A few years back a temple dedicated to the Goddess Shakti was also built adjacent to the old Tarakeshwar Mahadev temple. Also nearby is the ‘havan kund’ which is used by some devotees who do special prayers.

There is another room in which the bells offered to Tarakeshwar Mahadev are kept. A few years back the Temple Committee constructed a walk way to the temple in which the bells have been hung. Devotees going to the temple ring these bells the chime of which adds to the pious environment. The soldiers of the Garhwal Rifles after returning from any war operations to their cantonment in Lansdowne come in a convoy to Tarakeshwar and perform ‘puja’ here. They also offer a big bell which is normally hung at the gate of the Temple. Presently, the bell which they offered after returning from the Kargill war is hung at the gate. It is pertinent to mention here that Tarakeshwar is the ruling deity of the Garhwal Rifles.

There are two deodar trees in Tarakeshwar which have a special place in the minds of the devotees. One is located near the main temple while the other is located near ‘Saundh Parihar’, a small temple built near the entrance gate near the parking lot.

Deodar trees are single stem trees but both these trees have branches which come out in the shape of a Trishul (trident). The trishul is the weapon which is carried by Lord Shiva.

There is a meditation centre and the two dharmshalas mention of which has been made in detail later.

There is an open swimming pool where devotees can take a bath before visiting the temple. For ladies there is another pool which is covered so that they may bathe in some privacy. Apart from these two pools there are two other smaller open pools which are located in front of the dharmshala built by Captain Jianand Dhasmana. There is another ‘kund’ which is now covered from where devotees can take water for offering in the Tarakeshwar Mahadev temple. The water from this ‘kund’ is used for drinking and cooking purpose also.

Langurs, jackals, monkeys, parakeets, mountain deers, snakes and a variety of birds can be seen in Tarakeshwar. In 2003, I have seen a leopard which came near the meditation centre. On seeing us it immediately vanished in the vegetal growth in the mountain. It had probably come to the meditation centre to catch the dog which was kept by the workers there. However, on seeing that we have noticed him the leopard dashed into the bushes and fled away. People have also seen bears at the end of the rainy season. It is advisable to get away whenever you see a bear because it has a tendency to attack humans. Wild boars can also be seen here and it is advisable to avoid them as they have a very unpredictable behaviour. Other animals normally do not attack human beings unless instigated. A speciality in Tarakeshwar is a bird which normally every night makes a chanting sound which it keeps on repeating for a very long time. The priest and workers of the meditation centre can tell you about this bird.

For gourmet lovers during the monsoon season you can find morchella mushrooms (guchchi) at the base of the deodar trees. Only those who can recognise the mushroom should eat it. There are similar looking poisonous mushrooms also.

The sunrise from the top of the cliff above the meditation centre is worth experiencing. Kindly be at the top atleast 10 minutes before the first light can be seen on the horizon. On a lucky day a span of 800 km. of snow covered Himalayan mountain ranges can be seen at a distance. The majestic Himalayas starting from Himachal Pradesh, the Yamunotri peaks, the Gangotri peaks, the Chaukamba, Nandadevi and Trishul can be seen from the top. However, as the sun rises the clouds from the valley rise to cover the peaks.