Jakhu Temple

Lying atop the Jakhu Hill, the highest peak of the district of Shimla, at an altitude of 2461 meters the Jakhu Temple is a one of the most-liked places of worship in Shimla and its surroundings. Dedicated to Lord Hanuman, the temple has been in existence for eons and its exact origin is hitherto unknown.

According to the legends, the temple traces its origin from the days of Ramayana, when Lord Rama and his brother Laxman fought with the demon king, Ravana. There, Laxman was critically injured during the battle itself and the only herb that could save his life ‘Sanjeevani’ was obtainable only from the Himalayas. Lord Hanuman voyaged to the Himalayas as to obtain the herb. En-route He stopped over at the Jakhu Hill to ask wise man, Yaaku that where he could find such an herb and the hill jerked with the weight of Hanuman.

Lord Hanuman promised the sage that on His way back He would visit him but was unable to do so, due to the shortage of time. Yaaku waited for His visit and when Lord Hanuman did not revisit him, he became very sad. The sage then had a vision of Lord Hanuman telling him the reason for not paying the visit; the vision faded and was replaced by an idol of Lord Hanuman. Yaaku built a temple for his Lord Hanuman, which is still there in the Jakhu shine.

The temple is hardly 2 kilometers from the Ridge and is a climbing hill surrounded with the beautiful deodar trees, to reach the top of hill. On the other hand, you can even hire a pony from the base of the hill. The temple is popular among the adventure lovers. The hilltop is also an opportunist point to witness dazzling sunrises and sunsets over the luxuriant countryside. The pathway that leads to the temple possesses a huge population of monkeys, which sometimes appears as a troublemaker. The tip is that, hide all your eatables and yes your spectacles and glasses.