Maa Kauleshwari Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Bodh Gaya in Bihar is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Gaya in Bihar is the nearest railway station.

• By road

  The temple is about 10 km from Hunterganj.

Why devotees come here

Maa Kauleshwari Temple stands on Kolhua Hill, about 6 miles south east of Hunterganj in Chatra district, Jharkhand. Devi Kauleshwari, a form of Sati/Kali, is worshipped here. The hill is considered a Shakta pitha and is linked with the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Devi Kauleshwari, a form of Sati/Kali, is worshipped on Kolhua Hill. The place is considered a Shakta pitha, a sacred seat of Devi, because the womb of Sati fell here. It is also linked with the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two Sanskrit epics of ancient India. The Pandavas are said to have spent some days here during their exile.

Kolhua Hill lies about 6 miles south east of Hunterganj, a historic town in the Chatra subdivision of Chatra district, Jharkhand. The town is now also known as Shaligram Ramnarayanpur. On the hill, the most important of the ancient temples is a temple of Kali known as Kauleshwari Devi. The hill is 1,575 feet high, and the view from the top is excellent.

Kolhua Mela is held here during the Hindu festivals of Vasant Panchami and Ram Navami. Thousands of devotees from Hindu, Jain and Buddhist communities visit the hill all round the year.

Festivals

• Vasant Panchami and Ram NavamiKolhua Mela

  The fair is held on the hill during both Hindu festivals.

Tips for your visit

• From Hunterganj, cross the river, which is now bridged, then take a jeep or walk the uneven track to the foot of the hill.
• The hill is 1,575 feet high, and the view from the top is excellent.

Questions people ask