• Jan 25 2016
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Tapkeshwar

 

The Tapkeshwar Temple is believed to be 6,000 years old. It has a natural shivalinga in the cave, which became a place of reverence for the local people.

It is also believed that this was used as a residence by Dronacharya, the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Hindu epic Mahabharata; the cave is called Drona Cave after him. Dronacharya's wife Kalyani was unable to breastfeed their newborn son Ashwatthama. As Dronacharya was unable to afford a cow or cow's milk, Ashwatthama prayed to Shiva, who then fed him milk dripping from the shivalinga in the cave

The temple is popular as both a tourist destination and a pilgrimage site in Dehradun. Pilgrims bathe in the nearby sulphur-water springs before entering the temple.

Drona Cave, surrounded by hills, is a popular site for picnickers from Dehradun and nearby districts.