Bhadraaj Temple & Forest

Bhadraaj Devta is the prime deity of the region that encircles Jaunpur-Jaunsaar belt which also includes Mussoorie. An ancient temple of the deity is situated on a secluded meadow top, some 8 km westwards from the town of Mussoorie. Bhadraaj or Balraam, the elder brother of lord Krishna is revered here as the God of farmers and cattle rearers, hence the nearby villagers never sell the milk of their cattle. Rather, milk is offered here to the ever blessing Bhadraaj Devta. The Bhadraaj temple is the border of the Mussoorie jurisdiction where an annual two day fair is held during 16^th and 17^th of August. The fair in which in which the otherswise green serene adorns various colors of festivity, attracts thousands of devotees from near and far. A stone outside the temple bear formal inscriptions in English and Arabic which suggests about the early visitors of the place. The dirt track to Bhadraaj temple goes through scenic villages, vast fields and thick forest of oak and rhododendron which inhabits a healthy population of leopards, Himalayan black bear, barking deer, giant squirrels, rabbits, pheasants and wild rodents. The hilltop vantage provides an awesome view of the confluence of river Yamuna and Tons at Kalsi in the far North-west and that of the shimmering Doon valley in the south. A flat piece of land before the temple is were the cultural programs and food stalls enthrall the visitors.