Manudevi Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Jalgaon Airport is the nearest airport to Yawal town, 45 km away. It lies southeast of Jalgaon city centre.

• By train

  Bhusawal is the nearest main railway station to Yawal town, 18 km away. Jalgaon Junction serves Jalgaon city.

Why devotees come here

Manudevi Temple stands near Adgaon village in Yawal taluka, Jalgaon district, in Maharashtra's Satpuda range. Many families in the area count Manudevi as their family deity, according to local folklore.

The Shree Manudevi Temple sits in the Satpuda ranges, on the banks of the Tapi river. Local folklore says the area is the spiritual home of Manudevi. Legend says Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma met in a cave in these hills, as the Devi Bhagwat Puranas record. Their combined energies brought forth Manudevi to defeat Mahishasur.

The shrine is also a centre of the Navchandi Yagnya, a Vedic ceremony to Devi Durga that is held twice a year. More than 70 percent of families in the area count her as their family deity, according to local folklore. The temple also marks the Pola Festival, rooted in agrarian traditions, and the Navaratra Utsav in Ashwin, with nightly music and dance.

The temple's ancient excavations were discovered in the year 1251, and they still hint at the site's long spiritual history. During the Navchandi Yagnya the grounds fill with chants and offerings. The adjacent man-made lake adds to the setting.

Festivals

• Chaitra and Magh Shudda AshtamiNavchandi Yagnya

  A Vedic ceremony for Devi Durga, with chants and offerings in the temple grounds.

• Margashirsha and Pethori Amavasya in Shravan monthPola Festival

  A festival rooted in agrarian traditions. The highlight is a procession of the Devi, with her idol adorned in flowers and jewels.

• Ashwin monthNavaratra Utsav

  Nightly rituals, music and dance, with a procession on Vijayadashami.

Tips for your visit

• An adjacent man-made lake and a Hanuman temple are close by.
• For a cultural visit, plan around the Navchandi Yagnya, Pola Festival or Navaratri Utsav.

Questions people ask