Kaila Devi Temple, Karauli

Kaila Devi Temple stands in Kailadevi village, 23 km from Karauli, beside the Kalisil River, which feeds the Banas, in the Aravalli hills. The goddess is worshipped as Mahalakshmi and Mahayogini and identified with the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda who was exchanged for the infant Krishna. Legend says a yogi carrying her image from Nagarkot found that his bullock would not move from this spot in the dense forest, and the image was installed there.

The Jadaun rulers of Karauli have long been bound to the temple: Maharaja Gopal Singh built it between 1723 and 1730 and brought an image of Chamunda from Gagraun fort, and in 1947 Maharaja Ganesh Pal had it refaced in marble. The two goddesses sit together inside, Kaila Devi the larger with her head slightly bowed, with a Bhairon shrine in the courtyard and a Hanuman temple, Languriya, opposite. The main fair runs for a fortnight in Chaitra (March–April).