Prayagraj · Holy places
Alopi Devi Temple, Prayagraj
The Alopi Devi temple, also called Alop Shankari, is a temple of the goddess in Alopibagh, Prayagraj, where a covered wooden cradle is worshipped in place of an image. It is said to be one of the Shaktipeeths.
It lies about 3 km north-west of the Sangam and the Akshayavat, according to the mela authority. A big fair is held there during Navratri, the district says.
Alopi Devi temple at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where | Alopibagh, west of Daraganj (district), about 3 km north-west of the Sangam and the Akshayavat (mela authority) |
| Deity | Shri Alopshankari Devi (mela authority). The temple also has an image of Shiva and a Shivling (district). |
| In the sanctum | No image of the goddess. A covered platform and a small cot or cradle, where devotees pay obeisance |
| Busiest times | Navratri, when a big fair is held (district). Amar Ujala reports more devotees on Mondays and Fridays too. |
| Timings | No official timings published. Check locally. |
| Magh Mela 2027 | Expected from 15 January to 6 March 2027, with six main bathing days. Not a Kumbh year. |
| 2027 arrangements | Not announced |
The story behind the name Alop Shankari
This is the temple’s tradition as Amar Ujala reported it in October 2026. It is a matter of faith.
According to the tradition, after Sati gave up her life at King Daksha’s yagna, Shiva wandered in grief carrying her body. To restore the balance of the world, Vishnu cut the body apart with his Sudarshan chakra. It is believed that one part of Sati’s body vanished at this place.
Alop means vanished, and the temple takes its name, Alop Shankari, from this story. The same tradition links the temple with the Shaktipeeths, the places associated with Sati’s body. The district, too, says it is said to be one of the Shaktipeeths.
Kankhal in Haridwar is linked with the same story of Daksha’s yagna; read our Kankhal page.
What you see in the sanctum
The district describes a round platform in the sanctum with a coloured cloth, and a small cot below it, where devotees pay obeisance. Amar Ujala describes it as a wooden cradle (palna) covered with a red chunri, above a sacred kund, which devotees treat as the form of the goddess.
Devotees tie a raksha sutra, a sacred thread, as they pray for a wish, and rituals such as mundan, a child’s first haircut, are performed here, the same report says.
The temple also has an image of Shiva and a Shivling, according to the district. The Ministry of Culture lists the Alop Shankari temple, dedicated to Shri Alopshankari Devi, among the temples pilgrims to the Sangam visit.
Getting there from the Sangam
The temple is in the city, in the Alopibagh locality west of Daraganj, about 3 km north-west of the Sangam and the Akshayavat. The Bade Hanuman temple and the Nag Vasuki temple are also in the Daraganj area.
During a mela, vehicles are stopped well before the river around the main bathing days, so plan the trip between the temple and the bathing area with the mela’s traffic plan. In 2025 those rules ran from the day before to the day after each main bathing day. The plan for 2027 has not been published. See how to reach Prayagraj.
Before the 2025 Maha Kumbh, IANS reported that a state tourism department project at the Alop Shankari temple was nearing completion. We found no official description of the work.
Alopi Devi and the Magh Mela 2027
The next big mela at the Sangam is the Magh Mela 2027, expected from Friday 15 January to Saturday 6 March 2027, with six main bathing days. The mela authority has not yet published its list; see the bathing days page.
Temple arrangements for the mela have not been announced. Main bathing days usually draw the most pilgrims; follow police and mela instructions on the day.
2027 is not a Kumbh year at Prayagraj. The next Ardh Kumbh is expected in 2031. See all holy places of Prayagraj.
Also in this area
Questions people ask
What is worshipped at the Alopi Devi temple?
There is no image of the goddess. Devotees bow to a wooden cradle covered with a red chunri in the sanctum, which they treat as her form. The temple’s tradition is that a part of Sati’s body vanished here, which gave it the name Alop Shankari.
Is Alopi Devi temple a Shaktipeeth?
The Prayagraj district says it is said to be one of the Shaktipeeths, and the temple’s tradition links it with Sati.
How far is the Alopi Devi temple from the Sangam?
About 3 km north-west of the Sangam and the Akshayavat, in the Alopibagh locality, according to the mela authority.