Ratangarh Mata Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Datia Airport, in Datia town, has direct flights to Bhopal and Khajuraho.

• By train

  Datia Railway Station, in Datia town, lies on the Agra-Bhopal route.

• By road

  Regular buses and taxis run from Gwalior to Datia town, 76 km away. The temple is about 60 km from Datia city.

Why devotees come here

Ratangarh Mata Temple is a Hindu temple in the village of Ratangarh, Datia district, Madhya Pradesh. It is dedicated to Shakti, and devotees offer bells here, including during Navratri.

Ratangarh Mata is a popular Durga temple in the village of Ratangarh, in Tehsil Seondha near the Sindh river. Legend says Samarth Ramdas, guru of the Maratha king Shivaji, camped here in 1666 to plan Shivaji's rescue from Agra Fort. Afterwards Shivaji's cavalry is said to have brought him to the temple, because the jungle was too dense for the Mughal army to search.

According to Ghanshyam Singh of the Datia royal family, the temple was built between the late 11th and early 12th century by Ratan Sen, son of Punya Pal Parmar. Ratan Sen also built a temple and a fort on a hill above Ratangarh. He was killed in a war with the Jats of Gohad, and the village was deserted. The fort walls have fallen, but the temple has been rebuilt several times.

Many of the bells were donated by dacoits from the Chambal region, who came to the temple dressed as peasants. Many visitors take the deity to be Mandula Devi, but the worshipped deity is Durga. Kunwar Maharaj, Mandula Devi's brother, has a shrine inside the temple.

Festivals

• During NavratriNavratri

  Devotees offer bells, and one dedicated by the chief minister is cited as the biggest bell at any temple in the country.

• The Bhai Dooj after DiwaliBhai Dooj

  A priest performs jhaar with branches from the forest in front of Kunwar Maharaj's shrine. Devotees bitten by snakes, or their cattle, are said to have immunity from the venom only if they visit then.

Tips for your visit

• Come during Navratri if you want to see the bell offerings in person.
• Most devotees are landless and marginal peasants who come to the forest temple.

Questions people ask