The Purnagiri Temple is located at an elevation of 3000 feet on Annapurna Peak in Tanakpur village of Uttarakhand state, India. This temple is the famous temple of the Hindus and is one of the main Seedhpeetha temples of Uttarakhand. Purnagiri Temple is one of the 108 Sidha Peethas and is regarded as a Mahakali Peeth. This location is only 18.6 kilometres from Tanakpur and 92 kilometres from Champawat.

Story Behind Purnagiri Temple

The goddess of Dakshayani, Sati, Parvati, or Durga—Hinduism’s most influential woman and most powerful deity—is referred to as Shakti. Durga Devi, Mahakali, and Gowri are the three main manifestations of Shakti, the power goddess. She is Adi Shakti’s avatar.

Sati was the Prajapati Daksha’s daughter, and she married Lord Shiva despite Her father’s wishes. Prajapati Daksha once put together a massive yagya, but he didn’t call his daughter and son-in-law. Sati was very saddened by Her father’s actions. When she got there, her father ignored the Sati and insulted her. She could not bear the insult of his husband (Lord Shiva) and she jumped into the fire of Yagya and committed suicide. She passed away, but her body didn’t burn. Lord Shiva had taken His Virabhadra Rupa out of rage. Daksha’s head was cut off by him, but in the end, He forgave him by bringing him back to life.

Lord Shiva, devastated, had taken Sati’s body and wandered the universe. Finally, Lord Vishnu used His Chakra to break the Sati’s body into pieces. Each body part transformed into Shakti Pitha. The temple had emerged where the body part had fallen to the ground. In order to safeguard the Shakti Pitha, Lord Shiva created 51 Bhairava for each one.

It is one of the 108 Siddha Peethas. This place is considered to be the back of Mahakali. It is said that the part of the navel of Sati, the daughter of Daksha Prajapati and the better half of Shiva, fell from the Vishnu Chakra here. Every year faithful devotees come here to visit this Shakti Peeth even after suffering.

History of Purnagiri Temple

According to legends, the Goddess once told Seth, “You will get the son if you visit my temple.” Seth went to the mother’s temple and promised to build a gold temple for the Goddess if he got the son. The wish of Seth was realized. However, Seth grew irascible and constructed a temple out of copper rather than gold and applied gold polish to it. Seth began making his way toward the temple, and reached the location known as “Tuneash.” He was unable to take the temple of copper forward. Then Seth was obligated to maintain that temple in the same location. Since then, the temple has been referred to as “the temple of false” since mythical times.

The temple is also significant from a historical perspective. It is believed that the temple was built during the reign of the Chand dynasty, which ruled over the Kumaon region from the 9th to the 18th century. The temple has undergone several renovations over the years, and the current structure of the temple dates back to the 19th century.

Architecture of Purnagiri Temple

The temple is situated on the top of a hill, which is otherwise called Purnagiri, at an elevation of 1,650 meters above ocean level. The temple is committed to the goddess Purnagiri, who is accepted to be the appearance of the Hindu goddess Shakti.

The architecture of the ancient Champawat Purnagiri Devi Temple is typical of the Kumaon region’s traditional style. Stone and wood are used to construct the temple, and intricate paintings and carvings decorate its walls. The Garbhagriha, the Antaral, and the Mandap are the three main sections of the temple. The temple’s sanctum sanctorum, the Garbhagriha, is where the goddess Purnagiri’s idol is kept. It is believed that devotees receive the goddess’ blessings in the Antaral, which is located between the Mandap and the Garbhagriha. The temple’s main hall, the Mandap, is where rituals and ceremonies are carried out.

The black stone idol of the goddess Purnagiri is approximately 3 feet tall. The symbol is enhanced with valuable gems, and it is accepted to be extremely strong. The idols of Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, and Goddess Kali, among other Hindu deities, are also housed in the temple.

Facts about Purnagiri Temple

• Purnagiri temple has great importance among Hindu devotees. It is considered one of the sacred 108 Siddha Peethas of India
• It is also said that in the Purnagiri Temple, the child will gain a long life and intelligence due to the mundan ceremony of the temple.
• One of the popular festivals of this temple is Purnagiri Mela. It is organized by the Sri Purnagiri Temple. The fair takes place every year in Chaitra Navratri over a period of two months.
• Additionally, it is believed that a child will grow up to be intelligent and live a long life as a result of the mundan ceremony at the Purnagiri Temple. Because of this, a lot of devotees come for their children’s mundan service, which is the main haircutting function, and ask for hair growth at the goddess’ raised area
• The number of pilgrims visiting this Shakti Peeth is more than 25 lakhs throughout the year. Every year for this fair, the amount of grant is made available by the State Government through the District Magistrate Champawat to the District Panchayat Champawat who organizes the fair.

Famous Festivals In Purnagiri Temple

Millions of people visit this temple every year to celebrate all of the festivals that are held here. Some major festivals held here are

• Durga Puja. (Winter) – Devotees celebrate Navaratri at this temple in the month of Ashwin (Sep-Oct) as well as celebrate the triumph of the Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon (Mahishasura).
• Navaratri. (Summer) – They celebrate other Navaratri in the fortnight of the Chaitra (March-April). Every nine days, they worship Navadurga (nine Durgas).
• Diwali – Diwali is one of the most admired and auspicious festivals in the town. A very famous Mela (fair) is conducted near the temple every year.

How to Reach Purnagiri Temple

Tanakpur is approximately 20 kilometres away, and Champawat, the city, is approximately 92 kilometres away. From Tanakpur or Champawat, visitors can take a taxi or bus to the temple, which is accessible by road.

Nearest Airport: Pantnagar Airport is the closest to Tanakpur. It is situated 98 km away from the temple.

Nearest Railway Station:  Tanakpur Railway Station is merely 23 Km from the temple.

Bus/Cab Service: Tanakpur is well connected to major cities like Delhi, Lucknow, and Dehradun by bus. Regular and AC buses from ISBT Anand Vihar and ISBT Dehradun are easily available to Tanakpur. From Tanakpur, one can take a taxi or bus to reach the temple.

Also Read – Patan Devi Temple