Jeen Mata Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Jaipur International Airport is the nearest airport to Sikar city and runs daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai.

• By train

  Sikar Junction is a railway station in Sikar city, on the North Western Railway.

• By road

  Jeen Mata village lies about 29 km south of Sikar city and about 108 km northwest of Jaipur.

Rules to know

• The temple's gates never close, and prayers are held even during lunar eclipses.

Why devotees come here

Jeen Mata Temple is a Shakti Peeth on a hilltop in the Aravalli hills near Raiwasa in Sikar district, Rajasthan. Devi is worshipped here in her eight-armed form as Mahishasura Mardini.

Jeen Mata is considered an incarnation of Durga, and her brother Harsh an incarnation of Bhairon. Local legend says the two were born in Ghaghu village in Churu district and shared a deep bond. Folk tales and historians place them in the tenth century. The legend says that later Jeen went into deep meditation at a place called Kajal Shikhar in the Aravalli mountains.

Legend says Aurangzeb's forces tried to damage the temple, and that he then ordered it left untouched. The legend also says he pledged oil from the imperial court at Delhi for the akhand jyoti, the eternal flame, which is believed to have burned for centuries. In the Shekhawati region she is popularly called Bhanwaron ki Devi.

The temple is built of marble and limestone, and is believed to be over a thousand years old, dating to the 8th century. Its main hall has twenty four pillars carved with flora, fauna, dancers and deities. The sanctum, the innermost shrine, is made of marble.

Festivals

• Chaitra and Ashvin monthsNavratri

  Pilgrims come in large numbers during the Navratri festival in these months.

Tips for your visit

• The temple is surrounded by dense forest, about 10 km from Revsa village.
• The Harsh Bhairav Nath temple is inside the temple complex, at the peak.
• Khatu Shyam Ji temple is about 28 km away.

Questions people ask