Natures

The Surkanda Devi Temple is situated near the village of Kaddukhal, about 33 km away by road from the town of New-Tehri. It lies at an elevation of 3030 m above sea level. It is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and is situated on the Sukhanda Peak.

According to a legend, Lord Shiva’s wife, Sati gave away her life during a religious ritual performed by her father and her body parts got scattered at several places in the way. When Lord Shiva passed through the way, he saw the head of Sati lying at a place. The Surkanda Devi Temple is built on that very same place.

The surroundings of this temple contain various types of flowers along with several indigenous herbs. The temple is also an ideal site for watching various species of western Himalayan birds. It also provides a distant view of cities like Dehra Dun, Rishikesh, Chandrabadni, Chakrata, and Pratapnagar.

A local fair is also held here every year, on the occasion of Ganga Dusshera, in the Jyaishtha month of the Hindu calendar. To travel the nearest 2 km to the temple, walking is the only option as the last drivable road only connects the temple till Kaddukhal, which is 2 km away.