Yogmaya Temple

Rules to know

• Wine and meat are not offered at the temple.
• Bells are not rung during the worship of Devi Yogmaya.

Why devotees come here

Yogmaya Temple stands in Mehrauli, South Delhi, close to the Qutb complex. It is dedicated to Devi Yogmaya, considered a sister of Krishna. It is described as the only surviving temple of the pre-sultanate period still in use.

Local belief holds that the Pandavas built the temple at the end of the Mahabharata war. A folk legend also links Akbar II's wife with a vow to offer a flower punkah here. The temple is described as the only surviving pre-sultanate period temple still in use.

The Hindu king Samrat Vikramaditya Hemu reconstructed the temple and brought it back from ruins. The present temple was rebuilt in 1827 and is a simple, contemporary structure. It may descend from an older Devi shrine. In 12th-century Jain scriptures, Mehrauli is also mentioned as Yoginipura, after the temple.

The sanctum is 17 ft square, with a flat roof and a truncated shikara tower above it. The main tower rises 42 ft and has a copper-plated pinnacle. The main idol of Yogmaya is made of black stone. The temple lies within the Lal Kot walls, the first fortress citadel of Delhi. The flower festival first started in 1812. Hindus and Muslims come together for it, and it has become an important inter-faith festival of Delhi.

Festivals

• Every autumn (Oct-Nov)Phoolwalon-ki-sair

  The flower-sellers' festival starts at the Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki dargah, also in Mehrauli. Hindus and Muslims decorate Kaki's shrine and the Yog Maya Mandir with flowers, and the festival includes a floral punkah offering here.

• NavratriNavratri

  The temple is a venue for a large gathering of devotees during the Navratri celebrations.

Tips for your visit

• Anangtal Baoli, a johad or water body, lies next to the temple.
• The temple lies 260 yards from the Iron Pillar in the Qutb complex.

Questions people ask