Masroor Temples, Himachal Pradesh

Located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, the temples at Masroor consist of several rock-cut shrines where idols of various Hindu Gods and Goddesses can be found. The temples are carved out of a monolithic rock and are the only temple complex in North India built in a Nagara style of architecture.

The temple complex faces the snowy peaks of the Dhauladhar mountains and has four entrances, three of which aren't complete. There is a sacred water reservoir in front of these temples that perfectly depicts its reflection. If you love photography, the magnificent sight of the Masroor Rock Cut Temple won't fail to delight you!

According to a local legend, the Pandavas of the Mahabharatha built the Masroor Rock Cut Temple complex to reside during the exile from their kingdom and the water reservoir in front of the complex was made for Draupadi, the consort of the Pandavas.

History

According to the local myths, the Pandavas spent a long time here in this temple premise during their exile. Another story tells about the existence of an incomplete staircase which is found inside the temple. It is said that the staircase was constructed by the Pandavas to reach heaven. They took an oath to finish the construction work by the same day morning. Listening to this Indra, the king of the Gods got tensed as the stairs would make the way to reach heaven easily accessible. So he disguised himself in the form of a crow and crowed loudly before the early dawn. As a result of the Pandavas, could not complete the staircase.