Traditional Mahasu Devta Temple (Mahasui: 𑚢𑚩𑚭𑚨𑚱 𑚛𑚲𑚦𑚙𑚭 𑚢𑚫𑚛𑚮𑚤, Hindi: महासू देवता मंदिर), is located on the Tyuni-Mori road at Hanol, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, India and was built in the 9th century.

In the deitydom, Mahasu Devta is not only the sole arbiter over the mortals, he also reigns supreme over the innumerable indigenous gods and goddesses.

The age-old theocratic governance of Mahasu Devta, although acceptable to people and local rulers, was not taken kindly by the British authority.

To check the practice, Young passed a summary order in Kalsi in an assembly of the Senyanas banishing the Chalda Mahasu and his deputy attendants (birs) from Jaunsar and Bawar Parangna.

Yudhishtra was fascinated by the beauty of place and asked Vishwakarma to build a temple here and stay with Draupadi for nine days.

Demon cast an evil eye and desired to have the Kirtaka wife of the Brahmin; she prayed to Lord Shiva to protect her chastity.

They then prayed to Hatkeshwari Devi of Hatkoti who advised the couple to go to the Kashmir mountains and seek Mahasu, who will help them.

Mahasu Devta is not only an arbiter over mortals but also reigns supreme over numerous indigenous gods and goddesses.

In response, Mahasu Devata brothers were created: Vasik, Pavasi, Chalda and Botha, along with their birs- Kolu and Shedkuliya Huna Bhatt was instructed to plow his field on a Sunday with a solid silver plow and a pure gold shoe, yoking a pair of bullocks that had never been put on a yoke before.

Held in the month of Bhadon on the eve of Naga chauth (Bhadraprada shukla chaturtha), i.e., the fourth day of the bright half.

On this occasion, during the day the mohras images are ritually bathed and carried ceremoniously duly wrapped in the folds of a sheet of cloth.

As the night falls, a tall, straight pole cut from a kail (blue pine) tree is planted firmly on the ground.

At times, a man or two would drop from the circle being possessed by deity or his deputy (shedkulia) starts shouting and crying in frenzy of divine afflatus.

King Duryodhana made Jakholi his capital village and constructed Mahasu Devta Temple.

Two other important decisions arrived at the ceremony (1) To allow entry of ladies in the temple,(2) To stop the practice of sacrificing animals in name of village gods.

Basically Mahasu Devta fair at Hanol is celebrated by the Jaunsari tribe and people of other communities join them.

Since the Mahasu Devta fair at Hanol is local, the majority of the people come from nearby districts of Uttarkashi, Tehri, Saharanpur, Sirmour, Shimla, kullu etc.

Mahasu Devta fair at Hanol is the best venue to view the cultural heritage and traditions of local tribes.

In roof type-box type palanquins, the deity's image (Murti or Muharas) is hidden inside the box.

Usually made up of silver and sometimes inlaid with gold, both the box and the roof are typically ornamented with repousse images of Shiva, Ganesha, Krishna, The Pandavas and Kauravas and Gopis.

The placement of silver parasol at the peak of the roof and the four ball at each of the corner of the box reproduces the mandallic geometry of centre and four directions, the visual signature of world-ordering sovereignty gives visual form to Mahasu's paramount status as "king of the gods" (Hindi: (देवो का राजा)).

A woven silver cummerbund tied around the box, through which the deity's sword is slung, indicates the palanquin's anthropomorphic construction as the martial body of a demon-slaying ruler.

[8] Architecturally Mahasu Devta Temple at Hanol is one of the rarest examples of perfect and harmonious blend of stone and wooden structure to form one composite grand edifice.

The whole wooden structure is covered with a high pitched slated pent roof surmounted by a two-tiered conical canopy over it on which a gracefully tapered kalash pinnacle stands.

The roof ends and the projection of balcony are ornamented with dangling fringes a pendent corner bells which sway with the slightest movement of breeze.

Behind them in the preceding order are Pavasi Devta, Kailu (a bir), Natari (polyandrous wife of four Mahasu brothers).

Even he is required to undergo ritual ablution every time he enters the celestial realms; the tradition pujari of temple is a Brahmin.

It surface is profusely embossed with human and animal figures in a very bold manner depicting the episodes associated with the birth of Mahasu Devta.

The door frame is intensively covered with coins nailed over one another through years but non of them are numismatic interest and range from recent past.

The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam guest house ( now under PPP mode with BIVA Hospitality) is the reasonable and comfortable accommodation option at Hanol.