Bijasan Mata Temple, Indragarh

Bijasan Mata Temple stands on a high Aravalli hill in Indragarh town, Bundi district, Rajasthan. The goddess takes her name from the tale of Durga beheading the demon Raktabija and then using him as her seat. Said to be over two thousand years old, the temple is linked by local belief to the saint Baba Kripanath Ji Maharaj, who settled on this hill to worship her when the area was dense forest. Bijasan is said to have appeared before him and then in a small cave here.

The temple is built like a cave, and devotees climb more than 750 stairs to reach it. Inside is an image of the goddess, claimed to be self-manifested; a temple to six sisters of Durga lies below. Navratri is the great occasion, when pilgrims come from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and the complex is decorated and lit with lamps. The nearest railway station is about 10 km away.