Maa Kalanka Devi Temple

Getting there

• By train

  The station is on the Purna-Khandwa section of South Central Railway.

• By road

  The temple lies about 11 miles south-east of Akola city.

Why devotees come here

Maa Kalanka Devi Temple stands at Barsi Takli, a town about 11 miles south-east of Akola city in Akola district. Earlier accounts link it to Devi Bhawani. Its black stone shrine is unusual, because the mandap sits at a right angle to the inner sanctum.

Earlier accounts say the temple was dedicated to Devi Bhawani and was known by that same name. The temple is named Maa Kalanka Devi today. The shrine is built of black stone. The shrine and its front hall, the mandap, are decorated on the outside with bands of mouldings and figures.

The temple faces north. Two small windows on the east are cut in the form of a cross, and the first rays of the sun fall on the head of the deity through them. The mandap is set at a right angle to the garbhagrha, the inner sanctum, which is not the usual plan for a temple. The north side is partly open, with half-walls that have seats with back benches.

Tradition counts Barsi Takli as an ancient place. An inscription at Tekkali, which is modern Barsi Takli, is dated 7 April 1177 CE. It records that a minister named Gamiyaya built a Vishnu temple there under King Hemadrideva, and that this temple is now known as the Bhavani temple. Some accounts link that name to this shrine.

Festivals

• Full moon day of the month of ChaitraGovind Maharaj fair

  Held every year in honour of Govind Maharaj, after whom the village was known in earlier times. About five to seven thousand people attend.

Tips for your visit

• Historical gateways and remnants of a fort, with bastions and walls, stand near the temple in the town.
• The Akola district government website has a page on this temple.
• The Maharashtra Gazetteer covers the history of Barsi Takli.

Questions people ask