Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, Kankhal
Shiva as Daksheswara (Daksha Mahadev) temple · Kankhal (Haridwar), Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India
Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, also known as Daksha Mahadev or the Daksh Prajapati Mandir, is a Shiva temple in Kankhal, the old town that now forms part of Haridwar in Uttarakhand. It takes its name from Daksha Prajapati, the father of Sati, and tradition holds that it stands on the place where Daksha performed the yajna (fire sacrifice) at which Sati gave up her life.
According to Wikipedia and Incredible India, the Union tourism ministry's site, the present temple was built by Queen Dhankaur in 1810 and renovated in 1962. It stands on the southern side of Kankhal, beside Daksha Ghat on the Ganga, and draws very large numbers of Shiva devotees during the month of Shravan and on Maha Shivaratri. Reports in The Tribune describe it as one of the temples affiliated to the Mahanirvani Panchayati Akhara.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, Kankhal
The temple's importance comes from the story of Daksha's sacrifice, told in the Mahabharata and the Puranas. According to the legend, Daksha held a great yajna but did not invite his son-in-law Shiva. Sati attended anyway, and, finding her husband insulted by her father, burned herself in the sacrificial fire. In anger Shiva sent Virabhadra and his attendants, who wrecked the sacrifice and beheaded Daksha; at the request of the other gods, Daksha was restored to life with the head of a goat. Wikipedia notes that much of the detail of Daksha's sacrifice is found in the Vayu Purana. Devotees regard the temple and the adjoining Sati Kund as the place where these events happened.
Kankhal itself is an old sacred place. Wikipedia records that it appears as Kanakhala in Sanskrit literature, including the Mahabharata, and that the Mahabharata lists bathing at Kankhala among the holy acts at Gangadwara (Haridwar). Wikipedia's article on the town says Kankhal is best known for this temple.
A popular belief links the temple with the month of Shravan. As a 2025 PTI report notes, devotees believe that Shiva, keeping a promise made to his father-in-law Daksha, lives in Kankhal for the whole of Shravan, and the complex is regarded as the home of Shiva's in-laws. During the Kanwar Yatra season the same report described an endless stream of saffron-clad pilgrims at the temple complex.
Heritage
History of Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, Kankhal
Wikipedia and Incredible India both give 1810 as the year the present temple was built, by Queen Dhankaur, and 1962 as the year it was renovated or rebuilt. Some other accounts give a different year for the rebuilding, so the 1962 date is attributed rather than stated as certain. Nothing in the sources consulted dates any earlier structure on the site.
In June 2023 the Mahanirvani Panchayati Akhara, which counts the Daksh Prajapati Mandir among its affiliated temples along with Tapkeshwar Mahadev in Dehradun and Neelkanth Mahadev near Rishikesh, announced that devotees in short or revealing clothes would not be allowed to enter these temples, The Tribune reported. The report also described the Kankhal temple as the home of Shiva's in-laws.
Architecture and sacred features
Wikipedia's infobox describes the temple as built in the Nagara style. Wikipedia's photo caption describes the Shiva linga in the sanctum, and next to the main shrine stands a temple of the Das Mahavidya, the ten forms of the Goddess, where devotees gather for special pujas during Navratri. There is also a shrine to Ganga in the complex. Writing in Outlook Traveller, Mallika Bhagat described the temple as quiet and striking, with a very old banyan tree in its precincts on which visitors tie red threads. Visitors can fill a pot with Ganga water at Daksha Ghat, at the edge of the temple, and carry it to pour over the Shiva linga.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
Daksheswara Mahadev is a working temple. The Mahanirvani Akhara announced a clothing rule for the temple in 2023, so dress modestly. Crowds are very heavy during Shravan, the Kanwar Yatra season and Maha Shivaratri. Confirm current timings and arrangements with the temple management or the Haridwar district administration before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Affiliated to the Mahanirvani Panchayati Akhara (per The Tribune, 2023) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, Kankhal
Shravan month and Kanwar Yatra
Devotees believe Shiva resides in Kankhal throughout Shravan; the temple complex sees huge crowds of pilgrims, and devotees perform abhishekam of the linga.
Maha Shivaratri
Wikipedia and Incredible India describe the temple as a place of pilgrimage for Shiva devotees on Maha Shivaratri.
Navratri
Devotees of the Goddess gather for special pujas at the Das Mahavidya temple in the complex, and Incredible India notes devotion to Sati at this time.
Location
How to Reach Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, Kankhal
The temple is in Kankhal, on the southern side of Haridwar, a short drive from the main city. Incredible India lists Haridwar Junction as the nearest railway station, and Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun as the nearest airport, with Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport also an option. The Nileshwar Mahadev Temple is close by, according to Wikipedia.
Location: Kankhal (Haridwar), Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India
Nearest airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (per Incredible India)
Nearest railway station: Haridwar Junction (per Incredible India)
More in Hindu temples in Uttarakhand · Shiva as Daksheswara (Daksha Mahadev) temples · Temples in Hardwar Tehsil · Temples in Haridwar District
Questions
Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, Kankhal: Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the temple called Daksheswara Mahadev?
It is named after Daksha Prajapati, Sati's father. Tradition holds that Daksha performed his yajna here, the sacrifice at which Sati gave up her life.
Who built Daksheswara Mahadev Temple?
According to Wikipedia and Incredible India, the present temple was built by Queen Dhankaur in 1810 and renovated in 1962.
What is the Sati Kund at Kankhal?
It is the pit next to the temple that devotees regard as the yajna kund in which, according to legend, Sati immolated herself.
Why are Shravan crowds so large at Kankhal?
Devotees believe that Shiva, keeping a promise to his father-in-law Daksha, lives in Kankhal for the whole month of Shravan, and the temple is regarded as the home of Shiva's in-laws.
Who manages the temple?
Reports in The Tribune (2023) describe the Daksh Prajapati Mandir as one of the temples affiliated to the Mahanirvani Panchayati Akhara.
What else is in the temple complex?
A Das Mahavidya temple, a Ganga shrine, an old banyan tree and Daksha Ghat on the Ganga. The Nileshwar Mahadev Temple is nearby.
How do I reach Daksheswara Mahadev Temple?
It is in Kankhal on the southern side of Haridwar. The nearest railway station is Haridwar Junction and the nearest airport is Jolly Grant at Dehradun.
Sources and attribution
- Wikipedia — Daksheswar Mahadev Temple
- Wikipedia — Kankhal
- Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (Incredible India) — Daksh Mahadev Temple and Sati Kund
- The Tribune — Devotees not wearing appropriate clothing barred from entering Uttarakhand temples (June 2023)
- The Week (PTI) — Kanwar Yatra ends, 4.5 cr pilgrims reached Haridwar in 15 days (23 July 2025)
- Outlook Traveller — The Holy Waters of Haridwar (Mallika Bhagat)
Further reading: Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, Kankhal on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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