Vindhyavasini

Vindhyavasini is name of a benevolent aspect of Devi Amba or Durga. Vindhyavasini temple is located at Vindhyachal, 8 km away from Mirzapur on the banks of river Ganges, in Uttar Pradesh.

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The goddess gets her name from Vindhya Range and the name Vindhyavasini, literally means, she who resides in Vindhya. As it is believed that the Shaktipeeths were created on earth, where the body parts of Sati fell. But Vindhayachal is the place and a Shaktipeeth, where the Devi had chosen to reside after her birth. At the time of the birth of Krishna as 8th Child of Devaki-Vasudeva, Maha-Yogini Mahamaya has taken birth at same time at Nanda-Yashoda and as per the instruction from God Vishnu, Vasudev had replaced Krishna with this girl child of Yashoda. When Kansa tried to kill this girl child she escaped from the hand of Kansa and turned into Devi form and informed him that Oh!! You fool!! The one who will kill you is already born and safe and vanished from the prison of Mathura. Thereafter, she choose Vindhyachal mountains to reside, where her temple is located at present.

The temple is one of the most revered Shakti Peethas of India. The Vindhyavasini Devi is also known popularly by name of Kajala devi. Goddess Kali is adorned in the form of Vindhyavasini Devi.

At the time of the birth of Krishna as the eighth child of Devaki and Vasudeva, Yogamaya had been born at the same time at the house of Nanda and Yashoda, as instructed by Vishnu. Vasudeva replaced Krishna with this daughter of Yashoda. When Kamsa tried to kill this infant, believing that she was his prophesied killer, she escaped from the grasp of Kamsa, and turned into her form of Durga. She informed the tyrant that his killer had already been born elsewhere, and subsequently vanished from the prison of Mathura.

The child, Yoga-māyā-devī, the younger sister of Lord Viṣṇu, slipped upward from Kaṁsa’s hands and appeared in the sky as Devī, the goddess Durgā, with eight arms, completely equipped with weapons
Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10,Chapter 4, Verse 9
O Kaṁsa, you fool, what will be the use of killing me? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has been your enemy from the very beginning and who will certainly kill you, has already taken His birth somewhere else. Therefore, do not unnecessarily kill other children
Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10,Chapter 4, Verse 12

Thereafter, she is believed by local lore to have chosen to reside at the Vindhyachala mountains, where her temple is located at present. Some believe she was reborn as Subhadra to help Krishna for establishing dharma.

Mirzapur is the closest railhead. Vindhyachal has regular bus services to the nearby towns. The nearest railway station is at Mirzapur. Regular bus services connect Vindhyachal to the nearby towns.

This temple Opening & Closing times is 5.00 AM and 10.00 PM. During this period major part of the Goddess Durga rituals are performed. Archana, Aarti and Abhisekham are the daily pujas performed. The huge number of crowds visit the temple, especially during Navaratri in Hindu months of Chaitra and Ashwin. In month of Jyeshtha, the Kajali competition, a folk genre are held here.

There is a temple of Mahasaraswati named Ashtbhuja Temple, 3 km away on a hillock and a temple of goddess Kali in cave called Kali khoh temple. The pilgrims prefer to visit these three temples, which is a part of rite called Trilokan Parikrama.