Shirgul Temple is a square-shaped temple which is a single row building and goes up to a high-ceilinged height of 9ft. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva. It is one of the oldest and religious temples of Sirmaur. It is also known as "Churdhar temple". In this temple, there is a statue of Lord Shiva which is situated on the top of the hill. From this place people can enjoy the Paragliding and beautiful view of mountains.
Location of Shirgul Temple
Shirgul Temple is one of the oldest temples in Shirgul, placed on the Churdhar Peak, near to Deothali, in Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh.
History of Shirgul Temple
Shirgul Temple is one of the oldest temples in the state which is dated back to the times of Mahabharata. Behind this temple there is a big tale. During the times of Mahabharata, one person whose name was "Churu" went to this temple. He and his son were sitting on the stone which was very huge, all of a sudden a snake came there and they wanted to run. They were not able to run as the then Shirgul Maharaja saw that a big snake was killing his pilgrimage and then he smashed the stone into parts. One part of the stone was fixed and the second part was dropped so the snake was killed and Churu along with his son went to home safely. This is the reason why this place is well-known as Churdhar.
Architecture of Shirgul Temple
The roof of Shirgul Temple comprises a gable and the uppermost beam is adorned with brass vessels locked it by nails. Shirgul temple possessed only one door interestingly, which is again engraved with figurines. A dome-shaped small temple can be witnessed within the Shirgul temple premises. A Shiva lingam (phallus, symbolic representation of the Lord), 6 inches high and 4 inches in perimeter are preserved inside this small temple. The Shiva lingam is placed in a vessel of water, devoid of clothes and ornamentations. Both the lingam and the vessel are chiselled out of stone. Shirgul Temple is a highly hallowed place of worship among the locals.
Visiting information of Shirgul Temple
People can reach at this place by bus. People have to go to Nauradhar first then they have to walk or can take a ride on horse. From Nauradhar it is about 15-16 kilometres which take around 6 to 8 hours, people can also come from Sarahan. This place is on the solan-haripurdhar road; from solan nauradhar which is about 60 kilometres.