Devi Patan Mandir Tulsipur near Balrampur – Ma Pateshwari Devi Patan Temple - History - Story - Information

Devi Patan Mandir is a popular Shaktipeeth, located at Tulsipur near Balrampur, in Uttar Pradesh. Ma Devi Patan Temple was established by Yogi Gorakshanathji and was renovated by King Vikramaditya. This very ancient shrine is on the banks of Siriya River. The temple is very popular with Hindus in Nepal.

As per historical evidences, whenever Muslim invaders tried to ransack the temple they met with death. Honeybees killed Meer Samar sent by Aurangzeb for destroying the shrine.

It is widely believed that it is at this spot Mata Sita prayed to Mother Earth to take her back. Mother Earth split up and took her in here.

The main deity worshipped in the temple is known as Pateshwari and the place is Devi Patan. She is also known as Ma Pataleshwar.

Legend has it that the Patambervastra of Ma Jagadamba fell here, so the word Patan was added with Devi, derived from Devi Sati’s Pat-paat-vastra. The legend is associated with the self-immolation of Goddess Sati at Daksha yajna.

Legend has it that Karna and Lord Parshuram performed intense meditation here.

Some of the important holy spots in the temple complex are Patal Chabutra, Navadurga murtis, Akandha Deep Jyoti, Murti of Maa Durga, Bal Devi Murti, Kalika Temple, Murti of Annapurna and Bhairav Temple.

There is also a huge pond in the temple premises.

The most important festival here is Navratri.

Performing Mundan here is considered highly meritorious.

In the Devi Bhagavata, Skanda, Kalika, and other Puranas, as well as Shaivite Tantric scriptures like the Shiva Charitra, there are descriptions and references to various Shakti Peethas and sub-Peethas. When Goddess Sati, deeply aggrieved by the humiliation of her husband, Lord Shiva—whose share and position were not acknowledged in her father Prajapati Daksha’s sacrificial ritual (Yajna)—gave up her life in sorrow, Lord Shiva became furious. In his grief, he destroyed Daksha’s Yajna and, overwhelmed with mourning, wandered around carrying Sati’s lifeless body on his shoulders. This act disrupted the cosmic order. Then, for the welfare of the world and to pacify Shiva’s grief, Lord Vishnu used his divine Sudarshan Chakra to cut Sati’s body into parts, which fell at various places across the Indian subcontinent. Wherever the parts of the Goddess’s body fell, Shakti Peethas were established.

There are 11 main Shakti Peethas mentioned prominently across India, although some sources mention 52 or 53, and when including sub-organs and ornaments, the total number reaches 108. One of these renowned and ancient Shakti Peethas is the temple of Maa Pateshwari at Devi Patan, located in Tulsipur, Balrampur district, Uttar Pradesh. It is believed that Goddess Sati’s left shoulder along with her garment (Patambar) fell at this site. That’s why the presiding deity here is called Pateshwari, and the town got its name Devi Patan from this association.

Location:

The Shri Maa Pateshwari Shakti Peetha is located at Devi Patan, about 3 kilometers northwest of Tulsipur railway station, on the banks of the Siriya River, in the present Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh. To its north lies Nepal, to the south Ayodhya Dham, to the east Siddharthnagar and Basti, and to the west Gonda and Barabanki districts.

Name Origin:

The name of the presiding deity is Pateshwari, and the place is known as Devi Patan. The term “Patan” is a corrupted form of the Sanskrit word “Pattan”, meaning city. Therefore, the name Devi Patan, meaning City of the Goddess Pateshwari, is both meaningful and fitting. Some believe that the word "Patan" also refers to the "Pat" (cloth) that fell from the body of Goddess Sati at this place. This belief is supported by an ancient verse:

"Patena Sahitah Skandhah, Papata Yatra Bhūtale |
Tatra Pāteśvarī Nāmnā Khyātimāptā Maheśvarī ||"

(Where the shoulder along with the cloth fell on earth, there the Goddess became known as Pateshwari.)

Pataleshwari:

Another name of the Goddess at Devi Patan is Pataleshwari. According to belief, in the Treta Yuga, when Lord Rama asked Sita to prove her purity in public, despite having already done so in Lanka, Sita, feeling deeply insulted, prayed to Mother Earth to take her back. The earth split open, and a throne emerged with Bhudevi (Mother Earth) seated upon it. She took Sita into her lap and returned underground. This Patala (netherworld) descent of Sita is believed to have occurred at Devi Patan, which is why the deity is also called Pataleshwari.

The Valmiki Ramayana (Uttarakanda) mentions the descent of Sita into the netherworld. Even today, the temple has a tunnel in its sanctum sanctorum that is believed to lead to Patala, and a platform has been built at its entrance. Devotees offer flowers, rice grains, and sweets on a cloth spread on this platform. Worship here predates the installation of the deity’s idol, with the tunnel site itself being venerated as Pataleshwari.

Mentions in Gazettes:

Apart from Puranic references, the Awadh Gazetteer (Vol. 1, p. 367, 1871 CE) and Imperial Gazetteer (Vol. 4, p. 364, 1885 CE) also mention the Devi Patan Math and temple.

Association with Parshuram and Karna:

The sanctity of Devi Patan is further elevated by its association with two great mythological figures:

• In the Treta Yuga, Lord Parashurama (6th incarnation of Vishnu) performed penance here.

• In the Dvapara Yuga, Karna, the mighty son of the Sun God, received training in divine weapons from Parashurama at this place.

It is said that Karna bathed daily in the Suryakund and worshipped the Sun God here. A stone idol of Karna still exists at this location, confirming this historical belief.

Temple Construction:

The earliest mention of temple construction at this site is connected to the great yogi Guru Gorakhnath, who, on Lord Shiva’s command, established a shrine at the site where Sati’s left shoulder had fallen. An inscription at Devi Patan reads:

"Mahādeva Samājñaptah Satīskandha Vibhūṣitām |
Gorakṣanātho Yogīndras Tene Pāteśvarīm Ṛthīm ||"

(By the command of Lord Shiva, Yogi Gorakhnath built a shrine at the place adorned by Sati’s shoulder.)

It indicates that Gorakhnath was the first to construct a shrine (Math) here. The temple was later restored by King Vikramaditya, known for reviving Vedic traditions. After this, there’s a long historical gap, but subsequent records confirm the temple's continued importance across India and Nepal.

Attack and Protection:

The temple faced threats from Muslim invaders:

• Sayyid Salar Masud Ghazi, after demolishing the famous Sun temple in Bahraich, sent a battalion to destroy Devi Patan temple but likely failed due to strong public resistance.

• Later, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb sent Mir Samar to destroy the temple. When his soldiers tried to measure the sacred tunnel using bamboo, a miraculous swarm of bees (Saranga bees) emerged and attacked them. Mir Samar was killed in the incident, believed to be a divine intervention.
  His tomb still exists on the temple premises, and earlier, pig sacrifices were offered there, now symbolically.

Connection to Nepal:

Devi Patan once belonged to Nepal, and many temples in Nepal share the suffix "Patan". Because of this, some consider the temple to have Nepalese origins. The connection is supported by its ongoing relationship with the Ratnanath Math at Dang-Chaughera, Nepal.

Though always maintained by Nath Yogis, the temple was once part of the Balrampur royal estate and was officially transferred to the All-India Avadhut Bhes Barahpanth Yogi Mahasabha during the time of Mahanth Digvijaynath Ji Maharaj.

Mahants and Spiritual Lineage:

Given the temple’s ancient roots, a long tradition of Mahants (spiritual heads) is assumed, but due to the ascetic nature of Yogis, only a few names are known:

• Mahants: Ganganath, Teknath, Patpatai Nath, Sarupnath, Hiranath, Bholanath, Bhambhoolnath, Shantinath, Mahendranath Yogi, and the current Mahant Mithilesh Nath Yogi.

Famous yogis like Baba Gambhirnath, and scholars like Narharinath Ji and his guru Shreyonath Ji, are also associated with this sacred place.