Located in the downtown area of Chhatarpur, Delhi, India, Shri Adhya Katyayani Shaktipeeth Mandir is the official name of the as big temple known as Chhatarpur Mandir. Goddess Katyayani, one of the nine avatars of the Hindu goddess Durga or Shakti, is a symbol of devotion in the temple during the fortunate Navratri festival.
The chhatarpur Mandir complex covers 70 acres and is located on the south-western areas of New Delhi, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the famous Qutub Minar, which can be reached through the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road.
Established in 1974 by Baba Sant Nagpal ji, who passed away in 1998, the temple complex includes his samadhi shrine located within the premises of the Shiv-Gauri Nageshwar Mandir.
Some of the main details about Chhatarpur Mandir are as follows:
- Size and Position: The Chhatarpur Temple formerly ranked as the third-largest temple in the world and the second-largest in India. However, larger temples, such as Delhi’s Akshardham Temple, have overtaken it in size over time.
- Architecture: This temple has become famous for its attractive architecture. Its amazing framework covers every surface and is made completely of white marble. In Indian architecture, jaali, a sort of holes stone or mesh screen, is often used to produce lovely patterns and designs. The temple’s architecture is an example of the Vesara architectural design style, which is a combination of the North Indian Nagara and South Indian Dravidian styles.
- Deities: Goddess Katyayani, an avatar of the Hindu goddess Durga, is the principal goddess of the Chhatarpur temple. Visitors to the temple come to adore the goddess and ask for kindness.
- Visitors: Throughout the year, the temple welcomes a large number of tourists and believers. It is a significant architectural and cultural site in addition to a place of worship.
The temple surroundings are of great ecological significance, forming an essential biodiversity area within the Northern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor that stretches from Sariska Tiger Reserve to Delhi. The region also boasts historical sites such as Badkhal Lake (6km northeast), the ancient 10th-century Surajkund reservoir, Anangpur Dam, Damdama Lake, Tughlaqabad Fort, and Adilabad ruins in Delhi. Additionally, the temple complex is adjacent to the seasonal waterfalls in Pali-Dhuaj-Kot villages of Faridabad, the sacred Mangar Bani, and the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. Moreover, several lakes have formed in the abandoned open pit mines in the forested hilly area of Delhi Ridge.
Encompassing 60 acres (24.3 hectares), the temple complex comprises over 20 small and large temples divided into three different complexes. The primary deity worshipped in the temple is Goddess Katyayani. A notable feature is the side shrine within the main temple, which houses a shrine of Goddess Katyayani (Durga) that opens only during the bi-annual Navratri season, attracting thousands of devotees for darshan.
Adjacent to it, a room serves as a living room with tables and chairs crafted in silver, while another room, known as the Shayan Kaksha (Bed Room), showcases a silver bed, dressing table, and table. This side shrine connects to a spacious satsang or prayer hall where religious discourses and bhajans (religious songs) are conducted. At the entrance to the main temple, a revered old tree stands where devotees tie holy threads, expressing their wishes for fulfillment.
Another shrine of Goddess Durga remains open to devotees from morning till evening, situated above the shrines dedicated to Radha Krishna and Lord Ganesh.
Apart from these, the temple complex also houses other temples devoted to Lord Rama, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Shiva, featuring both South and North Indian styles of temple architecture, enhancing the grandeur and diversity of this sacred place.
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