Protector of the Char Dhams located in the Himalayas Garhwal Region Dhari Devi a form of Goddess Kali is worshipped & revered by the people of Uttarakhand. Her temple is located on the banks of the Alaknanda River between Rudraprayag and Srinagar in Uttarakhand, India. The temple is home to the upper half of the idol of the goddess Dhari, while the lower half of the idol is located in Kalimath, where she is worshipped as a manifestation of Ma Kali.
Folklore says that the idol of the diety changes appearance three times a day a girl in the morning, a young lady in the afternoon and an old woman in the evening! Just like the stages of age in years in our life!!
Dhari Devi's idol is placed open to the sky, legend says she can't be kept under any roof!
The temple is visited all round the year, but wears a festive look during Navratri, when thousands throng Dhari Devi for her blessings!
In 2013 on 16th June, Dhari Devi was removed and shifted from her original place on the Alaknanda River , to make way for a Hydel Project, and the very same evening the Kedarnath tragedy took place killing thousands! Locals believe this to be the "ire" of the Goddess, as she was shifted from her "Mool Sthan" or main site!
Such a tragedy had happened in 1882 in Kedarnath, when a local king had attempted to shift the Devi!
I visited Dhari Devi after my Chardham Yatra and thanked her for my successful Yatra!
Today as I write about Dhari Devi, I pray to her for the people of Joshimath which is sinking!
Locals feel its all due to uncontrolled and environmentally disastrous projects happening in these fragile mountains!!
A new Temple has been constructed at the original site, and the idol of Devi is to placed here. But it hasn't happened as yet!
