Introduction
Kalinka temple is situated in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand in northern India. It lies close to the border with the Almora district. The temple has been in existence for centuries but the new structure has been renovated and remade a couple of times in the last decade.
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Geography
This temple is located at 29°51'43.64"N 79° 4'9.22"E. It is situated at an average elevation of 2100 meters. It is located on a flat, bare and rocky hilltop which is devoid of much vegetation. It is surrounded by a dense mixed forest consisting of Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii), Banj Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora), Rhododendron forests and many other species. There are many ways to approach the temple from both Garhwal and Kumaon regions. The ascent is of easy to moderate difficulty. It offers a good view of Dudhatoli hills, the Trisul Massif and also peaks of Western Garhwal up to Bandarpunch range.
Climate
The climate is highland subtropical type (as per Köppen classification). In summer, its pleasantly warm and in winter cool with a bright sunshine. It receives a good amount of rain throughout the year. It also experiences snowfall every season. The temperature during summer fluctuates between 25-30 degrees celsius during the day and 10-15 at night. In winter it is around 15 degrees celsius during day and around 5 degrees celsius during the night.
Three Yearly Fair
Goddess Kali is much revered among the local people and the temple holds an important place during social events and religious festivals. It is said that the goddess appeared to a local shepherd in his dreams a long time back. She told him to reach that particular spot and build her temple there. A three-yearly fair is held here in winter which attracts many local people and outsiders. Hundreds of goats, rams and male buffalo calves are sacrificed here every three years. Animal sacrifices have been a subject of controversy and criticism in recent times. But this practice continues despite all efforts by many bodies. It is deeply imbibed in the local culture.
Nearby places
This region remains almost unexplored as compared to other tourist circuits of Uttarakhand, more specifically the Garhwal region. Outsiders coming to this place have a lot to see. They can visit Jogimarhi (a virtually unknown hill station in the region), Bindeshwar Mahadev (Not to be confused with Binsar Mahadev near Ranikhet), Deeba mata temples (The upper and the lower Deeba), Gauni Chheeda on NH-121 (Gauni falls), Gujrugarhi temple and historical caves, and lot of high hills for jungle treks.