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{{Short description|Hindu temple in Lucknow, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
|name = Maa Chandrika Devi Temple
|image = Chandrika devi temple lucknow.jpg
|alt=
|caption=
|coordinates={{coord|27|1|13.1|N|80|49|46.3|E|}}
|native_name=माँ चन्द्रिका देवी मंदिर
|country={{IND}}
|state=[[Uttar Pradesh]]
|district=[[Lucknow]]
|location=[[Lucknow]]
|elevation_m=123
|deity=[[Durga]]
|festivals=[[Amavasya]], [[Navratri]]
|architecture=[[Hindu architecture]]
|temple_quantity=
|monument_quantity=9 Durga
|inscriptions=
|established=Older than 12th Century
|creator=Narad Muni
|website=
|religious_affiliation=[[Hinduism]]}}

'''Chandrika Devi Temple''' is a [[Hindu temple]], dedicated to one of the manifestation of Goddess[[Durga]], situated on the bank of river [[Gomti River|Gomti]] at [[Bakshi Ka Talab]] in [[Lucknow]], [[Uttar Pradesh]]. It is a prominent pilgrimage site for locals and interstate people. It is also a tourist destination for the people of adjoining cities and rural folks.

== History ==
There is mention of this temple in the holy books of [[Skanda Purana|Skand]] and Karma Puran.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chandrika Devi Temple in Lucknow |url=http://chandrika-devi-temple-lucknow.blogspot.in/ |accessdate=2015-12-27 |website=chandrika-devi-temple-lucknow.blogspot.in}}</ref> It is said that on the banks of the Mahisagar Sangam Tirth, near the Gomti River, the altars (''vedis'') of the nine Durgas have been preserved since ancient times within the hollow of an old neem tree.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-01 |title=Navratri 2022: नीम के पेड़ से प्रकट हुई थी दुर्गा मां, जानिए लखनऊ के चंद्रिका देवी मंदिर का इतिहास |url=https://hindi.news18.com/news/uttar-pradesh/lucknow-devotees-come-in-lakhs-on-navratri-in-maa-chandrika-devi-temple-of-lucknow-know-history-upns-4657525.html |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=News18 हिंदी |language=hi}}</ref>

The Siddhapeeth at Bakshi Ka Talab is regarded as an important pilgrimage site. The site, originally known as [[Kathwara]], is presently called Kathwara, where the Siddhapeeth is located. According to local tradition, devotees often feel compelled to return after their first visit. It is believed that during the ''[[Treta Yuga]]'', Rajkumar Chandraketu, the elder son of Shri [[Lakshmana]], the founder of Lucknow, was once passing through the Gomti River with the horse of the Ashwamedha Yajna. As night fell, he stopped to rest in the dense forest of ''Katakbasa'' on the riverbank, which was then called Adi Ganga. On the night of ''Amavasya'' (new moon), when he felt afraid, he remembered the Goddess and prayed to her with the mantras taught by his mother, Urmila. At that moment, a gentle moonlight spread, the Goddess appeared before him, and his fear went away. It is believed that the divine radiance (''chandrika'') of the Goddess shone at this place, and the deity was established here.

It is said that a grand temple once stood here but was destroyed in the 12th century by foreign invaders. About 250 years ago, some villagers discovered this hidden place while walking through the dense forest. The next day, a villager found the idol of the Goddess, which was then placed at the present site. Later, a temple was built, and since then people have continued to visit and worship Maa Chandrika Devi here. This place is also known as ''Mahi Sagar Teerth<ref>{{Cite web |title=Temples in Lucknow, Mandir in Lucknow, List of Temples in Lucknow |url=http://www.lucknowonline.in/city-guide/temples-in-lucknow |accessdate=2015-12-27 |website=www.lucknowonline.in}}</ref>''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Mishra |first=Preeti |date=2023-02-02 |title=Maa Chandrika Devi temple located in Lucknow tourism news in hindi {{!}} Maa Chandrika Devi Mandir: लखनऊ स्थित मां चंद्रिका देवी मंदिर में होती हर मनोकामना की पूर्ति, भक्तों की लगी रहती है भीड़ {{!}} News Track in Hindi |url=https://newstrack.com/tourism/maa-chandrika-devi-temple-located-in-lucknow-358679 |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=newstrack.com |language=hi}}</ref> A grand temple of Goddess Chandrika Devi has existed at this location since the early 18th century.

The sanctity of this pilgrimage place during the ''Dvapara Yuga'' is mentioned in the ''Skanda Purana''. According to the [[Skanda Purana]], in the ''[[Dvapara Yuga]]'', Lord Shri [[Krishna]] advised [[Barbarika]], the son of [[Ghatotkacha]], to visit this ''tirtha'' in order to attain divine power. Following his counsel, Barbarika is said to have worshipped Maa Chandrika Devi at this site continuously for three years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=WD |title=chandrika devi temple in lucknow {{!}} आस्था का केंद्र माँ चन्द्रिका देवी धाम |url=https://hindi.webdunia.com/religious-journey-articles/%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%81-%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE-108041900082_1.htm |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=hindi.webdunia.com |language=hi}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Navratri 2024: लक्ष्मण पुत्र ने बनवाया था पौराणिक चंद्रिका देवी मंदिर, भीम पौत्र बर्बरीक ने यहां की घोर तपस्या, नवरात्रि में उमड़ता है भक्तों का सैलाब |url=https://zeenews.india.com/hindi/india/up-uttarakhand/up-ki-baat/navratri-2024-maa-chandrika-devi-mandir-story-related-to-lakshman-son-chandraketu-temple-history-in-lucknow/2448237 |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=Zee-Up-Uttarakhand |language=hi}}</ref><ref name="Shweta">{{Cite web |last=Shweta |date=2018-03-22 |title=चन्द्रिका देवी मन्दिर सिद्धपीठ जहॉ बर्बरीक ने की थी तपस्या |url=https://www.religionworld.in/chandrika-devi-temple-shadadpith-where-barbarik-had-done-penance-religion-world/ |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=Religion World |language=en-US}}</ref>

There is also a belief that the Moon God (''Chandra''), cursed by Daksha Prajapati, came to the Mahisagar Sangam at Chandrika Devi Dham to bathe in its waters and be freed from the curse.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2018-04-28 |title=यहां स्नान करके चन्द्रमा हुए थे श्राप मुक्त |url=https://www.punjabkesari.in/dharm/news/chandrika-devi-temple-in-lucknow-793127 |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=punjabkesari}}</ref>

During the ''Mahabharata'' period,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name="Shweta"/> the five Pandava brothers, along with Draupadi, visited this tirtha during their exile. King Yudhishthira performed the ''Ashvamedha Yajna'',<ref name=":1" /> and when the sacrificial horse was stopped near Chandrika Devi Dham by King Hansadhvaja, war ensued between him and Yudhishthira’s army. While his son Suratha participated in the battle, his other son Sudhanva was deeply absorbed in worshipping the Nine Durgas at Chandrika Devi Dham. Because of his absence from the battlefield, Sudhanva was tested by being immersed in a cauldron of boiling oil at the Mahisagar site.

By the grace of Goddess Chandrika Devi, his body remained unaffected, and from then onward, the site came to be known as ''Sudhanva Kund''. When Yudhishthira’s army (katak) camped here, the place came to be called ''Katakvasa'', which later evolved into the present-day Kathwara.

The renowned Hindi novelist [[Amritlal Nagar]] described the glory of Chandrika Devi in his novel ''Karvat'',<ref>{{Cite book |last=AMRITLAL NAGAR |url=http://archive.org/details/Karwat-Hindi |title=KARWAT - HINDI}}</ref> in which the protagonist, Bansidhar, travels from the Tandon Chowk area to seek the Goddess’s blessings on every ''Amavasya''. Even today, the highest number of devotees at the temple on ''Amavasya'' and its eve come from the Chowk area of Lucknow.<ref name=":0" />

== Religious Significance ==
Chandrika Devi is regarded as a manifestation of Goddess [[Durga]]. It is believed that those who worship here are blessed with wealth, prosperity, and the fulfilment of their wishes. Devotees often tie a knot in a ''chunari'' (sacred cloth) as a vow, and upon its fulfilment, they offer a chunari, distribute ''prasad'', and tie a bell within the temple premises. In the court of Goddess Chandrika Devi, all devotees—rich or poor, from any community—are treated with equal reverence.

On the eve of [[Amavasya]] and during ''[[Navaratri|Navratri]]'', numerous religious activities take place in and around the temple, including ''havan'' ([[yajna]]), ''[[Head shaving in Hinduism|mundan]]'' (tonsure ceremonies),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-01 |title=Navratri 2022: नीम के पेड़ से प्रकट हुई थी दुर्गा मां, जानिए लखनऊ के चंद्रिका देवी मंदिर का इतिहास |url=https://hindi.news18.com/news/uttar-pradesh/lucknow-devotees-come-in-lakhs-on-navratri-in-maa-chandrika-devi-temple-of-lucknow-know-history-upns-4657525.html |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=News18 हिंदी |language=hi}}</ref> ''[[kirtan]]s'', and ''satsangs'' (spiritual gatherings).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maurya |first=Sanjeev |title=Chandrika Devi Temple in Lucknow |url=https://inlucknow.org/post/discover-lucknows-mythological-2692 |website=In Lucknow |date=18 April 2025 }}</ref> Large numbers of devotees from across the state visit during these occasions, and the crowds swell significantly during Navratri.

According to legend, the ''chandrika'' (jewel worn on the forehead) of Goddess Sati is believed to have fallen at this site, making it a place of great sanctity. The temple is also mentioned in the ''Skanda Purana'' and ''Karma Purana''.

The shrine is located in a serene natural setting, encircled by the Gomti River on the north, west, and south, with the ''Mahisagar Sangam Tirth'' on the eastern side.<ref name=":2"/> Tradition holds that the waters of this confluence never dry up, as they are believed to be connected to the netherworld (''Patal''). It is also said that in the ''Dvapara Yuga'', Barbarika, the son of Ghatotkacha, performed penance here for three years on the advice of Lord Krishna.<ref name="Shweta"/> To this day, devotees continue to worship Barbarika alongside Goddess Chandrika Devi at this sacred place.

A fair held here on every ''Amavasya'' has been a tradition for more than 300 years, attracting pilgrims in large numbers.<ref>{{Cite news |title=अमावस्या पर मां चंद्रिका देवी मंदिर में उमड़ी भीड़ |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/uttar-pradesh/lucknow/news/crowd-gathered-at-maa-chandrika-devi-temple-on-amavasya-134563228.html}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

== Location ==
The temple is situated on the banks of the [[Gomti River|Gomti]] River, to the north-west of National Highway 24 /[[National Highway 24 (India)|NH-24]] (Lucknow–Sitapur Road), in [[Kathwara, Lucknow|Kathwara]] village near Bakshi Ka Talab, Lucknow. It is located approximately 28 km from the main city of Lucknow and about 45 km from [[Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport]]. The site and its surrounding areas hold great historical and religious significance, with references tracing back to the period of the ''Ramayana''.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Temples in Lucknow]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Durga temples]]

Chandrika Devi Temple, Lucknow - Revision history

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