Jhansa Road, Thanesar · Kurukshetra, Haryana, India
Where Her ankle touched the earth, even warhorses were laid at Her feet.
Devikoop, the well of the Goddess Darshan 5:30 am to 8 pm (summer) Horses of clay and metal offered Navratri fair · Chaitra & Sharadiya 108 ft dome Of Maa Bhadrakali
Kurukshetra is the land where the Gita was spoken, and on Jhansa Road in its old town of Thanesar stands the Seat where The Goddess Herself Touched this battlefield earth. Inside the temple ground lies an ancient well, the Devikoop, and over it rises a white marble lotus. Upon that lotus rests the form of a right ankle, For here, the tradition holds, the right ankle bone Of Maa Sati Fell.
The right ankle bone Of Maa Sati Is Held To Have Fallen into the Devikoop, the well of the Goddess. A white marble lotus now rises over the well, Bearing the form of Her ankle.
Before the Mahabharata war the Pandavas, with Shri Krishna, prayed here For victory and offered the horses of their chariots. Devotees whose prayers Are Answered still bring horses of clay and metal To Maa.
The mundan, the first tonsure, of Shri Krishna and Balarama is held to have been performed at this Peetha, and families still bring their children here for the mundan sanskar.
The well the Goddess chose
When Sati, The Consort Of Shiva, gave up Her body in the fire of the yagna Her father Daksha held to insult Her lord, Shiva carried Her across the universe in a grief that threatened all creation. Vishnu loosed his Sudarshan Chakra, and the Body Of The Goddess was divided; wherever a part Fell, a Shakti Peetha arose. Most tellings count Fifty-One such Seats; the temple's own account speaks of Fifty-Two. At Kurukshetra, Her right ankle bone Fell into a well, and that well became the Devikoop, the well of the Goddess. Here She Is Called Savitri, and She Is Worshipped as Maa Bhadrakali, a form of Maa Kali; the Peetha is also named Devi Peeth, Kalika Peeth, and Aadi Peeth in the old accounts.
The Shrine stands on the very land of the Mahabharata, and its legends belong to that war. Before the armies met, the Pandavas came with Shri Krishna to this Seat and prayed To The Goddess for victory, offering the horses of their chariots. From their vow grew the practice that marks this temple to this day: when a prayer Is Answered, the devotee returns with a horse of clay or metal, and the small horses gathered here stand as a record of blessings received. The temple tradition adds one more memory: that Shri Krishna and Balarama received their first tonsure at this Peetha, which is why parents still carry their children here for the mundan sanskar.
What you'll actually see
1
The Devikoop and the marble lotus
The heart of the Peetha is not an image but a well. Over the Devikoop rises a white marble lotus, and upon it rests the form of the right ankle Of Maa Sati, the mark every pilgrim comes to see before standing before Maa Bhadrakali in Her sanctum.
2
Three domes For three Goddesses
The complex carries a 108 foot dome devoted To Maa Bhadrakali, flanked by two domes of 71 feet devoted To Maa Saraswati and Maa Lakshmi. The sanctum holds the idol Of Maa Kali, and shrines of other deities line the circumambulatory path.
3
The horses of Kurukshetra
Clay, terracotta, and metal horses fill the temple, offered by devotees whose wishes Have Been Fulfilled. The practice is traced To the Pandavas themselves, who donated their chariot horses To The Goddess after their victory in the great war.
The Shrine and the Devikoop · photos by Kavurisgs (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Ashish Bhatnagar (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons
When the Peetha fills
Navratri at the well of the Goddess
Twice a year, in Chaitra (March to April) and Sharadiya (September to October) Navratri, the Shrine gathers its largest crowds, and a fair takes shape at the temple during Chaitra Navratri. Raksha Bandhan and Durga Puja also draw pilgrims from across the country. And every Saturday the courtyard fills, For worship Of Maa on that day Is Believed To Fulfil what is asked, and the horses the devotees carry back are the proof of it.
Come during Navratri for the fullest worship, but expect long lines. For a quiet Darshan With Maa, choose an ordinary weekday morning.
Kurukshetra Junction, about 2 to 3 km from the temple.
By air
Chandigarh is the nearest airport; Delhi (IGI) is about 160 km away.
Timings
5:30 am to 8 pm from March to mid November; 6 am to 7:30 pm in winter.
Aarti
Morning 6:00 to 6:40 am · evening 7:00 to 7:40 pm.
Entry
Darshan is open to all; no entry fee is documented. Confirm at the temple office.
Good to know
The Peetha carries many names: Savitri Peeth, Devi Peeth, Kalika Peeth, Aadi Peeth. The temple's own telling counts Fifty-Two parts Of Her Body; the more common counting names Fifty-One Seats.
Saturday worship here Is Believed To Bear fruit, and devotees whose wishes Are Fulfilled return with horses of clay or metal for The Goddess.
The temple is led by its Peethadhyaksh, Shri Satpal Sharma, and keeps an official website at maabhadrakalishaktipeeth.com for pilgrims seeking current information.
Questions pilgrims ask
Which part Of Maa Sati Fell here?
Her right ankle bone, which Fell into the well now called the Devikoop. A white marble lotus rises over the well, Bearing the form of Her ankle, and the Peetha Is Counted among the Fifty-One.
Why are there so many horses in the temple?
Before the Mahabharata war the Pandavas, with Shri Krishna, prayed here and offered their chariot horses To The Goddess. Devotees continue the vow: when a prayer Is Answered, they offer a horse of clay, terracotta, or metal.
When should I go?
Chaitra or Sharadiya Navratri for festival worship and the fair, or a Saturday, the day worship here Is Held To Fulfil wishes. Darshan runs 5:30 am to 8 pm in summer and 6 am to 7:30 pm in winter.
Walk the sacred map
This Is one Seat among many. Her Body Fell across the whole of the old world:
Are you a priest, trustee, or sevak of Shaktipeeth Shri Devikoop Bhadrakali Mandir? Claim this page to add true timings, festival updates, and a way for pilgrims To actually reach you.
