One of Delhi’s oldest temples at more than 800 years old – the Gauri Shankar Temple – is located in the busy Chandni Chowk area of the capital. Even before you reach the temple you can smell it, literally, owing to the several flower shops in the vicinity selling flowers to offer to the deity. One of the most important temples of Shaivism (a sect of Hinduism that worships Lord Shiva) in the country, it has an 800-year-old brown lingam (phallus stone) surrounded by snakes made of silver encased in a marble representation of the feminine.

The entrance to the temple, which has a flight of marble steps and flanking pillars carved with chains and bells, leads directly to the courtyard. Always bustling with the activities of the devotees, the courtyard has all the necessary items of the puja for Lord Shiva like sandalwood paste, flowers, bilva leaves and rice, on sale for the devotees to buy. The unique attraction of the courtyard is a marble chair of Bhagat Swaroup Bramachari, a Hindu saint who spent more than 50 years in the temple. It is his portrait and sandals that are kept here with his teachings about methods to achieve enlightenment.

Inside the temple are idols of Lord Shiva, his consort Parvati (Gauri-Shankar) and their two sons, Ganesh, the elephant headed and Kartik, the god of war. The idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati, wearing real gold jewellery are situated just behind the lingam under the silver canopy. The lingam too has a silver water vessel above it from which droplets of water continuously fall. The other attraction here is the wall behind the idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati, which has beautiful silver paintings depicting the scenes from the life of Lord Shiva.

Address – Next to Digambar Jain Temple on the main Chandni Chowk road, Delhi

How to Reach – The best way to reach here would be to take a Metro to the Chandni Chowk station. One could also take local buses or hire an auto. (not recommended due to the chaotic traffic situation in Old Delhi)

Timings – Open all the time