Kaila Devi Temple

History

Rajasthan Tourism places the Kaila Devi temple about 25 km from Karauli, on the banks of the Kalisil river in the Trikut hills.

The temple is believed to have been built in 1100 AD, and the state page counts it among the nine Shakti Peethas of the goddess.

An annual fair lasting a fortnight, held in Chaitra, draws millions of pilgrims; devotees sing Languria bhajans in the goddess’s honour.

Stories

The goddess who was Krishna's sister

Tradition says Kaila Devi is the same divine being who was born as the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda and, on Vishnu's guidance, was exchanged with the infant Krishna. When King Kansa tried to harm the child, she revealed her divine form and warned him that his destroyer was beyond his reach.

The Skanda Purana is cited in temple tradition as saying that in the Kali Yuga she would be known as Kaila and worshipped as Kaileshwari. The temple honours her as Mahalakshmi and Mahayogini.

The bullock that would not move

Local tradition says a yogi was carrying the goddess's image on a bullock cart, fleeing from Nagarkot to keep it safe. The goddess is said to have appeared to the sage Kedargiri and promised that she would come to the people of this area.

In the middle of the forested hill, the lone bullock stopped and refused to go further. By what is believed to be divine will, the image was installed at that very spot, which is where the temple stands today.

A Karauli royal temple, rebuilt in 1730

The temple stands on the Kalisil river in the Aravalli hills, about 23 km from Karauli. The Jadaun rulers of Karauli have long been linked to it. According to the temple's own history, Maharaja Gopal Singh laid the foundation of the present building in 1723 and it was completed in 1730.

The same account says he brought the image of Chamunda from Gagron fort, where the Khinchi ruler Mukund Das had placed it in 1150. Rajasthan Tourism gives a much older belief of about 1100 AD for the shrine.

A fortnight of fair and Languria songs

Rajasthan Tourism describes an annual fair of about a fortnight in Chaitra, around the spring Navratri season, that draws very large numbers of pilgrims to the hill temple in Kailadevi village. Many walk long distances to reach it.

Devotees sing Languria bhajans in praise of the goddess, folk songs that are part of the fair. Inside, the larger image of Kaila Devi sits beside Chamunda Devi in a marble courtyard shrine.

Good to know

State tourism Devi pilgrimage in Karauli / Kailadevi sanctuary belt

Major Chaitra and Navratri fair crowds

Hill forest setting on the Rajasthan–MP border highway

Getting there

Nearest airport: Jaipur or Gwalior — road via Karauli. Shri Mahaveerji and Hindaun City are common rail approaches; confirm road via Kailadevi sanctuary gate.