Sheetla Chaukiya Dham, Jaunpur

Sheetla Chaukiya Dham in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, is an old temple and pilgrimage site of Goddess Sheetla, the goddess of coolness, prayed to for relief from disease. Who built it is uncertain. One account credits the clan of Heerchand, remembered as the first ruler of the region, who honoured her as their clan deity; many historians instead point to the Bhars, a powerful early community devoted to Shiva and Shakti and known for making sacred ponds, a view backed by the large pond beside the temple. The name Chaukiya probably comes from the chauki, a raised platform on which the goddess was first placed.

The temple opens daily and is most crowded on Mondays and Fridays. Key festivals are Sheetala Ashtami, or Basoda, when cold, pre-cooked food is offered; the three-day Shringar Mahotsav, when the image is dressed with flowers from Varanasi and Kolkata; and fairs at Chaitra and Sharad Navratri.