DEHRADUN: The Triyuginarayan temple in Triyugi village in Uttarakhand has turned into a site for destination weddings, with couples following in the footsteps of Shiva and Parvati whose marriage was solemnised here according to the Puranas.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Yogendra Singh, chief executive officer of Badri Kedar Temple Committee, said, "The committee will soon prepare an action plan to provide basic amenities to couples coming here with the aim of tying the knot."
"More than 50 marriages have taken place in Triyuginarayan since Makar Sankranti this year," Uttarakhand Tirthpurohit Samiti secretary Sarveshvanand Semwal told The New Indian Express. "There have been 30 marriages in May-June alone. In 2022, there were 85 weddings throughout the season. Weddings have been booked here till March 2024," he added.
Semwal further said, "Triyuginarayan is the site where the divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati during the 'Satyuga' took place in the presence of the holy fire, which still burns for eternity in front of the temple in havan-kund, a four-cornered chimney on the ground."
"According to the scriptures, pilgrims coming to this temple take the ashes emanating from the burning fire with them as sacred. It is also believed that the ashes emanating from this fire deepen marital bliss," he added.
Located in Rudraprayag district, about 250 km from state capital Dehradun, the temple also has ancient pools with special significance. In the last two decades, many celebrities have tied the knot here, including Higher Education Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat, artist Kavita Kaushik, Nikita Sharma, Jitendra Aseda, IPS officer Aparna Gautam, IAS officer Lalit Mohan Rayal and SDM Jitendra Verma.
However, priests of the temple are disappointed that the facilities here have not been renovated even five years after then CM Trivendra Singh Rawat had announced that it would be turned into the prime wedding destination of Uttarakhand.