Shila Devi Temple

History

Rajasthan Tourism and the Amber fort visitor circuit note the temple’s silver doors and the Devi image tradition linked to Jessore (Bangladesh) lore and Maharaja Man Singh I’s patronage in the late sixteenth century.

Stories

The Stone from Jessore

Tradition says that Raja Man Singh I, the general of Emperor Akbar, was told in a dream to recover the goddess's image from the sea at Jessore, in present-day Bangladesh. A slab of stone was found, and the image carved from it came to be called Shila Devi, the goddess of the slab.

One account states that the image was installed on the sixth day of Navratri in 1604, inside the fort at Amer. Accounts of the exact year vary, so it is safest to say the shrine dates from Man Singh's time.

A Shrine Inside the Fort

The temple stands within Amer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is regarded as the kuldevi shrine of the Kachwaha rulers of Amer and Jaipur. Its image is made of black stone.

Devotees from Rajasthan and Bengal visit, and crowds are largest during Chaitra and Gupt Navratri. Animal sacrifice, reported in earlier times at festivals, has since been discontinued.

Good to know

Rajasthan Tourism Devi shrine inside Amber Fort, Jaipur

Royal Kachwaha kuldevi worship within the fort palace route

Combined visit with Amber Fort ticketed heritage circuit

Getting there

Nearest airport: Jaipur International Airport. Jaipur Junction — road to Amber Fort; Shila Devi temple inside the fort complex (fort entry rules apply).