Walk among the pilgrims that come to pray at the shrines and listen to classical music performances at this 200-year-old temple.
Devi Talab Mandir Temple is a colourful Hindu temple that honours Durga, a warrior goddess. It is also one of India’s 51 Shakti Peethas, holy places sanctified to the scattered body parts of goddess Sati and revered for their cosmic energies. Experience the mystical atmosphere of Devi Talab Madir Temple by walking around its sacred tank and observing the hordes of devotees. Time your visit to coincide with lively Hindu celebrations.
Look for the temple’s focal point, its large talab (water tank). A broad causeway surrounds the tank, where worshippers sit to meditate and say prayers. In the centre of the tank is a statue of a seated Lord Shiva, from which water spouts like a fountain.
One of the temple’s main shrines is the Mata Tripurmalini Mandir. It marks the supposed site where the right breast of the goddess Devi Sati, Lord Shiva’s wife, landed. Hindu legend states that Lord Vishnu cut up and scattered Sati’s body to relieve Shiva of the pain of his wife setting herself on fire. All of the places that received body parts thus became known as Shakti Peethas.
Adjacent to the main shrine is a monument to Kali, the warrior goddess of creation, destruction and preservation. Don’t miss the huge replica of the Amarnath Cave. Enter the cave via a footpath lined with tiger statues. See a Shiva lingam, figurines and paintings of popular Hindu deities. There’s also a mock mountain decorated with giant-sized gods, lions and tigers plus a lion’s head that you can step into.
Come in December when it is a venue for classical music concerts during the annual Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan festival. Established in 1875, this is one of India’s oldest classical music events. The world-famous sitar player Ravi Shankar performed at the festival in 1977.
Devi Talab Mandir Temple is a 15-minute drive from Jalandhar’s city centre. Auto-rickshaws and taxis provide quick and affordable transportation options to the attractions. Alternatively, walk for about 30 minutes along Jalandhar’s bustling commercial street, GT Road.
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