Muzaffarnagar: City, Temples and Pilgrimage Sites

Muzaffarnagar is a city and the administrative headquarters of the district of the same name. Tailor your search to the topics that are central to your trip.

Pilgrimage Sites and Temples

Shukratal is said to be the place where Sukadeva Goswami recited the sacred Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) to Maharaja Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu, 5,000 years ago. Hanumatdham was built in Shukratal in 1987 and features a 72-foot-high statue of Hanuman. The grounds include an open courtyard with a Yagyashala and a Katha Manch stage. The Shukdev Temple in Shukratal contains intricately carved depictions of the sage Shukdev and King Parikshit.

Ganeshdham has a 35-foot-high statue of the god Ganesh. The Panchmukhi Shivling Temple in Sambhalheda has a five-faced Shivling made of Kasauti stone. It is described as being as old as the Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal. In Shukratal, statues and carved depictions take center stage, while the distinctive Kasauti stone stands out at the temple in Sambhalheda. At 72 feet, the Hanuman statue is more than twice as tall as the 35-foot-high Ganesh statue.

Within the city, Bhairon ka Mandir is an important pilgrimage destination; pilgrims perform a parikrama there, a ritual circumambulation of the shrine. The main shrine of Bhairon ka Mandir in Muzaffarnagar houses the eleven Shivlings known as the Ekadash Shivlings. Sankirtan Bhawan, also called Kirtan Bhawan, houses a statue of the god Tirupati Balaji.

Ganges Landscape and Religious Traditions

Akshay Vat is described as a 5,100-year-old, 150-foot-high banyan tree that never sheds any of its leaves. Devotees who visit the tree tie a red thread around it to have their wishes fulfilled. Nakshatra Vatika is known for its greenery. Stone statues of animals and birds provide entertainment for children; visitors and pilgrims to Shukratal visit the grounds.

Shukratal lies on the banks of the sacred Ganges, which has carved a path through the rocky landscape there. The Ganga Temple is also one of Shukratal’s attractions. Every year in the month of Kartika—in October or November—many pilgrims come to Shukratal at the full moon to bathe in the sacred Ganges. This timing distinguishes a visit during the annual pilgrimage tradition from a trip at another time of year.

Transport Links and the Local Gud Market

Muzaffarnagar is connected to road and rail networks; National Highway 58 (NH-58) also runs through the city. Check timetables separately when planning your specific trip. The city is also known for its jaggery market: jaggery is made from heated and dried sugarcane juice and is locally called “gud.” Muzaffarnagar’s jaggery market is considered the largest in the world.

Discover more destinations: Muzaffarnagar, Bahraich, Rae Bareli, Ballia, Mirzapur, Aligarh, Kushinagar, Sambhal.

View the broader travel overview: Uttar Pradesh.