Ambika Mata Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Maharana Pratap Airport (UDR) in Udaipur is the nearest airport. It is a small domestic airport about 20 km from Udaipur city.

• By train

  Udaipur City Railway Station (UDZ) is the nearest railway station.

Why devotees come here

Ambika Mata Temple stands in Jagat village, about 50 km southeast of Udaipur in Rajasthan. The presiding deity is Devi Ambika, a form of Durga. The temple is also known as the Khajuraho of Mewar.

Ambika is worshipped here as Shakti, a primeval source of energy. The main image in the shrine is Devi Ambika, a form of Durga, and her lion mount links her to Durga. A legend connects her to the Jains. It says she appeared in a vision and advised Vimala on building his Adinath temple at Mount Abu. Jagat is a village in Rajasthan, and it is best known for this temple.

It is a little-known temple. It was built under the reign of Rawal Allata of Mewar. The earliest inscription, dated 961 AD, records a repair to it, and the temple dates back to the tenth century. Its images include Durga and many other female divinities. Today the Rajasthan State Department of Archaeology and Museum preserves it.

The architecture is Māru-Gurjara, and the temple is an early, transitional example of that style. Its plan is pentagonal. A massive rampart wall encloses it, with 17 turrets and a pagoda-like gabled roof. The village lies about 50 km southeast of Udaipur, the city that has the nearest airport and station.

Tips for your visit

• Inside the shrine, the main image is Devi Ambika, and the temple also has images of Durga and many other female divinities.
• The temple is a Maru-Gurjara building, so its pentagonal plan and gabled roof are worth a close look.

Questions people ask