Jeen Mata is a village located in the

Sikar district Sikar district is a district of the Indian state Rajasthan in northern India. It is a part of the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan. Rao Daulat Singh laid down the foundation stone of Thikana Sikar in 1687. District Collector of Sikar is Shri Mu ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is famous for the ancient and revered Jeen Mata Temple, which is dedicated to the goddess Jeen Mata, believed to be a form of the Shakti deity. The village is approximately 29 kilometers south of

Sikar Sikar is a city and municipal council in the Sikar district of the state of Rajasthan in India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Sikar district. It is largest city of the Shekhawati region, which consists of Sikar, Churu and Jhu ...

city and about 108 kilometers northwest of

Jaipur Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...

History of the temple

According to local legends, Jeen Mata was originally a girl named Jeevan, born to a Rajput family. She later went into deep meditation at a place called "Kajal Shikhar" in the Aravalli mountains. It is believed that she meditated in honor of Goddess Jayanthi and later became revered as Jeen Mata. The temple, which is constructed of marble and limestone, is believed to be over a thousand years old, dating back to the 8th century. Pilgrims flock to the temple during the auspicious months of Chaitra and Ashvin during the Navratri festival.

Features of the temple

* The temple's gates never close, and regular prayers are conducted even during lunar eclipses. * The temple is situated on a hilltop, surrounded by dense forests, about 10 kilometers from the village of Revsa. * Within the temple complex, there is also the Harsh Bhairav Nath temple, located at the peak.

Traditions

The main offerings at the temple include alcohol and sweet rice. A significant tradition includes the "Jadula" ritual, a first hair-cutting ceremony for boys, which is performed at the temple.

Devotee communities

Devotees of Jeen Mata include communities such as

Saini Saini () is a farming and landowning caste of northern India. The community is given reservation in India, representation in government jobs and educational institutes as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab (I ...

Yadav Yadavs are a grouping of non-elite, peasant-pastoral Quote: "The Yadavs were traditionally a low-to-middle-ranking cluster of pastoral-peasant castes that have become a significant political force in Uttar Pradesh (and other northern states l ...

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

Gurjar The Gurjar (or Gujjar, Gujar, Gurjara) are an agricultural ethnic community, residing mainly in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were traditionally involved in agriculture, pastoral and nomadic ...

Agrawal Agrawal (Agarwal, Agerwal, Agrawala, Agarwala, Agarwalla, Aggarwal, Agarawal'', ''Agarawala'', or Aggrawal) is a Bania caste. The Banias of northern India are a cluster of several communities, of which the Agrawal Banias, Maheshwari Banias, Osw ...

Meena Meena () is a tribe from northern and western India which is sometimes considered a sub-group of the Bhil community. It used to be claimed they speak Mina language, a Spurious languages, spurious language. Its name is also transliterated as ' ...

, Swarnkar, Shekhawat, and Rawat Rajputs. Followers of the goddess are not only found in Rajasthan but also in other parts of India, including Kolkata.

Legend of Aurangzeb

According to popular belief, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb tried to destroy the temple. However, due to the miraculous power of Jeen Mata, he was unsuccessful. The legend states that after being defeated by the goddess' divine power, Aurangzeb apologized and sent oil to light the temple's eternal flame, which continues to burn to this day.

Gallery

File:Main gate of Jeen Mata temple.jpg, Main entrance of Jeen Mata Temple File:Jeen Mata Mandir local market.jpg, Corridor inside Jeen Mata Temple complex File:Jeen Mata Mandir corridor.jpg, Local market near the Jeen Mata Temple File:Jeen Mata Mandir outside area.jpg, Outer area of the Jeen Mata Temple premises

Nearby religious sites

* Khatu Shyamji – Approximately 22 kilometers away. * Salasar Balaji – Located about 85 kilometers from the temple.

References

External links

More about Jeen Mata Temple

Report of the Census Commission

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20150224195908/http://www.thedivineindia.com/jeen-mata-temple/5803 The Divine India on Jeen Mata Temple {{Hindu temples in Rajasthan Hindu temples in Rajasthan Sikar district Villages in Sikar district Tourist attractions in Sikar district Folk deities of Rajasthan