Chamunda Mata Temple Mehrangarh

Getting there

• By air

  Jodhpur Airport is one of the prominent airports of Rajasthan.

• By train

  Jodhpur junction railway station serves the city.

• By road

  Jodhpur has well-established road networks to other major cities of the country.

Why devotees come here

Chamunda Mata Temple sits inside Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Chamunda Mataji was Rao Jodha's favourite deity, and she remains the adopted deity of the Maharajas and the royal family.

Chamunda Mataji was the favourite Devi of Rao Jodha, and she was the kul devi, or family deity, of the Pratihara rulers of Mandore. Today she remains the Isht Devi, the adopted deity, of the Maharajas and the royal family. Most of Jodhpur's citizens worship her too.

In 1460 Rao Jodha brought her idol from Mandore, the old capital, and installed her in Mehrangarh. Rao Jodha's favourite Devi was Chamunda Mataji. The fort then became a place of worship and was turned into a temple. The shrine stands within the fort's boundaries, among several palaces known for their intricate carvings and expansive courtyards.

Crowds throng the fort during the Dussehra celebrations. On 30 September 2008 a human stampede at the temple inside the fort killed 224 people and injured more than 400.

Festivals

• During the Dussehra celebrationsDussehra

  Crowds throng Mehrangarh during the Dussehra celebrations.

Tips for your visit

• The Mehrangarh Museum Trust runs the fort's website, not a temple website.
• Jodhpur is Rajasthan's second-largest city, after Jaipur.
• The shrine sits among several palaces with intricate carvings and expansive courtyards within the fort.
• The fort itself became a place of worship and was turned into a temple.
• Dussehra is the festival when crowds throng the fort.
• Mehrangarh is a historic fort located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Questions people ask