Maa Bhangayani Temple, Haripurdhar

The Maa Bhangayani Temple at Haripurdhar lies in the foothills of the lesser Himalayas in the Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. The goddess is regarded as the most powerful in the district. Legend says a Mughal king, frightened by the spiritual powers of Shirgul Maharaj, imprisoned him, and that with her blessings Guga Peer and the king of Bagad helped to free him. She has been celebrated ever since as the god-sister of Shirgul Mahadev.

The temple stays open to visitors all year. From Shimla, the route via Solan and Rajgarh is about 140 km and takes about 7 hours, though the road is narrow and poor in the rains. A longer way via Chaupal covers about 220 km in 12 hours, and the temple can also be reached from Nahan via Sangrah.