Bhairav Garhi Temple (Langurgarh)
Pauri, Uttarakhand · temple
- Days OpenOpen daily
- Entry FeeFree Entry
Bhairav Garhi Temple crowns the Langurgarh peak (also spelt Langoor Garh or Langurgarhi), a forested ridge rising to roughly 2,400 metres above the hamlet of Kirtikhal, near the pass-town of Gumkhal in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district. The shrine is dedicated to Kaal Bhairav — the fierce, protective form of Lord Shiva who, in Garhwali folk devotion, is revered as the guardian of the high country. Villagers venerate the deity here as a Siddhapeeth (a place where prayer is believed to bear fruit), and the temple draws a steady stream of hill pilgrims, trekkers and history-minded travellers who come as much for the sanctity as for the commanding 360-degree outlook over the surrounding Garhwal ranges.
Where to Eat Nearby
- ✦Gumkhal roadside tea points (near the pass) – simple vegetarian chai, Maggi, aloo-paratha and pakoras; the snack fare is meat-free, but confirm the kitchen is pure-veg before ordering a full meal, as this is a mixed hill district.
- ✦Garhwali thali dhabas around Kirtikhal/Gumkhal – seasonal mandua (finger-millet) roti, jhangora, aloo ke gutke and dal; ask specifically for the pure-vegetarian option before you sit down.
- ✦Lansdowne bazaar sweet shops and vegetarian snack counters (about 17 km away) – a dependable spot to eat a reliable veg meal and pack trail food before the drive up; choose an explicitly vegetarian eatery, since Lansdowne has mixed kitchens.
- ✦Carry your own water and packed vegetarian snacks – there are no food stalls at the hilltop shrine itself, so self-catering is the honest, safe choice for the climb.
About
Bhairav Garhi Temple crowns the Langurgarh peak (also spelt Langoor Garh or Langurgarhi), a forested ridge rising to roughly 2,400 metres above the hamlet of Kirtikhal, near the pass-town of Gumkhal in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district.
- The shrine is dedicated to Kaal Bhairav — the fierce, protective form of Lord Shiva who, in Garhwali folk devotion, is revered as the guardian of the high country.
- Villagers venerate the deity here as a Siddhapeeth (a place where prayer is believed to bear fruit), and the temple draws a steady stream of hill pilgrims, trekkers and history-minded travellers who come as much for the sanctity as for the commanding 360-degree outlook over the surrounding Garhwal ranges.
- The site carries genuine historical weight.
- In the older reckoning of the region, Garhwal took its very name from its garhs — the roughly fifty-two hill forts held by local chieftains before the kingdom was consolidated under the Panwar (Parmar) dynasty of Garhwal.
- Langurgarh was one of these strongholds, and its strategic ridge changed hands during the turbulent late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries when Gorkha armies pressed into Garhwal.
- Today little survives of the fortifications beyond weathered stonework and the sense of a lookout that once watched the valleys below, but the layered story of fort and shrine is exactly what gives the climb its atmosphere — devotion and defence occupying the same windswept summit.
- Reaching the temple is part of the experience.
- From the roadhead near Kirtikhal a well-trodden path of about 2.5 kilometres climbs through oak, rhododendron and deodar forest — a moderate walk that most reasonably fit visitors manage in under an hour.
- On a clear morning the ridge repays the effort with a broad Himalayan horizon and, in spring, hillsides flushed with red rhododendron (buransh).
- Each year the community holds a month-long observance, roughly mid-July to mid-August, when the shrine is at its most animated with folk rituals and offerings.
- For vegetarian travellers, this is remote high country with no food stalls at the summit itself, so it is best to carry water and a packed snack.
- Pauri Garhwal is a mixed hill district, so the honest counsel is to eat before the climb at a clearly pure-vegetarian kitchen down in Gumkhal or Lansdowne and to confirm the kitchen locally.
- Simple Garhwali vegetarian fare — mandua (finger-millet) roti, jhangora, aloo ke gutke, dal and chai — is the mountain staple, and it travels well as trail food to enjoy against one of Garhwal's finest viewpoints.
Timings & Entry Fee
Verified: August 2026
Location & How to Reach
Address
Langurgarh peak, Langur Reserved Forest, near Kirtikhal on the Gumkhal–Silogi–Rishikesh road, Pauri, Uttarakhand, 246128
How to Reach: Langurgarh peak sits above Kirtikhal, on the Gumkhal–Silogi–Rishikesh road in Pauri Garhwal. It is about 17 km from Lansdowne via Gumkhal (roughly 12–13 km Lansdowne to Gumkhal, then a further stretch to the Kirtikhal roadhead); Rishikesh is around 150 km and Kotdwar the nearest railhead. Drive to the Kirtikhal roadhead by shared taxi or private car, then walk the final forest trail of about 2.5 km on foot up to the shrine. Start early to complete the climb and descent in daylight, and confirm the current road condition locally, as hill routes can be affected by weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bhairav Garhi (Langurgarh) Temple located?
It stands on the Langurgarh peak — an old hill fort ridge — above the village of Kirtikhal, near the pass-town of Gumkhal on the Gumkhal–Silogi–Rishikesh road in Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand. The site sits at roughly 2,400 metres and is about 17 km from Lansdowne.
Which deity is worshipped at Bhairav Garhi Temple?
The temple is dedicated to Kaal Bhairav, the fierce and protective form of Lord Shiva, revered in Garhwali folk tradition as the guardian of the high country. Devotees regard it as a Siddhapeeth, a place where sincere prayers are believed to be answered.
How do you reach the temple, and is there a trek?
Yes — the temple is reached on foot. Drive to the Kirtikhal roadhead near Gumkhal (about 17 km from Lansdowne via Gumkhal, or roughly 150 km from Rishikesh), then walk a forest trail of about 2.5 km through oak, rhododendron and deodar. Most reasonably fit visitors manage the climb in under an hour. Start early so the climb and descent are done in daylight.
Is there an entry fee for Bhairav Garhi Temple?
No. As an open-air hill shrine there is no admission ticket; entry is free and the site is open to all. There are no fixed gates, so it is best visited in daylight so the forest trek can be done safely — confirm the current trail and road condition locally before you set out.
What is the historical significance of Langurgarh?
Langurgarh (Langoor Garh) was one of the roughly fifty-two garhs — hill forts — that gave the Garhwal region its very name before the kingdom was unified under the Panwar dynasty. Its strategic ridge saw conflict during the Gorkha incursions of the late-18th and early-19th centuries. Little of the fortification survives, but the peak still reads as an old lookout, now crowned by the shrine.
Where can I find vegetarian food near the temple?
There are no food stalls at the summit, so carry water and packed vegetarian snacks. For a proper meal, eat before the climb at a clearly pure-vegetarian kitchen down in Gumkhal or in Lansdowne bazaar (about 17 km away). Local Garhwali fare — mandua roti, jhangora, aloo ke gutke, dal and chai — is the mountain staple; since Pauri Garhwal is a mixed hill district, always confirm the kitchen is pure-vegetarian before ordering.
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