Devi Bhagavata Purana
List of the 18 Maha Shakti Pithas — Alopi Devi named as the last (lupta) Pitha
Prayagraj · Uttar Pradesh
Sri Alopi Devi
Sri Alopi Devi (Madhaveshwari / Alop Shankari) Temple — Alopi Bagh, Prayagraj
Alopi Devi / Madhaveshwari — the Lupta-Murti (vanished-form) Devi; presiding Shakti of Prayag
अन्य नाम: Alopi Devi · Madhaveshwari Devi · Alop Shankari · Lalita Devi (in the Ashtadasha tradition) · Lupta-Murti Devi
- Ashtadasha Maha Shakti Pitha
- 51 Shakti Pithas tradition
- In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Alop…
- Shakta counterpart of one of the 1…
इस मन्दिर की विशेषता
- Ashtadasha Maha Shakti Pitha — 14th Pitha in Adi Shankaracharya's stotram: 'Prayage Madhaveshwari' (verse: 'Harikshetre Kamarupi, Prayage Madhaveshwari | Jvalayam Vaishnavi-devi, Gaya Mangalya-Gaurika')
- 51 Shakti Pithas tradition — Sati's right-hand fingers (Hastanguli) fell here and vanished (alop) immediately; Bhairava: Bhava; Devi-form: Lalita; the temple's unique name 'Alopi' (=alop = the vanished one) derives from this
- In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Alopi Devi is enumerated as the last (lupta) Maha Shakti Pitha
- Shakta counterpart of one of the 12 Madhava kshetras — the Veni-Madhava (Vishnu) + Madhaveshwari (Shakti) couple; together the presiding deities of Prayag Sangam
01
मूल विग्रह
मुख्य देव एवं स्वरूप
Sri Madhaveshwari Devi — Sati's right-hand fingers fell here and vanished immediately on contact with the earth; for this uniquely theological reason the sanctum has no idol; only a wooden doli (palanquin / swing) is worshipped
Unique aniconic (idol-less) worship — a wooden doli (palanquin/swing) suspended above a small kund inside the sanctum; devotees tie raksha sutras and offer flowers/sindoor to the cradle; a Sri Yantra is believed to be installed in the underground kunda beneath
सम्प्रदाय: Shakta (Hinduism) — Dashanami Sannyasi Akhara tradition
02
स्थल-पुराण
कथा, इतिहास एवं महत्व
Skanda Purana — Prayaga Mahatmya
Glorification of Prayag (Tirthraj); the 12 Madhava kshetras and the Sangam; Madhaveshwari Devi = the Shakti counterpart of Veni-Madhava (Vishnu)
Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram
Composed by Adi Shankaracharya — verse: 'Harikshetre Kamarupi, Prayage Madhaveshwari | Jvalayam Vaishnavi-devi, Gaya Mangalya-Gaurika' — 14th Pitha
संत एवं परम्परा
- Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE) — praised the temple as 'Prayage Madhaveshwari' (14th Pitha) in the Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram
- Maratha general Shrinath Mahadji Shinde (Scindia) — built the present temple structure during his 1772 CE stay at Prayagraj
- Maharani Baizabai Scindia — major renovation in the early 19th century
- Sri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani (Daraganj Akhara) — one of the 13 main Kumbh akharas; traditional managers of the temple
- Final anga-fall narrative — Sati's right-hand fingers were the final fragment to fall; they vanished immediately upon contact with the earth — the source of the name 'Alopi'
ऐतिहासिक घटनाक्रम
- 8008th century CE — Adi Shankaracharya praised the temple as 'Prayage Madhaveshwari' (14th Pitha) in the Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram — Hindupedia + Templesinindiainfo + Vishwamatha + Bhaktinidhi multi-source
- 17721772 CE — Maratha general Shrinath Mahadji Shinde (Scindia) built the present temple structure — Wikipedia + Tirthayatra + Dorituals + Mahakumbh.in multi-source
- 1820Early 19th century — major renovation by Maharani Baizabai Scindia — Wikipedia + Tirthayatra
- 202513 January - 26 February 2025 — Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 concluded at Prayagraj (next Ardh Kumbh in 2031; next Purna Kumbh in 2037) — Wikipedia 2025 Prayag Maha Kumbh Mela
03
नित्य उपासना
दर्शन समय एवं आरती
05:30 से 21:00 तक
Mangala Aarti05:30-06:00
First aarti as the temple opens
Morning Darshan06:00-12:00
Afternoon Darshan16:00-19:00
Sandhya Aarti19:00
Principal evening aarti
Night Darshan19:00-21:00
04
दर्शन
दर्शन के प्रकार
General Free Darshanनिःशुल्क
Darshan of the wooden doli is free; queue system; raksha-sutra tying tradition.
Sankalpa Puja / Archana
Performed by the akhara's pujaris; raksha-sutra binding at the doli is the signature ritual. No official online booking system — contact the temple directly.
05
उत्सव
प्रमुख पर्व एवं उत्सव
Magh Mela 2026 (Triveni Sangam)Paush Purnima to Magh Purnima / Mahashivratri (~44 days)
Annual Magh Mela (mini-Kumbh) — Sangam-snan pilgrims visit Alopi Devi for darshan. 2026 dates: 3 January (Paush Purnima), 14 January (Makar Sankranti), 18 January (Mauni Amavasya — peak), 23 January (Basant Panchami), 1 February (Maghi Purnima), 15 February (Mahashivratri). Magh Mela total span: 3 January - 15 February 2026.
MahashivratriPhalguna Krishna Chaturdashi
Special abhishek of the Laliteshwar Mahadev Shivalinga inside the temple complex. 2026 — Sunday 15 February.
Chaitra (Vasanta) NavaratriChaitra Shukla Pratipada-Navami
Nine-day Devi mela; extended hours for doli-darshan. 2026 — Thursday 19 March to Friday 27 March (culminating on Ram Navami).
Sharadiya NavaratriAshvin Shukla Pratipada-Dashami
Nine-night celebration; daily doli-alankar. 2026 Ghatasthapana — Sunday 11 October (muhurat 06:19-10:12); Vijayadashami — Tuesday 20 October.
Weekly Doli-Darshan (Tuesday/Friday)Weekly
Tuesday and Friday are the weekly peaks for doli-darshan; raksha-sutra binding ritual
Next Ardh Kumbh — 2031 (no Kumbh in 2026)—
Maha Kumbh 2025 (13 January - 26 February) is concluded; next Ardh Kumbh in 2031; next Purna Kumbh in 2037. No Kumbh in 2026 — only the annual Magh Mela.
06
आस्था
मनोकामना एवं फल
The traditional belief that tying a raksha sutra on the doli fulfills wishes; tradition of returning after fulfillment to untie the sutra
स्रोत: Alopi Devi sthala tradition
14th Pitha in Adi Shankaracharya's Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram — 'Prayage Madhaveshwari'
स्रोत: Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram (Adi Shankaracharya)
After bathing at the Ganga-Yamuna-Saraswati Sangam, completion of punya through darshan of the Madhaveshwari Devi and Veni-Madhava Vishnu couple
स्रोत: Skanda Purana Prayaga Mahatmya
The unique reason — Sati's last anga vanished here; the idol-less doli darshan offers direct witness to the formless-Shakti tirtha
स्रोत: Devi Bhagavata Purana + sthala tradition
Combined darshan of Alopi Devi and other Prayag tirthas during the month-long kalpavas in Magh on the Sangam bank
स्रोत: Skanda Purana Prayaga Mahatmya
07
जप
मन्त्र एवं स्तोत्र
- Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha StotramVerse — 'Harikshetre Kamarupi, Prayage Madhaveshwari | Jvalayam Vaishnavi-devi, Gaya Mangalya-Gaurika' — scriptural confirmation of Alopi/Madhaveshwari (14th Ashtadasha Pitha)
- Lalita SahasranamaIn the Ashtadasha tradition Alopi Devi = Lalita form; recitation of the 1,000 names
- Devi Kavacham (from Durga Saptashati)General Devi-protective stotram used in worship
08
तीर्थाटन
समीप के तीर्थ एवं परिपथ
Sri Veni-Madhav Mandir (Daraganj)1 किमी
Foremost of the 12 Madhava kshetras; the Vishnu counterpart of Madhaveshwari (Shakti) — yugma-darshan tradition
Nagvasuki Mandir (Daraganj)1 किमी
Temple of Nagaraja Vasuki; included in the Prayag tirtha cluster
Triveni Sangam (Ganga + Yamuna + Saraswati)5 किमी
Central bathing point of Tirthraj Prayag; the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati; principal tirtha of the Magh Mela / Kumbh
Bade/Lete Hanuman Mandir5 किमी
The world's only reclining-Hanuman temple; near Allahabad Fort
Akshayavat and Patalpuri Mandir (in Allahabad Fort)5 किमी
Akshayavat (the immortal banyan); ancient tirtha referenced in the Skanda Purana
Bharadwaj Ashram6 किमी
Ramayana-era site; Maharshi Bharadwaja and the Bharadwajeshwar Shivalinga
Shankar Viman Mandapam (Sangam bank)6 किमी
130 ft tall 4-storey South-Indian-style temple; murtis of the 51 Shakti Pithas and 108 Shivalingas; dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya
Sri Mankameshwar Mahadev Mandir (Yamuna bank)6 किमी
Wish-fulfilling Shiva temple; on the Yamuna bank
14th Pitha — 'Prayage Madhaveshwari'; preceded by Kamarupa Guwahati (13); followed by Jwalamukhi (15)
18 मंदिर
Central Shakti tirtha — Sangam snan → Akshayavat → Patalpuri → Bade Hanuman → Alopi Devi → Veni-Madhav → Nagvasuki → Mankameshwar
8 मंदिर · 1 दिन
During Kumbh Mela, Alopi Devi is the principal Devi-darshan tirtha of the Sangam-snan pilgrims. Last Maha Kumbh: 2025 (concluded); next Ardh Kumbh: 2031; next Purna Kumbh: 2037; annual Magh Mela.
1 मंदिर
Central Shakti — the Vaishnava-Shakta dyad; combined within 1 km in Daraganj
2 मंदिर
09
मार्गदर्शन
यात्रा एवं संपर्क
- पता
- Sri Alopi Devi Mandir, Alopi Bagh, Prayagraj (Allahabad) — 211006, Uttar Pradesh
- हवाई अड्डा
- Prayagraj Airport (IXD, Bamrauli) — ~13.6 km
- रेलवे
- Prayagraj Junction (PRYJ / ALD) — ~5-6 km
- बस-स्टैण्ड
- Civil Lines / Prayagraj Central Bus Stand — ~5-7 km; autos/e-rickshaws available to Alopi Bagh
- उत्तम ऋतु
- October-March is best; Magh Mela (3 January - 15 February 2026) sees the heaviest crowds — crores on Mauni Amavasya (18 January 2026); Navratri (March and October) is peak; summer (May-June) day temperatures may exceed 45°C
6 किमीPrayagraj Junction Railway
14 किमीPrayagraj Airport
5 किमीTriveni Sangam
5 किमीBade/Lete Hanuman Mandir
5 किमीAkshayavat
6 किमीBharadwaj Ashram
6 किमीShankar Viman Mandapam
6 किमीMankameshwar Mandir
1 किमीVeni Madhav Mandir
1 किमीNagvasuki Mandir
125 किमीKashi Vishwanath, Varanasi
560 किमीMathura/Vrindavan