Mangla Gauri Temple

Mangla Gauri Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Shakti located atop Manglagauri Hill in Gaya, Bihar. It is revered as one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas and among the 51 Shakti Peethas where the breast of Goddess Sati is believed to have fallen. The temple features ancient shrine architecture with no conventional idol, worshipped as a breast-shaped symbol. It overlooks the city of Gaya and attracts pilgrims and tourists year-round.

Visitors can expect a hilltop temple reached by a flight of stone steps on Manglagauri Hill overlooking Gaya city. The complex includes a small sanctum with a breast-shaped symbol worshipped as the goddess, without a conventional idol, along with ancillary shrines, open courtyards and views of the surrounding area. The atmosphere is that of an active pilgrimage site with devotees offering prayers, lighting lamps and performing rituals, and small shops selling offerings near the entrance.

The temple is an ancient Shakti shrine mentioned in Hindu scriptures such as the Padma Purana, Vayu Purana and Agni Purana. The present structure reflects later renovations of an older shrine traditionally associated with the Shakti Peetha legend. It has long been a centre of Shaktism in the Gaya region.

Revered as a Shakti Peetha where the breast of Goddess Sati is believed to have fallen, the temple is dedicated to Mangla Gauri, a form of Goddess Shakti. It is an important site for devotees of Shaktism, especially during Navratri, and is visited as part of pilgrimage circuits in Gaya alongside Vishnupad Temple.