DHARI DEVI (माँ धारी देवी)

Recently visited this holy place on 11 March 2010. The temple of Dhari Devi is situated on the banks of the Alaknada. One has to travel a distance of 15 kms. from Srinagar on Srinagar-Badrinath motorable road up to Kaliya Saur then down trek another half a kilometer towards Alaknanda river. According to a local legend, the temple was once washed off by floods, while floating the idol struck against a rock, the villagers heard the cries of the idol. On reaching the site they heard a divine voice instructing them to install the idol as it was, on the spot it was found. Since then the fierce looking idol remains where it was, known as Dhari Devi, under the open sky, and thousands of devotees on the way to Badrinath pay their obeisance to it

Kartikswami (कार्तिक स्वामी)

Kartikswami is located 38 kms. from Rudraprayag on the Rudraprayag - Pokhri route, there is a village Kanak Chauri from where 3 kms. trek leads to Kartikswami. I got a chance to visite this place on 12 March 2010. This place has a temple and idol of Lord Shiva’s son Kartikeya, situated at an elevation of 10150 feet, the place abounds in natural beauty and one can have a close and panoramic view of the Himalayan peaks. There is a legend that once Lord Shiva told their sons Lord Kartik and Lord Ganesha that one of them will get the privilege to worship first who take round of the universe and comes first. Kartik started taking round but Lord Ganesha shows his intelligence and take round of the Lord Shiva by saying that whole universe is in him. Lord Shiva impressed by his intelligence and gave the privilege to worship first. By this Lord Kartik got angry and gave his flesh to mother Parvati and bones to his father Lord Shiva. In this temple the bones of the kartik are shown in the idol.