Popular Kali Bari temple, Simla

Kali Bari temple. Shimla Havens | Himachal Pradesh

The Temple of Kali Bari  that lies about 1.5 km from  Simla Railway Station and 1 km from Old Bus Stand is one of the oldest Hindu temples in this region. Dedicated to Kali, it was  built in 1845 by Ram Charan Bhramachari, a Bengali Brahmin on Jakhu Hill. Locally, the temple deity is refereed to as Shyamala, hence the name of the town is Simla, which is believed to have been derived from this name. It is said in the later part of the British rule, they relocated the present temple to this site. According to sthalpurana, the name of the presiding deity was originally Shyamala and it was changed to Kali  in the past by the ardent Bengali devotees.

The deity in the sanctum is a wooden idol of the goddess. Here, temple rituals are held regularly and the participating devotees in the rituals not only get accommodation on the temple premises, but also at the Kali shrine in Kalka. The oddity of  Kali Bari temple is, the goddess is worshipped in various forms within the temple itself. Across India, in particular, Tamil Nadu, there are separate temples dedicated to different forms of Kali. The various forms of Kali here are  Bhadrakali, Chinnamasta, Rudrarani, Tara, Chamunda, Durga, Himavati, Kumari Sati, Kamakshya, Meenakshi and Uma.

kali bari .himachal, shimla trawell.in

The major festivals celebrated here are Navaratri and Durga Puja and during these festival time, thousands visit this temple in the belief that there worries will be over and the goddess will bless them with peace of mind, propriety and good health. The temple is easily accessible by  tourists as it is close to The Mall. Temple Timings: 6 am to 7 pm.

https://www.trawell.in/himachal/shimla