Amritsar is famous as the home of the spectacular Golden Temple, Sikhism’s holiest gurdwara, but there is much more to see in this area of Punjab, North India.
One of the most interesting, fun and craziest things I saw in Amritsar was totally unexpected. On the way to the border ceremony at Wagah, just outside Amritsar, our rickshaw driver took us to the Mata Lal Devi Temple , which turned out to be the most bizarre and craziest temple I’ve ever seen!
Visiting the Crazy Mata Lal Devi Temple in Amritsar
The Mata Lal Devi Temple, (also known as the Param Pujya Mata Lal Devi Mandir) is a sacred Hindu temple that dedicated to a 20th century bespectacled female saint named Lal Devi. The temple is considered to be full of miraculous fertility-improving powers and so is very popular in this country that values children and family so highly.
The temple is especially popular and important for women who wish to start a family as it is believed that women who come to pray here have children shortly after and because of this the temple attracts devotees from all over India.
Hindu temples are known for being vibrant and colourful places but the Mata Temple is just on another level and even though I’ve been to hundred of temples in India this one completely took me by surprise.
When you enter the Mata Temple it just looks like another Hindu temple, although an especially colourful one and there are many colourful, elaborately decorated golden shrines in the main mandir.
But look to the left and you will see a small door, once you pass through there and climb the stairs the surprises and the fun really starts to begin!
This temple reminded me of a fun house or house of mirrors that you find at the fair ground with its labyrinth of psychedelic narrow winding stairways and passages, colourful, garish and slightly tacky mirrored mosaics line the hallways.
There must be hundred of statues of deities meaning that you can pray to almost every single god you can image (and many who I didn’t recognise) whilst taking in the crazy, out of this world carvings, mirrors, mosaics and statues.
You even have to duck, dive and crawl through some parts that felt more like a grotto, at one point you go through a the mouth of a lion and come out through the mouth of what looks like a snake or maybe a crocodile…. who knows!
The highlight comes at the end when you have to crawl into a watery cave to visit the shrine of Lal Devi where you can pray for fertility if you so wish!
It’s a real adventure and unlike any temple I’ve ever seen before. I loved it!
After this psychedelic adventure you can chill out a bit in the main hall, join in with some chanting, pray to some more deities or just enjoy the free food that is served to all – the prasad is believed to cure all sicknesses!
How to visit the Mata Lal Devi Temple
The Mata Lal Devi Temple is located at Rani Ka Bagh, Mohindra Colony, Amritsar, Punjab 143001, India. A rickshaw driver should know where it is as its quite famous among Hindu pilgrims.
I’ll be writing more about my time in Amritsar soon …
Have you been to this temple? How was your experience? Or have you been to an even crazier temple!?
Pin Me!
17 comments
When are you coming to Kochi 🙂
I’ve been 3 times no plans for another visit in the near future
wow!
Have been there – it is indeed bizarre! Loved it!
So cool that you’ve been there. So crazy and fun isn’t it! ????
Lovely temple.and a lot of followers also.
Thank you! ????
I’ve been to Amritsar like a dozen times, this temple is indeed psychedelic in nature..btw the one pic where you’ve captioned “I have no idea who these deities..” ,that’s Lord Jagannath , you must watch a video of its “Rath Yatra” that happens in Odisha ..it’s unbelievably amazing!
Cheers on this informative article!
I already visited here a week ago and I am a Hindu and I loved the that place all deities and the pics were not allowed to click but cleverly we clocked out some ..I got a lot of info of our religion from it ..I will visit again with my family in future ..jai mata di🙏
Yes I came here in 2001 I think near Diwali, so it was most probably November month. God sent me here for a reason, Whilst i was there a serious electrical loading caused the incoming mains supply to start burning with crackling sound, this was in a room on first floor just as you enter the temple, immediately on the left there were a flight of stairs going up towards the cave and other features, just as I reached the top, the room was on my left, its door was closed. Just then I heard this bang! and crackling sound, I knew something had gone wrong, I am an electronics engineer and recognised the sound as an electrical fault explosion, as I reached the door to open to see what was going on inside, a man rushed out with something in his hand, I quickly asked him what is the matter and he turned his face around saw me but said nothing and continued rushing downstairs, I thought he may be a terrorist and had detonated a bomb or something, so he is rushing out, I went into the room and the big thick mains incoming cable about 3 inch in diameter was on fire, the tar used for insulating was melting and blobs of fire balls were all landing on top of sacs of wheat flour stored underneath, I knew I had to act fast otherwise the fire could get out of hand and start spreading like lightening as the whole Mandir is full of soft materials that will alight and there will be a big inferno and many lives could be lost through smoke, fire and stampede, I looked for a fire extinguishers and couldn’t see even one (This is India for you) so I found an \Indian style broom, started to beat the flames with it putting the fire out on the burning sacs of flour, I dragged them away from the switch gear, all the while the loud crackling going on, melting tar on flames dripping down to the floor now, then suddenly there was a huge thunderous flash, and a very loud bang! I am not sure whether it was my reaction or a blast wave that sent me flying back, the whole place was now in total darkness, I panicked and started to scream for my cousin sister to leave the place at once before a stampede begins, I called her several times but the place was packed and she heard me but could not push her way out of the crowd, I warned her that the place is on fire and we must leave now.
However, later on I learnt that the man who rushed out was doing something as he actually had a screwdriver in his hand, he was not a terrorist, but some maintenance guy, and must have got something wrong, that caused the electrical overloading, he had rushed out to start a generator, and thank God for that the lights came back after about 15 to 20 seconds since that flash happened, I then went back in the power distribution room and put the remaining fire out. Naturally I felt like a hero, but people from the temple did not even acknowledge my heroic efforts that I had come from UK to visit this temple as well as the Sikh Golden temple
Wow Manjit – thats a crazy story! I’m glad you are safe. What a memorable experience – thanks for sharing and safe travels 🙂
Thanks for sharing this info. it’s really nice.
I’m not one to normally comment, but a few years ago I went off to India to teach for a little bit as part of my schooling. As part of my group we visited more places than I could remember and for the life of me I couldn’t remember the name or location of this temple. I came across your blog and not only got a name and address for this place so I could return when I head back to India next month, but I also got to relive all the sights and feelings I felt going through. Your captions and comments really do summarize the place up well. Thank you!
Hi Rick. Thanks so much! Glad you liked my blog and it helped you! 🙂 Hope you have a great trip!
All my chuldhood was spent within vicinity of this temple… Those days Pujya Mataji was alive. Never heard of this fertility theory as you have stated in your story. . I think someone has mislead you and you have made a hill out of mole. There’s a long history and just by spending few hours and clicking few pictures you have drawn a fiction about this temple.
Spend few days and learn about this temple, Amritsar food and sweets. You will fall in love with this city.
Hi Mohit, thanks for reading and for sharing your comments. I was told this story by my local guide. I really loved Amritsar though!
Thank you for sharing!
I found this temple so astonishing, I didn’t think to take any photos (also banged my head many times, so might have been somewhat concussed).