The 12 Storey Temple of Rishikesh

Rishikesh  nestled near Haridwar along the scenic banks of the Ganges river in Uttarakhand, India, stands as a venerable religious town. This ancient city boasts a myriad of travel attractions, including opportunities for rafting, hiking, heritage tours, temple visits, and riverside experiences. Today, our focus is on an exceptional temple, the Bara Manzil Temple, notable for its 12 floors.

Positioned near the renowned Rishikesh landmark, Lakshman Jhula, this temple stands as a unique architectural marvel. Each of its 12 floors hosts a multitude of shrines, each enshrining various Hindu deities. Bara Manzil Temple is a divine repository, encompassing a comprehensive array of Hindu gods and goddesses.

Intriguingly, each floor is dedicated to specific deities, offering a divine experience unparalleled in many other sacred sites. Prepare to encounter an enchanting journey as we delve into the details of the deities residing on every floor of this extraordinary Bara Manzil Temple. (Rest assured, this exclusive information may not be found elsewhere!)

Ground Floor

Main shrine - 

• Neelakanth Shiva

Sub-shrines and other deities:

• Shambavi seated on cow
• Brahmini with four heads
• Megh Mata seated on lotus
• Pranajani and Kundalini Mata
• Narasimha seated on Sesha
• Lakshmi
• Akantha Deep
• Dharmaraj
• Yama seated on buffalo
• Saraswati holding Veena
• Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati - Rivers - each one of them has four arms and found in the standing posture
• Krishna, Radha and Balram
• Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman
• Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha in the standing posture
• Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
• Garud

First Floor

Shrines and deities:

• Katyayini seated on a lion
• Yamuna
• Skanda Mata seated on lion holding six headed Skanda on her lap
• Valmiki and Gorakshanath
• Sidhikatri holding conch and discus
• Sugreev
• Bhuvan Mata
• Chandrakantha Mata with eight arms
• Bhavani
• Uma Hemavati
• Kushmanda Mata
• Kabir Das and Sai Baba
• Kalratri black colored idol - seated on donkey
• Chakradari - Krishna holding discus
• Khodiyar Mata
• Brahmacharini holding kamandala
• Brahmini
• Maitri
• Maha Gauri seated on Nandi
• Parmba Mata
• Shailaputri Mata seated on Nandi
• Bhoomiya Mata with six arms and seated on Nandi
• Bhairagi Mata seated on Nandi
• Bhakta Hanuman
• Gopal and Ramdev

Second Floor

Shrines and deities:

• Brahma
• Lakshmi Narayan
• Saraswati and Gayatri
• Panel depicting the marriage of Ram and his three brothers with the daughters of Janak
• Bhairav with eight arms; the idol is white in color
• Balaji
• Kali
• Santoshi Mata
• Sheetala Mata
• Parvati
• Gangeshwar Mahadev Shiva Linga
• Mamaleshwar Mahadev Shiva Linga
• Valmiki, Luv, Kush
• Panchamukhi Gayatri
• Panchamukhi Shiva with ten arms and five heads; crocodile is found at his feet
• Naina Devi
• Chintapoorani
• Jwala Devi
• Shiva, Skanda and Narad
• Shiva Linga

Third Floor

Shrines and deities:

• Shiva Linga and Nandi
• Vishnu with four heads
• Baglamukhi
• Lakshmi
• Kshetrapal with six arms
• Tripura Mataji with three heads
• Vishwa Mataji
• Veerabhadra
• Bhuvaneswari
• Aadhya Shakti Mataji
• Shiva Linga with Markandeya
• Vaishnavi Mata
• Sureshwari Devi
• Kapalini Devi
• Savakshi Devi
• Kshma Devi
• Mahisasur mardini
• Indra
• Garud; above his Govidji

Fourth Floor

Shrines and deities:

• A panel depicting the birth of Draupadi
• Shiva Ling and Ardhanareeswara
• Pasupati - Shiva Linga with five heads

Fifth Floor

Shrines and deities:

• Shiva

Sixth Floor

Shrines and deities:

• Ambikeshwar Mahadev (Shiva Linga)

Seventh Floor

Shrines and deities:

• Panel depicting Ganga Avataran
• Shiva Linga

Eighth Floor

Shrines:

• Mallikarjun Mahadev - bigger Shiva Linga idol

Ninth Floor

• Gushneswar Mahadev - Shiv Linga

Tenth Floor

Shrines:

• Trayambakeshwar Mahadev

Happy travelling.