Gangolihat, a Himalayan hill town in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, is popular for its Shakti Peeth of "Haat Kalika" dedicated goddess Kali. At a distance of 82 km from the Pithoragarh town, it lies in the proximity of known places such as Binsar, Abbott-Mount and Patal Bhuvaneshwar. Also nearby are the tiny hill stations of Chaukori (35 kms) and Berinag. The scintillating view of the Pachachuli peaks and Nanda Devi are also a USP of this region.
There are many beautiful underground caves in Gangolihaat. 'Patal Bhuvneshwar, 'Shailashwer Gufa' and 'Mukteshwar Gufa' are most notable ones. A new underground cave has been also found recently and that is called 'Bholeshwar Gufa'.
Gangolihaat is an acclaimed site for its ancient temples along with its underground caves. 'Haat Kalika', 'Ambika Dewaal', 'Chamunda Mandir', 'Vaishnavi Mandir' are some of the major Hindu temples at the place. ''Haat Kalika Mandir' was chosen by Sankaracharya for installation of Mahakali Shaktipeeth. It is a matter of immense belief and faith that the original Goddes Kalika Mata which resided in West Bengal, shifted her place form Bengal to Gangolihat. The temple has been attracting a lot devotees to its campus and has been a wish fulfillment site for thousands of them. Posthumous Param Veer Chakra awardee Capt. Vikram Batra was a great devotee of the Goddess and had created an Army Rest House near the Temple for Army Personnel, who come Gangoihat to get the blessing of Goddess. It is known for its utmost belief that when they are at borders and fighting against the enemy, the goddess provides them with strength and wisdom to tackle the enemy.
Vaishnavi Mandir is a special one because from there one can seek delight in the panoramic view of the Himalayas. This temple is situated on a mountain that is called 'Shail Parvat', which is notable in Hindu holy books. This religious site is located at an altitude of 6000 feet above the sea level. The place is known for its temple collectives as it offers opportunities to visit shrines like Laxminarayan temple, Shivalaya in the town and Shiva, Hanuman, Chatkeshwar, Gurna Devi and Igyara devi around the town.
One can also visit the temples dedicated to local gods or graam devta. Some of them are Gangnath, Bhumia, Airi, Chamu, Badan, Haru, Balchan, Churmal, Gabila and Chipla temple. Some of these are restricted to specific families, cast and areas from the Kumaon and Garhwal region of the state of Uttrakhand.
At the Arjuneshwar temple one can cover the area by the trekking also and can enchant themselves with the scenic beauty of hills and forests engulfing the region.
Gangolihat is a small Himalayan hill town in the Pithoragarh district of state of Uttarakhand, India. Gangolihat is famous for its Shakti Peeth of Haat Kalika temple which is dedicated to the goddess Kali.
The closest tourism destination to Gangolihat is Pithoragarh at 82 kms. Other close by tourism destinations include Binsar, Abbott-Mount and Patal Bhuvaneshwar. Also nearby are the tiny hill stations of Chaukori (35 kms) and Berinag. Gangolihat offers majestic view of the Panchchuli peaks and Nanda Devi which leaves the viewer with immense memories.
Gangolihat is situated at the point, where the old Pithoragarh-Almora foot path meets with the new Ghat-Bageshwar motor road. In our ancient literature Gangolihat, which lies between the rivers Saryu and Ramganga, is referred to as Gangawali. It is considered to be the centre of the Gangoli region.
