Tara Devi Temple, Himachal Pradesh

The Tara Devi Temple is a holy place, located 11 km away from the Shimla Bus Stand. It is positioned amid a thick forest of oak and rhododendron and offers scenic views of the lofty Himalayas surrounding the town. The temple is very famous among tourists as the clean and fresh atmosphere here helps them relax from the day-to-day worries of life. It is believed that the goddess Tara Devi came from Bengal to Himachal Pradesh and so this temple is dedicated to the goddess of stars. Tara Devi Temple is an ideal place for a person seeking peace and tranquility.

The temple holds immense spiritual and historical value. It was constructed around 250 years ago and housed a wooden idol of Goddess Tara Devi in its complex. The temple was later shifted to its present location and houses an idol that has been made by using a rare combination of eight elements. The temple is a popular stop for people traveling on the scenic Kalka, Shimla National Highway.

History

Dating its history back to 250 years, the temple has an interesting mythological story behind its origin. According to popular belief, the idol of Goddess Tara was brought from West Bengal to Himachal Pradesh.

It is generally said that a King from the Sen dynasty had once come to this area along with a small idol of his family deity in the form of a gold locket. He used to wear this ornament in his upper arm. While hunting in and around the dense jungle of Juggar, he forgot his path to go back home and fell asleep. While sleeping, he dreamt that Goddess Tara and her gatekeepers Lord Hanuman and Bhairav requested him to unveil them to people.

Immediately, the Maharaja decided to fulfill the desires of Ma Tara and donated about 50 bighas of land to construct the temple. Thus, a temple was built there with a wooden idol of the deity for people to pray and seek blessings.

After some years, another king of the same dynasty had a vision in which the Ma Tara wished to be on the hilltop of Tarav Parvat. Soon, the temple was shifted there and a magnificent idol, made of “Ashtadhatu” was installed in a grand ceremony in the year 1825. Since then, the members of the Sen dynasty follow the old traditions and worship their family Goddess on the Asthami day every year.