Sureshwari Devi Temple

The approach is the experience: about two kilometres into the forest through a Rajaji National Park gate near Ranipur, with a nominal vehicle fee and a standing rule that walkers go in groups. Deer and peacocks turn up along the track, wild elephants occasionally do, and the canopy keeps the temperature down through the worst of the summer. At the end stands an ancient Durga shrine; the name comes from the legend that Indra, king of the gods, worshipped her here: Sureshwari, goddess of the gods. Local families know it well; visiting pilgrims rarely get this far.

A forest track with deer on it, ending at a Durga shrine the tour circuits skip