Credit: pallavi joshi
Shiva temple Gopeshwar, or Gopinath Temple, is a Shiva temple that is located in the district of Chamoli, Uttarakhand. A magnificent dome spread over an area of 30 square feet speaks to the architectural proficiency of the temple. 24 doors provide access to the Garbhagriha.
Around the temple, there are several broken idols that further support the theory that once upon a time, several temples existed in Gopeshwar.
The name of the town, Gopeshwar, is derived from a tale of a cow. A cow named Gopeshwari feeds Shiva during Satyug. On the name of the cow, Gopeshwari, Gopeshwar town falls.
Gopinath temple is considered second in importance to Kedarnath temple. During winter, the temple houses the idols of Rudranath temple due to heavy snowfall at Rudranath.
In the courtyard of the temple, there is a trident made of eight different metals. Trident dating back to the 12th century, which is attributed to Anek Malla, King of Nepal, is mentioned. The King of Nepal ruled the region in the 13th century. But the mythology story says Shiva threw the trident at Lord Kama when he came to disturb him, and the trident stuck at the same spot. It’s believed that only a truly devoted person can remove it, and when it moves slightly, it will cause tremors.