The temple's origins are ancient, with local legends dating it to the mythological era. The original temple stood on a river island called 'Dhari' (meaning 'bank' or 'support') in the Alaknanda River. In June 2013, catastrophic floods devastated the region but the idol was miraculously recovered from the debris and temporarily housed in a nearby village. In 2017, a new temple complex was inaugurated on higher ground at Kaliyasaur, 2 km from the original site.
The relocation remains a significant temple restoration effort in modern Uttarakhand.
