Bijlipur Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow is the nearest regular airport, 177.1 km away.

• By train

  Trains run from Lucknow via Barabanki and Gonda, and from Gorakhpur via Naugarh, Badhni and Tulsipur.

• By road

  The road from Lucknow is about 170 km, via Barabanki, then Bahraich, Shravasti, or Jarwal and Gonda.

Why devotees come here

Bijlipur Temple stands about 6 km from Balrampur town, in Balrampur district in northeast Uttar Pradesh, near the Nepal border. The Maharaja of Balrampur built it in the 19th century as a Devi shrine with no idol. Local families bring children here for mundan, the head-shaving of children around one year old.

The Maharaja of Balrampur built the temple in the 19th century, and people in the area hold it in high regard. It is a popular venue for mundan, the head-shaving of children around one year old. The main temple has no idol. Prayers are offered over a deep hole in the ground, covered with cloth.

Legend says a devotee of Patan Devi walked from Bijlipur to her shrine every day of his life to pray to her. The Devi then appeared to the Maharaja in a dream and told him to build a temple at the spot she would indicate. In the same story, the Maharaja rested for a night in the forested area nearby, and the next morning he heard that a large peepul tree had been struck by lightning and burnt down.

The temple is built of red stone, with fine carvings. Stone masons were brought from Rajasthan to carve it. Balrampur district lies in northeast Uttar Pradesh, near the Nepal border, under the Devipatan division.

Tips for your visit

• Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport buses run frequently from Kaiserbagh Bus Station in Lucknow to Balrampur town, about 6 km from the temple.
• Shravasti airport, 23.3 km from Balrampur town, is not a regular airport.

Questions people ask