Sura Devi Temple is an ancient shrine (dedicated to Goddess Durga) perched in the middle of a thick forested area on the outskirts of Dehradun.

Where is it located?

• This place is located close to Rajpur Village.  The ideal start-point for the walk is Shehenshahi Ashram or the famous Haathi Chai Shop / Shreya Tea Point
  • Note – If you are driving till this point, there is plenty of parking space for your vehicle here. You need not worry about it at all
• Walk down the Rajpur Road (via Café Marigold / Mudcup Café) and continue straight towards the forested area
• You will cross an overhead bridge (the old Mussoorie road goes beneath the bridge)
• Once you cross the bridge, you need to continue walking straight into the forest
• The trail eventually ends at the Sura Devi Temple

What makes this trail unique?

• You wish to walk in a dense forested area and not be far away from Dehradun City. You don’t have to look far away. Welcome to this trail
• Hard-pressed with time? From the city centre to/fro, you can do this trail within 2.5-3 hours
• Ah!! You are a cyclist and want to peddle your way into a jungle and are already searching for your next trail. Well, this must be on your itinerary
• You are beginning to admire trekking and wish to attempt an easy trail so that you get a hang of it. The walk is almost flat (no gradient) and therefore, this can be like a warm-up trail before you attempt that difficult hike.
• The total walk (to/fro) is about 4.6 kilometres and can be completed in 1.5 hours

 Let’s delve into the history of Sura Devi Temple

The temple here was built somewhere between 1854 and 1874. The then mahant of Guru Ram Rai Darbar (Mahant Narayan Das) is credited to have built this temple. The mahant also helped renovate the Ma Ambika Temple (situated close-by near the Shehenshahi Ashram) and the more famous and revered Surkanda Devi temple in Tehri district. Major renovation work at Sura Devi Temple (including the extended portion beyond the Sanctum Sanctorum) was done in the year 1996.

A fair takes place here during the Sharadiya Navratri (a 9-day Hindu festival to celebrate Goddess Durga and her nine avatars). It usually falls in September/October.

Why do all the trees look the same on this trail?

Indeed. You will mostly find tall Sal trees (Shorea Robusta) in this jungle. Sal has a lot of economic importance as its wood is strong, durable, and resistant to fire. It is used for housebuilding, for furniture and for other carpentry works. It is also considered a medicinal tree and has been used in Ayurvedic treatments for thousands of years.

Hope this wonderful trail will be on your itinerary soon!! Dehradun is blessed with so many amazing nature walks and Sura Devi Temple walk is surely one of them.

Hope you enjoyed the post !!