Triloknath Temple

Quite near Udaipur in Himachal Pradesh, the Triloknath Temple (2700 m) is situated in the Udaipur sub-division in Lahaul. It is around 46 km from Keylong and 16 km from Udaipur. This holy shrine is revered equally by Hindus and Buddhists. Hindus consider Triloknath deity as ‘Lord Shiva,’ while the Buddhists worship the deity as ‘Avalokiteshvara,’ a form of Buddha. The temple is situated in the panoramic and lush green valley with the serene river Chandra Bhaga flowing by.

This squat stone temple is supposed to have been constructed in the 11th century. It is approached by a very attractive road which climbs up the left bank of the Chandrabhaga. The glitteringly white-painted Triloknath Temple stands at the end of the village on top of a cliff and is surrounded by snow mountains and pine trees in the far distance.
Tibetan prayer flags decorate the entrance to the temple that is built in the ancient wooden-pagoda style. In the courtyard is a tiny. stone Nandi and a granite lingam, and also Buddhist prayer-wheels constantly being turned by pilgrims, and a six-armed white marble Avalokiteshvara image in the shrine. The original columns date from the eighth century, but there has been considerable restoration, the temple looks newly-made. It is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists when they celebrate the three-day Pauri Festival in August.