Delhi is an interesting location to explore for both the locals and also for the tourists. The reason that it is an interesting city is because there is a lot that you can explore here. The historical city of Delhi has a lot in store for both the city dwellers as well as the visitors. For everyone there is something or the other that they can explore here. And even for the devotees there are some important temples here as well. One such really important temple is the Chhatarpur Temple Delhi. The Chhatarpur Temple is one of the most popular and a powerful temple in Delhi. On a regular basis the temple witnesses a huge chunk of devotees visiting here. This is a temple dedicated to manifestations of Devi Durga, namely, Goddess Katyayani and Goddess Gauri. Furthermore the temple is also popular as the Shri Adhya Katyayani Shakti Peeth Mandir.
The temple in Chhatarpur is located in the outskirts of the main city and has one of the biggest temple complexes in the country. The huge temple also looks really beautiful in its appearance and that is a major point of attraction here as well. You can check out the Chhatarpur Temple photos to see how beautiful and massive the temple complex is. On a regular basis a huge number of devotees visit the temple and during special occasions the number rises even more. From beautiful lawns to gardens and the magnificent structure you will find a lot of things to explore here. Keep on reading this article as here I will mention everything that you need to know about the Chhatarpur Temple Delhi. This will be a helpful article for you if you are planning a trip to the Chhatarpur Temple any time soon.
Chhatarpur Temple Delhi
Location: Main Chhatarpur Road, Dr. Ambedkar Colony, Chhatarpur, New Delhi
Timings: The Chhatarpur Temple timings are from 6 am to 10 pm
Entry fee: There are no Chhatarpur Temple tickets, entry is free
How to reach
By air
If you wish to travel by air then the nearest airport to reach this temple is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. From the Delhi airport the temple is located at a distance of 12.2 km away. It would approximately take you around 30 minutes to reach the temple from the airport in Delhi. You can opt for the city buses that are available on this route to reach the temple. Or else you can even take a car or hire a cab as well to reach the Chhatarpur Temple from the Delhi airport.
By train
If you are travelling by train the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station is the nearest railway station to reach the temple. From the railway station the temple is located at a distance of 17.3 km. It would approximately take you around 38 minutes to reach the temple from the railway station. You can easily take the city buses to travel from the railway station to the temple. Or else you can take an auto rickshaw as well. You can even take a car or hire a cab as well from the railway station to reach the temple.
By road
You can choose to travel by road as well and the temple is further easily accessible by roadways as well. There are buses available from different locations that you can opt for to reach the temple in Delhi. If you are travelling by bus then the Chhatarpur bus stand is the nearest. You can also opt for shared autos or rickshaws as well and that is also a common mode of communication here. Or else you can hire a car or take a cab as well from any location to reach this temple.
By metro
Chhatarpur Temple nearest metro is the Chhatarpur Metro station which is only 800 meters away from the temple. It would be the most convenient way to travel to the temple by metro so you can opt for that. It would take only 2 minutes to reach the temple from the metro station. Or else you can even walk for about 10 minutes from the metro station to reach this temple in Delhi.
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Best time to visit
You can visit the Chhatarpur Temple Delhi any time of the year. But if you wish to soak into the festivities then try to visit here during the festivals. Both the Vasanta Navaratri and the Maha Navaratri are celebrated here with much grandeur. During the 9 days of the festival the devotees can also get access to Goddess Katyayani all day long. Other than that you can also plan to visit here during festivals like Krishna Janmashtami or Guru Purnima as well.
However, according to the weather, the ideal time to visit the Chhatarpur Temple would be from October to March. This is the time when the weather in Delhi is comfortable. Avoid visiting here during the scorching summer months as summers can be too unbearable in Delhi. You can visit here during the comfortable weather to explore the whole complex properly. So plan your visit to the temple accordingly to enjoy the best of the location.
Overview of Chhatarpur Temple
Located in South Delhi, the Chhatarpur Temple Delhi is one of the most popular temples in Delhi. This is a dedicated temple of Goddess Katyayani, one form of Navadurga. The foundation of this temple goes back to 1974 by Baba Sant Nagpal Ji. Furthermore it is the second largest temple in India after the Delhi Akshardham Temple. Other than the presiding deities you will also find smaller shrines and chambers dedicated to other Gods and Goddesses as well. These are Ram Darbar, Maa Mahishasuramardini, Radha Krishna, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, Shiva Parvati, Lord Hanuman and more.
The temple complex is huge and spreads across an area of 70 acres. Thousands of devotees visit this temple everyday to pray to the Goddess here. There is a sacred tree inside the premises, Kalpavriksha. The devotees tie bangles and threads on this tree and the whole tree here is covered in that. They do this because the devotees believe that tying this would lead to their wish fulfillment.
There are two main shrines here one dedicated to Goddess Katyayani and the other is dedicated to Goddess Gauri. Devotees can visit the Gauri Temple all year long. But they can only visit the Katyayani Temple on Ashtami every month or during all the 9 days of the Navaratri. The Navaratri is the main festival of this temple and they celebrate the festival with much grandeur as well. You will find a huge area for Langar here and during the festival the authorities provide langar food to more than a lakh of devotees.
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History of Chhatarpur Temple
Baba Sant Nagpal Ji is the person who supervised the construction of the temple back in 1974. According to beliefs after the death of his mother there was an unknown lady who took care of him. The lady claimed that she is the Mother of Universe and Babaji also developed an unknown devotion for the Goddess. Therefore he purchased land from the villagers and set up this huge temple there. He also dedicated this temple to the sixth incarnation of Goddess Durga, Goddess Katyayani. And there are some legends associated with Goddess Katyayani as well.
According to sacred texts Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma created this form of the Goddess. There are other legends that suggest that Katyayani was born to Rishi Katyayani who was an ardent worshipper of Goddess Durga. Therefore he was blessed to be the father of one of the Goddess’s reincarnations.
Katyayani was extremely beautiful and her beauty used to catch the attention of everyone including the demons. One of the demons Mahishasura tried to win over her but the Goddess insisted that he should win a war to actually get her. But the demon soon met his death in the hands of the Goddess. There are some legends that suggest she has eight arms and some suggest that she has eighteen arms. As she killed Mahishashura she also came to be known as Mahishashuramardini.
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Architecture of Chhatarpur Temple
The temple complex spreads over an area of 60 acres making it the second largest temple complex in India. There are around 20 big and small temples dedicated to different Gods and Goddesses inside the temple complex. The presiding deity here is Devi Katyayani, an incarnation of Goddess Durga. Other than that there are small temples of Lord Rama, Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha as well. The shrine of Goddess Katyayani is however only accessible during the Navaratri festival twice a year. Just next to the main shrine of the Goddess there is the resting room for the deity which is the Shayankaksh. This chamber has a bedroom with a silver bed and a dresser. However there are glass enclosures all around the chamber. So the devotees can only look at it from the outside.
The idol of Goddess Katyayani has a golden face and during Navaratri the devotees can access her through the prayer hall. The idol is dressed up in heavy jwelleries and clothes along with flower garlands and looks majestic.
There is another shrine of the Goddess here that is accessible all year long. And daily the visitors visiting the temple offer their prayers here. The architecture of this temple is a beautiful mix of South Indian as well as North Indian style of architecture that looks impressive.
The temple also has a facility of Dharamshala for the devotees staying here for a short span. Spread over a vast area there are 12 halls here which can accommodate 30 people in each hall. Also there are 36 rooms here with a capacity of 6 people in each of the rooms. So in case you wish to stay here you can check out the Dharamshala here.
Wrapping Up!
So that was all about the Chhatarpur Temple Delhi and now you should plan a visit to this temple as soon as you can. It is one of the largest temples in the country and the beautiful architecture of the temple is also worth exploring. The temple is furthermore one of the most powerful temples in Delhi as well and devotees believe in the power of the Goddess. They believe that people who pray here with clear intentions will have their wishes fulfilled. So whenever you are in Delhi you can surely plan a trip to this temple there. It will be a great visit and an enriching experience if you visit the Chhatarpur Temple.
So when are you planning a trip to the Chhatarpur Temple? And let me know if this article on the Chhatarpur Temple Delhi is helpful for you in planning a trip to this beautiful temple in Delhi.