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The pink shikhara of the Alop Shankari Devi Temple rising above a busy street in Prayagraj
Alopi Devi Temple, Prayagraj. Photo: आशीष भटनागर, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Prayagraj · Holy places

Alopi Devi Temple during the Prayagraj melas

KumbhMela.info Editorial TeamChecked on Fri 16 Oct 2026

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.

EvergreenChecked on Fri 16 Oct 2026

The temple and its traditions do not change. Official sources describe it only briefly, so this page also uses a local news report, named where used. Temple arrangements for Magh Mela 2027 had not been announced on 16 October 2026.

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.

This page covers Alopi Devi Temple during the Prayagraj melas. Its history, darshan timings and year-round visitor details are on the Alopi Devi Temple page on Tirth.com.

Alopi Devi temple at a glance

  • Where

    Alopibagh, west of Daraganj, about 3 km north-west of the Sangam and the Akshayavat (mela authority).1,2

  • Known for

    A goddess temple where a covered cradle is worshipped in place of an image. The district says it is said to be a Shaktipeeth.1,3

  • Daily ritual

    Not published yet. No official timings.

  • Steps and access

    Not published yet.

  • Magh Mela 2027 status

    Expected 15 January to 6 March 2027. Temple arrangements for the mela are not announced.4

On a Kumbh day

  • Before the 2025 Maha Kumbh, IANS reported that a state tourism project at the Alop Shankari temple was nearing completion.
  • At the 2025 Maha Kumbh, vehicles were stopped around each main bathing day, from the day before to the day after, and the last stretch to the river was on foot.
Sources for these facts (4)
  1. District Prayagraj, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Places of Interest: Akshay Vat, Nag Vasuki, Mankameshwar, Alopi Devi and Minto Park sections
  2. Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Places to see: Alop Shankari, Nagvasuki and Mankameshwar temples (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website)
  3. Amar Ujala: नवरात्र : शारदीय नवरात्रि के पहले दिन मां शैलपुत्री की आराधना, अलोप शंकरी मंदिर में उमड़े श्रद्धालु (2026)
  4. Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (listing credited to Uttar Pradesh Tourism): Magh Mela 2027

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.

Kankhal in Haridwar is linked with the same story of Daksha’s yagna; read our Kankhal page.

What you do here

Darshan of the cradle

In the sanctum, a wooden cradle under a red chunri, above a sacred kund, is treated as the form of the goddess, Amar Ujala reported. The district describes a small cot below a platform.1,2

The raksha sutra

Devotees tie a raksha sutra, a sacred thread, as they pray for a wish, and rites such as mundan, a child's first haircut, are performed here, Amar Ujala reported.1

Sources for these cards (2)
  1. Amar Ujala: नवरात्र : शारदीय नवरात्रि के पहले दिन मां शैलपुत्री की आराधना, अलोप शंकरी मंदिर में उमड़े श्रद्धालु (2026)
  2. District Prayagraj, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Places of Interest: Akshay Vat, Nag Vasuki, Mankameshwar, Alopi Devi and Minto Park sections

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 that the mela authority has not yet listed. 2027 is not a Kumbh year at Prayagraj; the next Ardh Kumbh is expected in 2031.

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. See all holy places of Prayagraj.

Nearby

Also hereAkshayavat and Patalpuri Temple during the Prayagraj melasVisiting Akshayavat and Patalpuri Temple during the Prayagraj melas: how it fits the bathing days, getting there and…OpenAlso hereBade Hanuman Temple during the Prayagraj melasVisiting Bade Hanuman Temple during the Prayagraj melas: how it fits the bathing days, getting there and what…OpenAlso hereMankameshwar Temple during the Prayagraj melasVisiting Mankameshwar Temple during the Prayagraj melas: how it fits the bathing days, getting there and what changes…OpenAlso hereNag Vasuki Temple during the Prayagraj melasVisiting Nag Vasuki Temple during the Prayagraj melas: how it fits the bathing days, getting there and what…Open

Questions people ask

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.

Where next

How to reachTrains, buses, roads and the last stretch
Where to stayAreas, camps and what to check
Ghats and placesWhere the bathing happens

Sources

7 sources · checked 16 Oct 2026
  1. Places of Interest: Akshay Vat, Nag Vasuki, Mankameshwar, Alopi Devi and Minto Park sections · District Prayagraj, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  2. Places to see: Alop Shankari, Nagvasuki and Mankameshwar temples (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website) · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  3. Prayagraj: Blending Tradition with Modernity (backgrounder, PDF): temples of Prayagraj · Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Culture) ·
  4. नवरात्र : शारदीय नवरात्रि के पहले दिन मां शैलपुत्री की आराधना, अलोप शंकरी मंदिर में उमड़े श्रद्धालु · Amar Ujala ·
  5. Mahakumbh 2025: Key temple projects in Prayagraj set for completion in Nov · IANS ·
  6. Traffic Plan (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website) · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  7. Magh Mela 2027 · Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (listing credited to Uttar Pradesh Tourism) ·