Mahakala Mandir is situated in a small cave below the crest of the Observatory Hill, to the northwest of Chowrasta, Darjeeling. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva and Buddhist Dharmapala,one of the eight major and several minor guardians of Tantric Buddhism as practiced in the Himalayan countries and regions. At the entrance of the temple, the trident, symbol of lord Shiva, is united with the wheel between two gazelles, the symbols of a Buddhist monastery. This place is considered sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.
