Almora district
Almora is a District (India), district in the Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand state, India. The headquarters is at Almora. It is 1,638 meters above sea level. The neighbouring regions are Pithoragarh district to the east, Chamoli district to the w ...
in the state of
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. Dunagiri is known as the birthplace of modern-day Kriya Yoga because
Lahiri Mahasaya
Shyama Charan Lahiri (30 September 1828 – 26 September 1895), best known as Lahiri Mahasaya, was an Indian yoga, yogi and guru who founded the Kriya Yoga (Yoga school), Kriya Yoga school. He was a disciple of Mahavatar Babaji. Lahiri Mahas ...
was initiated into Kriya Yoga by
Mahavatar Babaji
Mahavatar Babaji (; ) is a legendary immortal yogi and guru, who is said to be living in the Himalayas. He is said to have taught multiple revered historic yogis, including Lahiri Mahasaya (1828–1895). Babaji first became recognized through ...
at this site.
Approximately from Delhi, a cluster of six small villages forms the place that is variously known as Dunagiri, Drongiri and Doonagiri. 116 such villages combine to form the Development Block of
Dwarahat
Dwarahat is a town in the Almora district of Uttarakhand, India. Situated at an elevation of 1,510 meters (4,950 feet) in the Kumaon region, Dwarahat is known for its cultural heritage and historical significance, particularly related to the an ...
, which falls under the District of
Almora
Almora ( Kumaoni: ') is a municipal corporation and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of the ...
. Located at a height of above sea level, Dunagiri is famous within Kumaon for its temple of
Shakti
Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refer ...
– known here as Dunagiri
Devi
''Devī'' (; ) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is Deva (Hinduism), ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.
The concept ...
.
History
According to the local tradition, the town has been regularly visited by sages (''Rishi-Munis'') of India who established their
ashrams
An ashram (, ) is a spiritual Hermitage (religious retreat), hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism.
Etymology
The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< Proto-Indo-European, PIE *' ...
here in the midst of nature.Dunagiri Retreat http://www.dunagiri.com/history.html
Ashram
An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism.
Etymology
The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< Garga Muni was at Dunagiri after whom river Gagas is said to have been named. Shukdev Muni's ''ashram'' (son of sage Ved Vyasa) was also here, at a place now known as "Shukdevi". During their period of anonymous travel, the
Pandavas
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...
of
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
took shelter at Dunagiri. Pandukholi is said to be the place near Dunagiri where they stayed for a period of time. Pandav's Guru
Dronacharya
Droṇa (, ), also referred to as Dronacharya (, ), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He is one of the primary counsellors and warriors featured i ...
also did ''tapasya'' (devout austerity) at Dunagiri. Dunagiri is mentioned in ''Manas khand'' of ''
Skanda Purana
The ''Skanda Purana'' ( IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest '' Mukhyapurāṇa'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Shaivite literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parv ...
''. Dunagiri ''
Devi
''Devī'' (; ) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is Deva (Hinduism), ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.
The concept ...
'' is described as ''Mahamaya Harpriya'' (''Manas khand, 36.17–18''). Manas khand of Skandpuran bestows Dunagiri with the title of Brahm-parvat (Divine Mountain). Among all the
Shakti
Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refer ...
temples of Kumaon, Dunagiri is counted amid the most ancient ‘''Sidh Shaktipeeth''’, as a primary ‘''ugra''’ (intense) ‘''peeths''’ – called ‘''Ugra Peeth''’. This ''Shaktipeeth'' in its essence has been influenced over time by ''
Shaiva
Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the supreme being. It is the second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million Hindus, found widely across South Asia (predominantly in ...
'', ''
Vaishnav
Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Sh ...
Thi cave is where Yoga Guru Lahiri Mahasaya got Kriya Yoga teachings directly from
Mahavatar Babaji
Mahavatar Babaji (; ) is a legendary immortal yogi and guru, who is said to be living in the Himalayas. He is said to have taught multiple revered historic yogis, including Lahiri Mahasaya (1828–1895). Babaji first became recognized through ...
. Every day pilgrims and Kriya Yogis that follow different Gurus visit this cave.
Pantnagar Airport
Pantnagar Airport is a domestic airport serving Pantnagar and its adjoining regions, located in the Udham Singh Nagar district in of Uttarakhand, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India. It is the nearest airport to the Kumaon ...
Ranikhet
Ranikhet ( Kumaoni: ) is a hill station and cantonment town, near Almora Town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home of the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment (KRC) and Naga Regiment and is maintained by the Ind ...
and 100 km from
Nainital
Nainital (Kumaoni language, Kumaoni: ''Naintāl''; ) is a town and headquarters of Nainital district of Kumaon division, Uttarakhand, India. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the Uttarakhand High Court, High Court of the state being ...
.
See also
*
Kriya Yoga
''Kriyā'' (Sanskrit: क्रिया, 'action, deed, effort') is a "completed action", technique or practice within a yoga discipline meant to achieve a specific result.
Kriya or Kriya Yoga may also refer to:
* Kriya Yoga in the Yoga Sutras of ...
*
Mahavatar Babaji
Mahavatar Babaji (; ) is a legendary immortal yogi and guru, who is said to be living in the Himalayas. He is said to have taught multiple revered historic yogis, including Lahiri Mahasaya (1828–1895). Babaji first became recognized through ...
*
Lahiri Mahasaya
Shyama Charan Lahiri (30 September 1828 – 26 September 1895), best known as Lahiri Mahasaya, was an Indian yoga, yogi and guru who founded the Kriya Yoga (Yoga school), Kriya Yoga school. He was a disciple of Mahavatar Babaji. Lahiri Mahas ...
*
Baba Hari Dass
Baba Hari Dass (Devanagari: बाबा हरि दास) (26 March 1923 – 25 September 2018) was an Indian yoga master, silent monk, temple builder, and commentator of Indian scriptural traditions of ''dharma'' and ''moksha''. He was c ...