Maa Tarkulha devi mandir Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Maa Tarkulha Devi Mandir, situated about 22 kilometres from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, stands as both a powerfully sacred shrine to Goddess Durga in her form as Tarkulha Devi, and a symbol of resistance, faith and history. Crowned by dense groves of “tarkul” or palm trees, the temple is deeply interwoven with local belief, the memory of freedom fighters, and the ongoing devotion of thousands who travel from near and far to seek blessings. According to legend, the temple’s origin is linked to the revolutionary hero Babu Bandhu Singh, a local leader of the Indian independence movement under British colonial rule. He is believed to have worshipped under a palm tree (“tarkul”) by Gurra River near a forested area in the erstwhile Dumri Riyasat, offering pindi (sacred stone or mound) forms of worship there. Over time, this site evolved from a spot of devotion under a tree to become a formal temple in honor of Tarkulha Devi, considered his Ishta Devi (chosen goddess)