There are several temples of Goddess Durga in India. These temples give an opportunity to the devotees to offer their prayers to Goddess Durga and participate in the rituals and customs associated with the worship of this Goddess.
Major Durga Temples
Some of the major temples of Durga in India are:
Vaishno Devi: The shrine of Vaishno Devi is one of the widely visited pilgrimage sites of India. The idol of Goddess Durga is placed in a cave in the Trikuta Bhagwati Hill. The shrine is situated at a height of 5,300 ft. in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located 61 km away from Jammu. However, the last 13 km of the way to Vaishno Devi shrine needs to be covered on foot. This holy shrine is considered to be unique because this is where you’ll find idols of Goddess Durga in three forms – Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Saraswati, which have different attributes.
Chattarpur Mandir: The Chattarpur temples are one of the finest temples of Durga in India. Located 4 km distant from Qutb Minar in Delhi, this temple is made of white marble. The main temple dedicated to Goddess Durga has been constructed in the South Indian style.
The temples of Chattarpur cover a wide area of land. There are beautiful gardens in and around the temples. Although people visit these temples all around the year, the crowd gets larger during the Navratri festival. This is when devotees come from distant places to worship Goddess Durga.
Jwalamukhi Temple: This temple is located 30 km away on the southern part of Kangra Valley. This is where Goddess Jwalamukhi, a form of Goddess Durga is worshipped. Natural flames in this temple are worshipped as the nine different forms of Goddess Durga. These flames burn naturally without any fuel and are said to have erupted from a rock-side.
Naina Devi Temple: This temple is located in Nainital in Uttarakhand. Here, the idol of Goddess Durga is shaped like a pindi or shrine. This is considered to be the place on earth where the eyes of Durga had fallen when her corpse was being carried away by Lord Shiva, her husband. The devotees gather in large numbers in this temple to offer their prayers during Navratri, especially on Durga Ashtami.
The Naina Devi Temple is known as Mahishapitha, as it is related to the demon Mahishasura who was killed by Goddess Durga. The Hindu scriptures consider this temple to be one of the 52 sati piths. Due to its scenic location and the serenity that surrounds the temple, the devotees feel at peace when offering their prayers to the Goddess here.
Kamakhya Temple: Located in Guwahati, the Kamakhya Temple is among the 108 shakti piths of Goddess Durga. In this temple, Goddess Durga is worshipped in the form of Mother Goddess Kamakhya. She is considered to be the essence of female energy.
The Kamakhya Temple was reconstructed in 1665 because it was ruined through Muslim invasion. In this temple, Durga Puja is performed every year during Navratri. It is celebrated for 3 days, and it attracts devotees from all around India. Aside from Durga Puja, the festival of Ambavuchi (fertility festival) is celebrated here. During this time, the Goddess is believed to be in her menstrual period.
It is said that Goddess Kamakhya came into being when the genitalia of Sati fell on the ground while her husband, Lord Shiva was carrying her corpse. The temple stands as a natural cave within which there is a dark chamber where the idol of the Goddess is placed.
Durgiana Temple: The Durgiana Temple stands outside the Lohgarh Gate in Amritsar, Punjab. This is one of the temples of Durga that not only reflect the traditional architecture of Hindu temples but also the art and design of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Durgiana Temple is at a few minutes distance from the Golden Temple. It is also known as the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. Aside from the idol of Durga, the deities Lakshmi and Narayan are also worshipped in this temple.
Dakshineswar Kali Temple: This temple was built in 1847 along the Vivekananda Bridge in Kolkata. It was Rani Rashmoni who had this temple constructed. It is well-known for its association with Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans who had attained spiritual vision there. The Dakshineswar Kali Temple is surrounded by temples where Lord Shiva is worshipped. It is one of the famous pilgrimages where devotees come in large numbers to offer their prayers to Goddess Kali, a form of Durga.
Durga Temple, Varanasi: This is one of the Durga temples in India that was built in the 18th century. This temple displays the Nagara style of architecture. It is built with a multi-tiered shikhara which includes small spires constructed in layers, one above the other.
The Durga Temple sits on the Durga Kund. The Durga Kund is a large rectangle-shaped tank situated on the southern part of Varanasi. According to popular belief, the idol of Durga at this temple had not been established by any human being. The devotees believe that the idol is a self-manifestation of Goddess Durga.
