We experienced the power of the Chakrata region in Uttarakhand recently and have already written about our stunning rappelling cum trekking session.

The gems of Uttarakhand are not limited to natural beauty or adventure activities. The state is often called Devbhoomi – what with all the world-famous temples like Kedarnath and Badrinath and north India’s only sun temple Varaditya sun temple located here. Our itinerary included visiting another beautiful albeit lesser known temple in Uttarakhand near Chakrata – Mahsu Devta Temple. After breakfast at Ramtal Resort we drove for around 4-5 hours to reach Hanol. Hanol is around 150 km from Dehradun and is a holy place famous for Mahsu Devta Temple. Lord Mahsu is the main deity of this area and is worshipped by people at Hanol and nearby villages. The 9th-century temple is located in the valley surrounded by jaw-dropping beautiful mountains and forests.

The temple is built in Naagar or North Indian style of architecture that is typical of this region. The simplicity of the temple also reflects in the inhabitants of this region. The head priest told us about the four Mahsus and the various traditions and rituals around the Gods or Devtas. The sanctum sanctorum has idols of Mahsu brothers who are known for their sense of justice.

We were surprised to see a lot of goats roaming around in the temple premises. Apparently when a devotee’s wish is granted, they donate a goat in the temple. The donated goat is considered sacred and is safe from any harm. We saw many children playing with these goats and lambs.. Behind the temple we saw the oldest goat lazing around in the sun royally, giving two hoots to all the attention showered by photographers like us.

We were told that the temple is from the Pandava’s time and on one corner we saw a wrestling arena just like the old times with two metal based spherical balls. These are called Bheem ke kanche (Bheema’s marbles). Visitors attempt to lift a ball from the ground on one shoulder and move it to the other shoulder and then drop it on the ground. They say if your heart is pure, you will be able to lift these gigantic marbles, otherwise no amount of strength is enough. The balls have no grip and very few could lift these. We also felt like giving it a shot. We managed to lift the ball, not once but twice. People assembled to watch us cheered. Not sure if we should owe it to the pure heart, or to our gym sessions, it was definitely a lot of fun!!

It was almost sun set and we completely lost the track of time. Lost in the divinity of this temple, we found the whole experience absolutely surreal. A trip like this is beyond our dreams. Uttarakhand is such a hidden gem we say.