Invoke the goddess for her blessings

Patience is the key to enter this holy place, because one has to stand in a queue for hours to enter this temple, especially during the Navratri festival.

 Jhandewalan Mandir dedicated to Maa Aadi Shakti, another avatar of goddess Durga, is located on the Jhandewalan Road on the way to Karol Bagh. A famous and revered shrine of the goddess, the temple receives thousands of devotees throughout the year. 

Interestingly, the name Jhandewalan was given during the reign of Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, because of the prayer flags or jhandas that were and continue to be offered here. During Navratri, the temple is lit up and lakhs of devotees throng the shrine to offer their prayers and seek the blessings of the presiding deity.

It is said that Jhandewalan was once a mountain region. When this place was excavated, a sanctum of the goddess was discovered and on this place the temple was established. 

The original idol of Jhandewali Mata is present at the ground level. There are several entrances to this large temple, with lanes leading to the shrine lined with shops selling regular prayer items like chunri, flowers, garlands, coconuts and other offerings. Inside the temple, the air reverberates with the constant chanting of mantras dedicated to the goddess invoking her mercy, grace and blessings which she showers on all who comes to visit her. One can have the first darshan at 5.30 am which starts with an aarti and later in the day, four more aartis are held, the last one being at 10 pm.
 During the nine days of Navratri, which are considered to be the most auspicious time for devotion and spiritual upliftment, the temple is decked up with flowers and flashing light-bulbs adorning the length and breadth of the temple exteriors and the premises. Special pujas and night-long jagrans are held and prasad (prayer food) is distributed to all. 

In view of the Navratri festival, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has also decided to run additional buses on routes passing through famous temples of the national capital. In view of the large number of devotees thronging these temples, DTC has arranged special buses on route numbers 450 and 516 for Chhatarpur Mandir, Kalkaji Mandir and Jhandewalan Mandir. These buses will also run in the evening.