Champavati
Temple, located in the heart of the city of Chamba, is a pilgrim
destination for many Hindus. It is named after Champavati, the daughter
of King Sahil Varman, the founder of the temple. The temple holds great
historical and religious relevance for many Hindus. Champavati Temple
enshrines an idol of Goddess Mahisasuramardini, the avatar of Goddess
Durga. According to the legend, the daughter of King Sahil Varman
Champavati was a religious person and used to visit temples and sadhu’s
ashrams regularly.The king, after getting suspicious of her actions, once followed her to a sadhu’s place, with a dagger in his cloak. Once he reached the ashram, he found that there was no one inside. To his surprise, both the sadhu and his daughter Champavati had vanished. When he was about to return, he heard a voice saying that his daughter had been taken away as a punishment of his suspicion. The voice also asked him to build a temple, on the name of his daughter Champavati, if he wanted to avoid further familial calamities.
The king ordered the construction of the Champavati Temple. Now, the temple is under the Archeological Survey of India, for its historical and archeological importance. The major attraction of the temple comprises of its Shikhara style architecture. Stone carved walls, full with sculptures, make the temple an attractive tourist spot. The temple has a large wheel on the rooftop, which adores it and makes it a distinguished temple in North India. The Champavati Temple is often compared with Laxmi Narayan Temple, in its grandeur.
