the name Hidimba Parvat.
In recent history, a sage named Vankhandi or Bankhandi Maharaj moved to this hilltop on December 14, 1978, and started an Akhand Dhuni (eternal fire) and began meditating under the tree for 40 days.
Due to Maharaj Ji’s spiritual practice and efforts, this very place has been turned into a beautiful ashram, and a temple dedicated to Hidimba Devi has been established. This entire place is popularly known as Hidimba Dham or Vankhandi Ashram.
Vankhandi Maharaj is at least 100 years old and has been teaching his followers to live in peace and harmony with nature. The Ashram is set amongst a dense forest and houses a number of animals. Visitors can stay at the Ashram as there are a few rooms available.
How to Reach Hidimba Parvat in Sattal?
To reach the Hidimba Parvat, you need to get to Sattal, a tourist spot near Bhimtal in Uttarakhand. Sattal is well with roads, and visitors can easily reach there from Bhimtal or Nainital.
Haldwani is at a distance of 39 Kilometres from Sattal and is well connected by road and rail to other cities. Another notable town is Kathgodam, which is the nearest railway station to Sattal, at a distance of 32 Kilometers.
To reach the Hidimba Parvat, you need to All you have to do is set your google maps to Sattal, and a narrow winding road will take you to the starting point of the Hidimba Parvat trek.
Hidimba Parvat trek: The Hidimba Parvat trek is short, about 1.5 Kilometers, and set amongst dense forest and magnificent views of the Sattal Lake and surrounding Kumaon Hills.
The trek is difficult for the elderly and people who do not exercise often but quite easy for experienced trekkers. It will take 45 minutes to an hour at the max. We advise you to carry water bottles since the trek is all-natural, and there are no shops along the way.
A great part of finishing this trek is the prasad of Cummin-Potato (Aloo Jeera), Fruits, and Chai (tea) that you get here. Due to this, Vankhandi Maharaj is also known as Aloo Baba.
By Road
To reach Sattal, you must reach either Bhimtal or Nainital. If you wish to visit the ashram first thing, then taking the route via Bhimtal would be shorter since Sattal is only 10 KM from Bhimtal. Both Bhimtal and Nainital are well connected with roads from major cities like Delhi and Dehradun.
By Rail
The nearest railway station to Sattal is the Kathgodam Railway Station, at a distance of about 32 KM. From Kathgodam, you can easily book a cab or a shared taxi to Bhimtal or Sattal.
By Airways
The nearest airport to Sattal is in Pantnagar, 66 KM away. The next best alternative is the Dehradun Airport, which is 301 KM away. From either of these airports, you can book a taxi or take a bus to Kathgodam and then use local transport to get to Sattal.
Conclusion
Having visited this place, we got to experience the divine personality that is Vankhandi Maharaj Ji. His love for nature, wildlife, and spirituality makes him so popular among his devotees, and we can see why he is so revered and respected in this area.
If you are visiting Nainital or nearby areas, your trip would be incomplete without visiting the Hidimba Parvat in Sattal. This place offers spirituality, adventure, and is a great place if you love meditating and feeling one with nature.