The Yogmaya Temple stands in the heart of old Mehrauli, a few minutes' walk from the Qutub complex. The sanctum is small and marble-clad in the manner of its early nineteenth-century rebuilding, and at its centre, set low in a marble enclosure, is the black stone vigraha of Devi Yogmaya — the goddess whom tradition honours as the sister of Krishna: the daughter of Yashoda who was exchanged for the newborn Krishna, slipped from Kansa's grasp, and announced his coming doom.
Tradition gives the shrine a very long memory. Local accounts trace its origin to the Pandavas, and the old name of the Mehrauli area — Yoginipura, "the city of the Yogini" — is held to derive from this very temple. Whatever antiquity is claimed for the site, the record of the present shrine is itself remarkable: it is described in Mehrauli's records as the only temple of pre-sultanate Delhi that has remained in continuous use.
The temple's most beloved observance is its part in Phool Walon Ki Sair, Delhi's festival of the flower-sellers: each autumn, floral pankhas (fans) are offered here at the Devi's shrine and at the nearby dargah of Hazrat Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki — one procession honouring both, a living tradition of the old city's shared life. Navratri fills the temple; on ordinary days it is a quiet, deeply local place of Devi worship beside one of the world's great monuments.
Yogmaya is Mahamaya — the Devi as the power of the Lord's own veiling and play. In the Krishna katha she is the infant who took his place in the prison of Mathura: when Kansa seized her, she rose from his hand as the eight-armed Devi and declared that his slayer was already safe. To worship Yogmaya is to bow to the shakti by whose consent every divine work is hidden and revealed.
For the pilgrim, the Mehrauli shrine joins two rare things: a Devi of the Krishna cycle worshipped in her own right, and a continuity of worship that local tradition counts in many centuries on the same spot. The pankha offering of Phool Walon Ki Sair adds a third: a festival in which the temple and the neighbouring dargah are honoured by the same procession — the Devi's shrine standing at the heart of Delhi's oldest gesture of shared devotion.
History
Tradition attributes the founding of a Yogmaya shrine here to the era of the Pandavas, and the medieval name of the locality, Yoginipura, is read as this temple's imprint on the map. Mehrauli's own records describe the shrine as the sole temple of pre-sultanate Delhi to have survived in continuous worship, rebuilt repeatedly as the city around it changed hands.
The present structure dates substantially from the early nineteenth century, when it was rebuilt during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar II by Lala Sethmal. From the same era comes the temple's bond with Phool Walon Ki Sair, the flower-sellers' procession instituted under Akbar II, in which floral fans are offered both at this temple and at the dargah of Bakhtiar Kaki. The festival lapsed and was revived after Independence, and continues each year.
Architecture
The temple follows the quiet form of a Banarasi Devi shrine — a compact garbhagriha holding the Yogamaya vigraha, an outer mandapa for the day's offerings, and an attached alcove where small children are placed before the Devi for blessing. Its power lies not in scale but in nearness; the devotee approaches the Mother through the daily textures of the old city rather than through any imposing gateway.
The vigraha follows the iconography of Yogamaya: an eight-armed standing form, carrying khadga, trishul, shankha, chakra, lotus, and bow, with the abhaya-mudra of fearlessness raised in blessing, and one foot poised as if she has just risen from Kamsa's grasp into the air. The Devi is dressed according to the tithi — red on Tuesdays and Fridays, yellow on Thursdays in her Krishna-bhagini aspect, white on Mondays.
The lintel of the doorway carries the eight-armed Devi motif. The mandapa ceiling holds a stylised Krishna-cycle composition — the Yamuna in flood, the basket in Vasudeva's hands, the hood of Shesha — quietly placing the devotee within the katha at the moment of darshan. The floor stone is darkened by generations of bare feet, and the small alcove where infants are placed shows the gentle wear of countless first-blessings.
Rituals & Practices
Worship at Yoga Maya follows the rhythm of a Banarasi Devi shrine, with practices particular to this form. Exact timings vary; pilgrims are encouraged to verify current schedules with the temple authorities, especially around Janmashtami and Navratri when the shrine is at its peak.
The day opens with Mangala Aarti before sunrise, when the Devi is awakened. Panchamrit abhishek follows; the murti is dressed and adorned with fresh flowers — red roses and hibiscus are most commonly brought — and the day's worship moves through bhoga, sandhya aarti, and shayan.
A few practices are especially loved at this shrine:
- Bal-ashirvad — children's blessing. Parents bring infants and small children to be placed briefly before the Devi for first or annual blessing. Because Yogamaya is held as the protector of the infant Krishna, this is the form's most beloved seva.
- Maya-vimochan sankalpa. A vow particular to this shrine, taken as a prayer for the dissolution of false perception. Devotees keep the sankalpa for a chosen number of days (often twenty-one or forty-one), reading a short Yogamaya-stuti at the shrine on the opening and closing days and daily at home through the period.
- Krishna-Yogamaya yugala darshan. Krishna-bhaktas often join the visit to this shrine with darshan at one of the Krishna-related shrines of Kashi, or with a planned Mathura-Vrindavan yatra, holding the brother-sister bond as the inner thread of the journey.
- Ashtami observance. Both the lunar Ashtami of each paksha and Krishna Janmashtami itself are kept here; Janmashtami especially, when the same-night birth of Yogamaya is recalled in the recitation.
- Tuesdays and Fridays. The traditional Devi-days are observed; the sandhya aarti is extended, and red flowers are the preferred offering.
Offerings usually preferred at this shrine:
- Red flowers — hibiscus and rose
- Kumkum, sindoor, and turmeric
- A small red or yellow chunari
- Sweets, especially laddoo and pedha
Festivals & Celebrations
| Festival | When | Crowd |
|---|---|---|
| Krishna Janmashtami | — | Very high |
| Sharad Navratri | — | High |
| Chaitra Navratri | — | Moderate to high |
| Ashtami of each paksha | — | Moderate |
| Radhashtami | — | Moderate to high |
| Kartik Purnima (Dev Deepawali) | — | Moderate |
Krishna Janmashtami: The annual peak of the shrine. The foundational moment of the Yogamaya tradition is recalled, and devotees hold that her presence is most accessible on this night.
Sharad Navratri: The principal Navratri, when Yogamaya is honoured as one of the abiding forms of the Divine Mother.
Chaitra Navratri: The other principal Navratri, kept here with the same care.
Ashtami of each paksha: The fortnightly Devi-tithi. For Yogamaya the eighth tithi carries the added weight of Janmashtami's monthly echo.
Radhashtami: Krishna-bhaktas often combine this day with the Janmashtami visit, holding the two within one circuit.
Kartik Purnima (Dev Deepawali): The full moon of Kartik is held auspicious for the children's-blessing tradition at this shrine.
Prepare for Your Visit
Practical guidance to help you plan your pilgrimage
| Pilgrim Guidance | Approach and the Kashi contextYoga Maya Temple stands in the older central stretch of Kashi. From the Vishwanath Dham, it is a twelve-to-fifteen-minute walk through the gali network; auto-rickshaws can reach the lane entrance and the rest is a short walk through the lanes. Locals know the shrine by both names — "Yoga Maya Mandir" and simply "Yogamaya". Many devotees fold this darshan into the Kashi yatra after Vishwanath, or combine it with a visit to the city's Krishna-related shrines so that the brother-sister bond is held in one circuit. Preparation for Pilgrims
Best Time to VisitTuesdays and Fridays are the weekly Devi-days; Ashtami of each paksha is held especially auspicious here. Krishna Janmashtami (late August / early September) is the annual peak — the night of Krishna's birth and of Yogamaya's same-night birth, recited together at midnight, when the shrine is full from evening into the early hours. Sharad Navratri (September–October) and Chaitra Navratri (March–April) are observed with extended pujas. October to March is the most comfortable window for the visit overall, and early mornings or the sandhya aarti are the quietest times for darshan. |
Location
South Delhi, DL
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