Travelling to
Jaipur
Rajasthan
Loading…Bijli Mahadev Temple
templespiritualtrekkingviewpointOpen
Photos: Akshat Sharma (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Chinchu.c (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Raghav507 (Public domain)
Status: Seasonal shrine: closed for winter and reopened on 15 March 2026; in Sawan 2025 the sanctum was closed to devotees for six months (Tribune, July 2025). Large crowds reported in August 2026. Ropeway construction halted (Tribune, Dec 2025).
Hilltop Shiva temple above Kullu whose lingam is said to be shattered by lightning and restored with butter; closed in winter.
Bijli Mahadev ('Lord of Lightning') sits on a ridge above Kullu. Legend holds that lightning strikes the Shiva lingam, which priests then rejoin using butter and sattu. Reaching it involves a road to the base and an uphill trek with wide views of the Kullu and Parvati valleys. A proposed ropeway from Pirdi has faced local protests and its work was halted by late 2025.
Highlights
- Lightning legend
- Ridge-top views
- Traditional Himachali temple
Tips
- Carry water and warm layers
- In 2025 the deity's 'wish for solitude' closed the sanctum for months - check status before going
Around it
Within 1 km of Bijli Mahadev Temple.
Sights and heritage Food and cafes
Best places nearby
Raghunath Temple, Kullu
17th-century temple of Lord Raghunath (Rama), Kullu's presiding deity and centre of the Kullu Dussehra.
Photo: 502hsuya
Lower Kullu Valley viewpoint
Viewpoint in Kullu.
Parvati valley view
Viewpoint in Kullu.
View of valleys
Viewpoint in Kullu.
Kullu Valley
valley in Himachal Pradesh, India
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dainismatisons/
Vegetable Market
Market in Kullu.
Bhuntar Market
Market in Kullu.
Bhuttico Kullu Shawl Showrooms
Weavers' cooperative selling handloom Kullu shawls, stoles and woollens via ~35 showrooms.
Similar places
Mata Chintpurni Temple
Shaktipeeth of Goddess Chhinnamastika in Una district with a gold-plated shrine, reached on foot through a pilgrim bazaar.
Photo: Dvellakat
Jakhoo Temple
Hanuman temple on Shimla's highest hill (about 2,455 m) with a 108-ft Hanuman statue, reached on foot or by ropeway.
Photo: Jishnu Mohan
Monkey Point (Sanjeevani Hanuman Temple), Kasauli
Hanuman temple on Kasauli's highest point inside an Air Force Station; ID needed and phones/cameras not allowed.
Photo: Suman Wadhwa
Baijnath Temple
early 13th century Shiva temple
Photo: Rakeshkdogra
Hadimba Devi Temple
1553 pagoda-roofed wooden temple to Hidimba Devi set in a deodar forest above Manali, built over a cave shrine.
Photo: TheSlumPanda
St. John in the Wilderness Church
1852 neo-Gothic Anglican church in deodar forest at Forsyth Ganj, burial place of Viceroy Lord Elgin.
Photo: Lewesian1982 (talk)
Kali Bari, Shimla
Kali temple built in 1845 by a Bengali Brahmin, near the Mall; linked to the goddess Shyamala, from whom Shimla's name is said to come.
Photo: Debnath2003
Prashar Lake
Lake at ~2,730 m near Mandi with a floating island and a pagoda-style temple to Rishi Prashar; Saranauhali fair in June.
Photo: Manojkhurana