Rani Chundawat Sati Mata Temple, Beelwa, Rajasthan

A narrow dusty road winding up the curtains of the Bhopalgarh fort in the mountains of Beelwa led us to an ancient, unknown, offbeat temple - Rani Chundawat Sati Mandir near Khetri in Rajasthan. The trails were empty, devoid of any human beings or vehicles, and our lone but sturdy jeep bumpily trudged along with the unkempt bushes, Bhopalgarh fortress walls, and the craggy mountains for company. A good 30 minutes later, we reached the Chundawat Rani Temple, which is also the patron deity of some of the castes of the state.

The temple is a small, simple structure overlooking the rest of the city below.

There is a huge living rock in the center of the temple with the impersonification of the Mother Goddess Chundawat Rani covered with vermillion as the main image. Decorated with a saree, gold ornaments, and colorful garlands, She wields great power and fulfills the wishes of all those who come to her. Red-colored threads or molis hang on the railing of the sanctum sanctorum tying their hopes, their heart with Hers.

A fleet of stairs takes you to the temple at the top of the mountain. The architecture is simple yet the arches all around make for a beautiful sight. Zoom in to any one of those arches and the view one gets from the mountain top is simply mesmerizing!

Beautiful ornate arches of the temple