Kalimath Temple

Nestled in an extraordinarily peaceful and dramatic mountain amphitheater along the banks of the sacred Saraswati River at 1,800 meters in the Kedar valley of Rudraprayag, Kalimath is celebrated as one of the 108 sacred Shakti Peeths in India.

According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana and Durga Saptashati, it was at this consecrated site that Maa Mahakali slew the fearsome demon general Raktavija. After her cosmic victory, the goddess entered into the earth at this exact spot. Remarkably, Kalimath has no physical idol or image of the deity. Instead, devotees worship a sacred silver plate (Sri Yantra) that covers a subterranean mystical kund (pit), which is opened only once a year on midnight of Navratri (Nisha Puja).

The sacred complex is flanked by three venerated shrines dedicated to the divine trinity of feminine power: Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, and Mahasaraswati. It is also historically venerated as the meditation sanctuary of India's classical Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, who is believed to have obtained divine intellect and poetic genius here through the grace of Goddess Kali.