Gopinath Temple

Relevance and History

Gopinath temple is situated in Gopeshwar city of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India. The temple is topped by a dome and 24 doors leads to the sanctum sanctorum , which is 30 sq. feet in area. There are several broken idols around the temple which support the theory that in ancient times there were several more temples in Gopeshwar.

In the courtyard of the temple there is a trident (Trishul) about five metre high made of eight different metal dating back to the 12th century and bears inscriptions attributed to Anekmalla, king of Nepal who reigned the region in the 13th century. Another inscriptions records the erection of a royal edifice by him in 1191 A.D.

The legend goes that the trident belonged to Shiva who threw it at Kamdeva (The God Of Love) to kill him and it got fixed in this spot. While brute force can not move this Trident , the slightest touch by a true devotee can cause a tremor in it is the belief of the people here. The metal of the trident does not appear to have become weathered by the elements over the century.

Best Time to Visit

Gopinath Temple can be best visited during summer and spring season when the weather is mild pleasing and sky is clear. During winter, the route to Gopinath becomes more misty and difficult to pass through.

How to Reach

By Road

A motorable road is present upto Gopewshar. Gopewshar is 212 Kms from Rishikesh. Buses and Taxis to Gopeshwar are easily available from Rishikesh.

By Train

The nearest railway station to Gopinath is Rishikesh which is situated around 220 kms away. Rishikesh is well connected by railway networks with major destinations of India.

By Air

Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest Airport to Gopinath at a distance of 258 kms. It is connected by direct flights to Delhi at regular intervals. The distance beyond this has to be covered by road either through bus or taxies.