Sacred House of Prayag’s Queen Goddess
.Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India
Revered as the ‘queen of Prayag’, Lalita Devi occupies a special place amongst the many Gods and Goddesses blessing the holy land of Prayagraj. Her sacred habitat, the Lalita Devi Temple is located in the Meerapur colony, on the banks of River Yamuna. One of the 51 Shaktipeethas in the Indian subcontinent, this temple completes the trinity of Shaktipeeths in Prayagraj, along with Kalyani Devi and Alopi Devi. It is believed that Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, the three divine rivers of the Triveni Sangam wash her feet making her the supreme deity of the city.
History of the temple
As per popular belief, the history of Lalita Devi Temple is linked to a much-repeated tale in mythology. Once upon a time, King Daksh insulted Lord Shiva, who was married to his daughter, Goddess Sati. Seeing her father’s atrocious behaviour towards her husband, Sati ignited her inner fire and consumed herself in flames. When Lord Shiva came to know about this, he was filled with unbound rage. He picked Sati’s corpse and started his thunderous Tandav, sending shocks across the earth. Alarmed by this, Lord Vishu cut Sati’s body into 51 pieces and different parts of her mortal remains fell on different places on Earth, cleansing them with divine energy. It is believed that the Lalita Devi Temple is the sacred spot where a finger of Sati’s right hand fell. This temple finds a mention in the Devi Purana and it is said that Maharishi Bharadwaj worshipped the Goddess here.
Significance of the temple
It is claimed that a visit to the Lalita Devi Temple after bathing in the holy Sangam ensures the fulfilment of all wishes. While the temple records heavy footfalls throughout the year, the count multiples during Navratri. Lalita Devi is particularly worshipped on the fifth day of Navratri. Popular amongst the pilgrims, the Kumbh and the Magh fairs turn this temple into a sight of festive fervour.
Architecture of the temple
The architecture of this 108 feet high temple is modelled on a Sri Yantra, which is also used for the worship of the deity. The divine manifests in three forms here namely Goddess Lalita, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Mahakali. In addition to this, the temple houses statues of Sankatmochan Hanuman along with Lord Rama, Lord Lakshman and Goddess Sita and the idols of Navagraha. Close to the sanctum of Lalita Devi lies a Shivling which is worshipped with great faith and devotion.
Temple Timings
Temple Opening Time
05:00 AM - 09:00 PMOfferings of the temple
During Navratri, the Goddess is decorated in special ways on all 9 days and offerings of Panchmeva, Kheer and Chana are made to her. The Shatchandi yagya is also performed here, which has the power to materialise all desires of its attendees.
Travel Details
The below are the travel details for the temple