Tapkeshwar Temple, Hindu shrine in Dehradun, India

Tapkeshwar Temple sits within a natural cave formation along a streamside and houses a Shiva lingam in its stone chambers. The sanctuary is characterized by continuous water flow that drips from the cave ceiling.

The cave beneath the temple is called Drona Cave because tradition holds that Dronacharya, teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Mahabharata, lived there. His wife Kalyani could not breastfeed their newborn son Ashwatthama, and Dronacharya could not afford a cow or milk. Ashwatthama prayed to Shiva, who fed the child milk dripping from the shivalinga in the cave.

The name Tapkeshwar comes from the drops (tapak) falling from the cave roof onto the shivalinga. During Mahashivratri a fair runs for over a week, with the temple lit and decorated with flowers, free mahaprasad from the temple trust, and Aghori ascetics arriving from Kedarnath and Badrinath. On Holi the local theatre group Hamari Pehchan opens its holiday performances here.

The temple lies in Garhi Cantt, about 5.5 km from the Dehradun city bus stand and 7.5 km from the Clock Tower, reachable by road. It is open daily from 6 am to 7 pm, with aarti at 7 am and 7 pm; during Shravan it stays open day and night. Pilgrims bathe in the nearby sulphur springs before entering.

Water continuously drips from the cave ceiling onto the Shiva lingam, which gave the shrine its name Tapkeshwar, meaning the dripping lord. This natural phenomenon is the heart of the place and visible throughout the year.