Ashtadash Bhuja Mata — the Eighteen-Armed Goddess, an incarnation of Durga — has been the chief deity of the Hindus of Kishtwar and its adjoining areas from ancient times. Jai Mata Di.
Sarthal Devi — The Divine Mother of Kishtwar
Mata Sarthal Devi, also known as Ashtadash Bhuja Mata or Athara Bhuja Devi (Goddess with Eighteen Arms), is revered as the Kul Devi — the presiding ancestral goddess — of the Hindus of Kishtwar and the entire surrounding region. She is a reincarnation of Goddess Durga, whose sacred cave temple at Sarthal village has been a spiritual beacon for pilgrims for six centuries.
The temple is a cave temple housing a single-piece black idol of the eighteen-armed goddess. Situated at approximately 6,000 feet above sea level, it is surrounded by snow during winters and enveloped in beautiful mountain ranges, lush green fields, and charming natural surroundings. It is located at a distance of 18 km from Kishtwar town, in a lush wooded hilly trekking site — accessible by road from Hasti on NH-18, approximately 11 km ahead of Kishtwar town.
Many miracles are attributed to this powerful deity. It is believed that every wish of the devotees is fulfilled by the Goddess, and thousands of Yatris from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir visit the shrine almost throughout the year to pay their obeisance and receive the blessings of Mata for their wellbeing and prosperity.
The Legend — How the Idol Was Found
Shri Paal Maharaj, the first saint who settled in Kishtwar, directed his disciples to worship Durga Mata in the form of Ashtadash Bhuja. One of his devout disciples, residing at Agral village of Sarthal, succeeded in propitiating the goddess through deep devotion. The goddess appeared to him in the form of a pretty girl, showing him a place called Kaligarh (Galigarh) where Mata was hidden in the form of an idol. A verse in the Kishtwari language, passed down from our ancestors, testifies to this divine appearance.
News of the divine vision was immediately conveyed to Raja Agar Dev of Kishtwar — himself a devout follower of the Mata. The Raja arrived at the spot with his courtiers and had the idol of rare black stone dug out from the earth. The procession set out to carry the idol back — but at Agral village, the idol became too heavy to lift. This miraculous event was understood as a divine sign: the Goddess herself had chosen Agral as her abode.
A stone temple was immediately constructed at Agral, Sarthal. Devoted families settled there to serve the goddess, and the settlement was named Agral in honour of Raja Agar Dev. The surrounding dense forest was declared the property of the temple — to be known as Deviyun Van (Mata's Forest) — with all revenue from the forest dedicated to the temple's maintenance.
According to another revered legend, it is believed that the eighteen-armed Goddess came from her abode at Hari Parbat in the Kashmir Valley, travelling through the Sighpora Pass, and took rest in the cave where the temple now stands.
Locals also say that Devi Sharika relocates to Kishtwar during the winter season — a belief that adds to the deep, living spiritual connection between Kishtwar and the Kashmir Valley, two regions whose religious heritage has been intertwined for centuries.
Temple History — From Ancient Stone to Maharaja's Legacy
The sacred single-piece black stone idol of the eighteen-armed goddess was brought from the Kashmir Valley in the 14th century and installed in a stone temple at Agral, Sarthal — built by local devotees under the patronage of Raja Agar Dev of Kishtwar.
With the passage of time, a new and grander temple was constructed approximately 500 metres from the original site. The Sthapana (installation) of the idol with full Vedic rituals was performed by Raja Maha Singh on Bhadarpad Amavasya Tuesday — a day known locally as Magha Amas. From that day onwards, the devotees of Mata in Sarthal, Saroor, Kantwara, and surrounding areas celebrate Magha Amas as a great festival.
The holy temple in its present form was constructed by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1936–37 from the sale proceeds of timber extracted from the Dayalwan and Deviyun Van (Mata's Forest). A three-member construction committee was formed. Along with the temple, Dharamshalas (pilgrim rest houses) were also constructed. The inauguration took place on 4th October 1937.
Since the 1937 inauguration, improvement and extension work has continued under the supervision of the Sarthal Devi Management Council (also known as Shri Sarthal Devi Ji Trust), under the patronage of Dr. Karan Singh and Chairman Trustee Vikramaditya Singh. The temple management also falls under the J&K Dharmarth Trust.
The Temple — What Makes Sarthal Unique
🪨 The Sacred Idol
A single-piece black stone idol of the eighteen-armed goddess — one of the rarest and most powerful sacred images in the entire Jammu and Kashmir region. The idol has been worshipped continuously since the 14th century.
🔱 Trishul Collection
People bring tridents (trishul) to the temple as offerings. The temple boasts a trishul collection that is hundreds of years old — a living physical record of centuries of devotion from across the district and beyond.
🔥 Fire Dance
Thousands of pilgrims throng the temple during the annual celebration to seek the goddess's blessings and to witness the extraordinary spectacle of fire dance or walking on fire activities — a dramatic ritual unique to the Sarthal Mata tradition.
🏕️ Thuproo Saint's Temple
A small temple devoted to the memory of the saint Thuproo stands nearby. Tradition requires pilgrims to pay their obeisance at this saint's memorial before entering Mata's temple — honouring the sacred custodians of the shrine.
The Mundan Sanskar — the sacred first haircut ceremony of a male baby child — is performed at the Sarthal Devi temple with great religious fervour and festivities. Families undertake a full Yatra with friends and relatives for this auspicious occasion.
Presents in the form of clothes, beddings, and ornaments are offered to the deity. It is considered especially auspicious to have the first Mundan of a baby performed at this temple — a tradition connecting new life to the ancient blessings of the Kul Devi.
The Annual Sarthal Devi Ji Yatra
An annual Yatra with a holy mace and sacred offerings has been going on since the time of Raja Agar Dev of Kishtwar — making it one of the oldest continuously observed pilgrimages in the entire region. The historic Yatra has been organised every year since the Dogra rule and each devotee holds a deep and unique faith in this sacred pilgrimage.
On Har Shudi Saptami (7th day of the bright fortnight of Ashadh/Haar month), a grand Shobha Yatra with the Holy Mace (Chhari Mubarak) departs from Shri Gori Shankar Mandir Sarkoot, Kishtwar, proceeding through Chowgan ground, Shaheedi Chowk, and the Bus Stand.
Thousands of devotees — men, women, and children — enthusiastically chant religious slogans and devotional Bhajans amidst traditional drum beats throughout the procession route. Local communities from various neighbourhoods extend a warm welcome to the Holy Chhari at every stage. At the Bus Stand, devotees board buses and vehicles to travel to the Sarthal Devi Temple.
On the following day — Har Shudi Ashtami — a grand Havan, Yajna, and Pooja takes place at the sacred shrine of Mata Sarthal Devi, where priests chant Vedic mantras for the peace and welfare of the entire human race. Keertan and a communal Langar are also organised.
The annual pilgrimage is organised by the Sarthal Devi Ji Management Council. The District Administration Kishtwar makes elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Yatra — including foolproof security, uninterrupted water and electricity supply, healthcare facilities, and transport. Fire tenders are stationed at both Gori Shankar Mandir Sarkoot and the Sarthal Devi Temple. Prior to the Yatra, a mega cleanliness drive is launched, dustbins installed, lanes and drains cleaned, and roads properly repaired to ensure a spiritual and memorable experience for all pilgrims.
🏛️ The Sarkari Yatra — Dogra Rule Recognition
During the Dogra Rule, this pilgrimage was formally declared a Sarkari Yatra — a state-recognised pilgrimage — during which three days of holidays were declared for the whole of erstwhile Doda district to enable every citizen to participate in this sacred event.
This extraordinary formal recognition by the Dogra state is a testament to how deeply the Sarthal Devi Yatra is embedded in the official, cultural, and spiritual life of Kishtwar — an acknowledgement that goes back centuries and continues to this day in the devotion of millions of pilgrims.
How to Reach Sarthal Mata Temple
🚗 By Road
State transport buses, private luxury coaches, and private vehicles are available from all major cities of Jammu and Kashmir to reach Kishtwar. From Kishtwar, the temple is 18 km by road via Hasti (NH-18), approximately 11 km ahead of Kishtwar town. The road turns off towards Sarthal from Hasti.
✈️ By Air
The closest airports to the temple are Jammu Airport and Srinagar Airport. From Jammu, Kishtwar is approximately 221 km by road via Batote on the NH-244 (formerly NH-1B).
🏨 Stay
An inn (Dharamshala) has been constructed next to the temple where pilgrims can stay for the night at nominal charges. Accommodation is also available in Kishtwar town, which serves as the base for the Yatra.
The annual Yatra is organised by the Shri Sarthal Devi Shrine Management Council during Ashar Shudi Ashtami and Navami (June–July) — the most auspicious and vibrant time to visit, when thousands of pilgrims, fire dancers, Bhajan singers, and devotees from across the district and Doda region converge at the sacred shrine. The temple is open year-round, but the Yatra season offers the fullest spiritual experience.
Deviyun Van — The Goddess's Sacred Forest
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Sarthal Mata temple's history is the Deviyun Van (Mata's Forest) — the surrounding patch of dense forest that was formally declared the property of the temple by royal decree in ancient times. All revenue from this forest was legally dedicated to the maintenance of the temple.
In 1936–37, Maharaja Hari Singh used the timber proceeds from this same Dayalwan and Deviyun Van to fund the grand reconstruction of the temple — completing a cycle that began with the forest being placed in the goddess's service centuries earlier. This sacred forest represents one of the earliest examples of religiously-motivated conservation in the Kishtwar region.
🏘️ The Sacred Landscape of Sarthal
The holy site has a cluster of villages and habitations in its neighbourhood — Agral, Sarthal proper, Lawa, Karool and others — having a good combined population. These communities have been the custodians of the goddess's shrine for centuries, their families directly descended from the first devotees who settled at Agral at the direction of the Mata herself.
The devotees of Mata not only from Kishtwar but from the entire Doda region — Sarthal, Saroor, Kantwara, and all surrounding areas — are sentimentally and spiritually attached to this sacred place. The Sarthal Devi Yatra is, in the truest sense, a pilgrimage of the entire Kishtwari people.
🏗️ A Call for Better Infrastructure
The number of pilgrims can increase manifold if the road from Kishtwar to Sarthal is broadened, metalled, and modern amenities for pilgrims enhanced. Better road access, toilet facilities, rest shelters, and accommodation at the shrine will ensure that the Sarthal Devi Yatra reaches its true potential — and brings greater prosperity to the local communities of the Sarthal area.
💡 Did you know? The sacred Sarthal Devi temple shares a deep connection with Shri Gori Shankar Mandir Sarkoot in Kishtwar town — the same temple from which the Machail Mata Chhari also departs each August. Both the Sarthal Yatra and the Machail Mata Yatra begin their sacred journeys from this ancient temple, making Gori Shankar Mandir Sarkoot the spiritual starting point of two of Kishtwar's greatest pilgrimages.
🪷 Jai Mata Di · Jai Ashtadash Bhuja Mata · Jai Sarthal Devi 🪷
Pilgrimage & Religious Heritage Series | mykishtwar.com · Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir, India | With thanks to Shri Som Nath Sharma