Most important Everyone should know this history - Maulakalika Mandir, also known as Dada Kalika, is not just a temple — it’s a living history and a divine power spot of Nepal. It is located on top of Maula Hill in Gaindakot Municipality, Nawalpur District, just across the Narayani River from Bharatpur, standing about 561 meters above sea level. The temple offers breathtaking views of the Narayani River, Chitwan Valley, and even the Himalayas on clear days.
This sacred temple is dedicated to Goddess Kalika, symbol of energy and protection. Historical evidence and local legends say that the temple was originally established in the 16th century by King Mani Mukunda Sen of Palpa, a great ruler of the Sen dynasty. During his reign, this hilltop was believed to be a military base or watch post for his troops. The strategic location allowed his soldiers to observe movements across the Narayani River and protect the kingdom’s southern borders.
King Mani Mukunda Sen, a great devotee of Goddess Kalika, built this shrine to seek her blessings for strength and victory. Over time, that sacred post turned into a permanent temple — now known as Maulakalika Mandir — a place where faith, history, and divine energy meet together.
Today, the temple can be reached by 1,800–1,900 stone steps, by cable car, or through the road network that’s been open for the last 4–5 years, easily accessible by bike, auto, or car. The steps here are also used daily by locals for morning and evening walks, as it’s considered great for health and peace of mind.
The area is clean, peaceful, and full of positive energy. The view from the top — especially during sunrise or sunset — feels like heaven on earth.
I truly love this place. It’s not only a temple but a symbol of history, devotion, health, and nature’s beauty all in one. A must-visit destination for anyone coming to Nawalpur or Chitwan.
🙏 Historical temple (since 16th century) | Established by King Mani Mukunda Sen | Peaceful environment | Scenic beauty | Easy access by road & cable car. 🕉️🕉️🕉️🪔🪔🪔💐💐💐.
🕉️ This is what people know mostly now :
Maulakalika Mandir, also known as Dada Kalika, is one of the most peaceful and powerful temples in Nepal. It is located on top of Maula Hill in Gaindakot Municipality, Nawalpur District, just across the Narayani River from Bharatpur. The temple stands about 561 meters above sea level, offering stunning views of the river, Chitwan Valley, and even the Himalayan ranges on clear days.
This sacred temple is dedicated to Goddess Kalika, the goddess of power and energy. It is believed to have been originally established in the 16th century during the reign of the King of Palpa. The current temple has been renovated beautifully, preserving its spiritual significance while making it more accessible to visitors.
There are around 1,800–1,900 stone steps leading to the top, which are not only spiritually uplifting but also very beneficial for health. Many people come here daily for a morning or evening walk to stay fit and feel peaceful. Visitors can also take the Maulakalika Cable Car or use the road route, which has been accessible for the last 4–5 years and is smooth for bikes, autos, and cars.
The temple area is clean, peaceful, and well-managed, surrounded by greenery and fresh air. The sunrise and sunset views are absolutely mesmerizing.
I love this place so much — it’s a perfect blend of faith, health, and natural beauty. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Nawalpur or Chitwan region!
🙏 Peaceful environment | Scenic beauty | Easy access | Healthy walking trail | Historical temple (since...
Read moreThe Maula Kalika temple ( Maulakalika Mandir) is situated on the hilltop, around a kilometer north of the East-West Highway in Gaindakot Municipality, ward numebr 1 of Nawalparasi district lying in the lap of the Narayani River in the mid-part of Nepal. Maula Kalika temple locally called danda kalika is located in the premises of holy religious site Devghat Dham. It is a famous religious pilgrimage and tourist site of the Nawalparasi district of Nepal.
Situated on the hilltop amidst dense green forest, it is gaining recognition as a spiritual Centrex as well as a holy place for fulfilling the wishes expressed by devotees and worshipers before the Goddess. Devotees throng the temple every morning to offer worships and prayers to the Goddess who is believed to materialize people’s longings. With the increased beauty and panorama of the place with the systematic prayers to the temple since 2038 BS, infrastructure development on the people’s mobilization and constructions of temple in pyagoda style in 2052 BS, the score of visitors has remarkably gone up in the temple for last few years. The snow-capped scenic beauty in the north, holy place Devghat, Chitwan National Park, Sauraha, Tigers Top, and other enchanting natural beauty visible to the north from the temple delight every tourists reaching there. Likewise, people-conserved peace forest park (Banbatika), artistic slate-paved way, stands, tap stands, stations, and various temples on the way to Maulakalika are also inspiring people to visit the temple again and again.
Worth-seeing scenes from the hilltop and the pleasure one feels from trekking and wandering green dense forests also mesmerize people there, rocketing the number of visitors arriving in this altitude from all parts of the country thereby help promote internal tourism in the area.
Visitors can offer prayer and worship to Siddi Binayak Ganesh, Shree Krishna and Deurali Devi on the way to Maulakalika and take joy of the incredible natural beauty intensified by the forest and cool and clean weather on the way to the temple
Historical Background of Maula Kalika There is a legend that during the reign of King Manimukunda Sen of Palpa about 500 years ago, at the end of 15th century and beginning of 16th century, the troops of that time started worshiping Kalika Bhagwati by erecting a stone in their fort which is called Maula in Nepali language. It is believed, in Hindu mythology that the Goddess Kali or Kalika also called Durga is the symbol of energy, power and new beginning.
The temple has been renovated several times by the local people. The base area has been widened to adjust more visitors.
The temple management has lately decided to stop sacrificing of...
Read moreMaula Kalika temple is a famous Hindu temple of Goddess Kalika in Gaindakot town of Nawalpur district in Gandaki province of Nepal. Located on the top of the Maula dada or Maula hill on the north of Narayani River (also called Gandaki River) in Gaindakot, Maula Kalika temple is situated 561 metres (1,841 ft) above sea level. Local people in Gaindakot have been worshipping at the Maula Kalika for many centuries before it got widespread popularity. The current temple was built in the early 1990s. Hundreds of thousands of people visit Maula Kalika every year from Nepal and neighbouring countries. Dashain festival in September–October and in March–April are peak seasons when the goddess Kalika or Kali (also called Nav Durga, the 9 different incarnations of Goddess Kalika) is worshipped during these festive seasons. Former President of Nepal Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, former King/Princes and High Ranking Government Officials including Finance Minister Ram Saran Mahat of Nepal have visited the temple. World-famous Yoga guru Baba Ramdev from India visited the temple in 2011. Nepal's First women president Shrimati Bidhya Devi Bhandari visited the temple on 20 April 2016 and inaugurated the temples residential facilities. Historically, it is said that in the 16th century the King of Palpa created a symbolic offering site ("Maula") in the name of goddess Kalika after which the name of the mountain (Maula hill) was derived. It is believed, in Hindu mythology that the Goddess Kali or Kalika also called Durga is the symbol of energy, power and new beginning. The temple has been renovated several times by the local people. The base area has been widened to adjust for more visitors. The temple management has lately decided to stop sacrificing the animals. Cable car is also installed in this time which make travel...
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