Yogmaya Neupane

Yogmaya Temple, also Jogmaya temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Yogmaya, also considered to be a sister of Krishna as she took avatar as Vindhyavasini, and situated in Mehrauli, Delhi, India, close to the Qutb complex. According to local priests and native records, this is one of those 27 temples destroyed by Mamluks and it is the only surviving temple belonging to pre-sultanate period which is still in use. Hindu king Samrat Vikramaditya Hemu reconstructed the temple and brought back the temple from ruins. During Aurangzeb's reign a rectangular Islamic Style hall was added to the temple. Though its original (300-200 BCE) architecture could never be restored after its destruction by Islamic rulers, but its reconstruction had been carried out repetitively by the locals.

Yogmaya or Jogmaya is considered, an aspect of Maya, the illusionary power of God. The temple is also venue of a large congregation of devotees during the Navratri celebrations.

The present temple was restored in early 19th century and may be the descendant of a much older Devi shrine. Adjacent to the temple lies, a water body, johad, known as Anangtal Baoli, after King Anangpal Tomar, and covered by trees from all sides The temple is also an integral part of an important inter-faith festival of Delhi, the annual Phool Walon Ki Sair.

History

In 12th-century Jain scriptures, Mehrauli is also mentioned as Yoginipura, after the temple. The temple is believed to be built by the Pandavas, at the end of Mahabharata war. Mehrauli is one of the seven ancient cities that make up the present state of Delhi. The temple has its association with Mughal Emperor Akbar II (1806–37) by Lala Sethmal.

The temple lies 260 yards from the Iron Pillar in the Qutb complex,

The flowers and sweets offered by the Devotees to the goddess are placed over a marble table of 18 inches square and 9 inches height set in front of the idol in the sanctum floor. Bells, otherwise a part of Hindu temples, are not tolled during the worship of the goddess. Wine and meat are forbidden to be offered at the temple and goddess Yoga Maya is stated to be austere and exacting. An interesting display at the temple premises in the past (but now in an open wall panel) was an iron cage of square and in height in which two stone tigers are exhibited. A passage, between the temple and the wall panel has flat roof which is covered with the planks overlaid by bricks and mortar and fixed with bells.

Other Yogmaya temples

Jogmaya Temple, Barmer Rajasthan Jogmaya Temple, Multan (now in Pakistan) Jogmaya Temple, Jodhpur, Rajasthan Yogmaya Temple, Vrindavan Yogmaya Temple, Naya Bans Khari Baoli, Old Delhi Yogmaya Temple, Dehradun, Uttarakhand Jogmaya Tripura Sundari Temple Iringole Kavu, Ernakulam, Kerala