📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / unknown Basholi artist
Religion
400-year-old Van Devi Temple near Patna draws devotees, forbids forest entry after sunset
✍️ Amar Ujala · Bihar
🗓 22 Sep 2026, 10:31 AM
👁 10
The ancient Van Devi temple, located at the junction of Amhara, Raghopur and Kanchanpur villages about 35 km from Patna, is famed for its centuries‑old rituals and folklore, and visitors are warned not to enter the surrounding forest after dusk.
The Van Devi shrine, perched at the confluence of the Amhara, Raghopur and Kanchanpur villages in Bihar's Bihata region, is believed to be around four centuries old. Local historians trace its origins to the early 17th century, when a tribal community erected a modest shrine that later expanded into the stone temple seen today.
The temple has become a focal point for regional pilgrimages, especially during seasonal festivals when devotees perform age‑old rites that blend Hindu worship with indigenous customs. Oral traditions speak of the goddess protecting the surrounding forest, a narrative that reinforces the site's spiritual significance.
Authorities and temple caretakers strictly prohibit entry into the adjacent woodland after sunset. While the ban is framed as a safety measure—preventing accidents in the dense, wildlife‑rich area—it also echoes ancient beliefs that the forest becomes a realm of spirits once darkness falls. Violators risk both legal action and community censure.
Despite the restriction, the temple continues to attract visitors from Patna and beyond, drawn by its historic aura and the mystique surrounding the night‑time taboo. The site remains under the supervision of the local panchayat, which oversees maintenance and ensures that traditional practices are preserved.
The Van Devi temple thus stands as a living testament to Bihar's layered cultural heritage, where history, faith, and folklore intersect in a remote yet accessible rural landscape.
The temple has become a focal point for regional pilgrimages, especially during seasonal festivals when devotees perform age‑old rites that blend Hindu worship with indigenous customs. Oral traditions speak of the goddess protecting the surrounding forest, a narrative that reinforces the site's spiritual significance.
Authorities and temple caretakers strictly prohibit entry into the adjacent woodland after sunset. While the ban is framed as a safety measure—preventing accidents in the dense, wildlife‑rich area—it also echoes ancient beliefs that the forest becomes a realm of spirits once darkness falls. Violators risk both legal action and community censure.
Despite the restriction, the temple continues to attract visitors from Patna and beyond, drawn by its historic aura and the mystique surrounding the night‑time taboo. The site remains under the supervision of the local panchayat, which oversees maintenance and ensures that traditional practices are preserved.
The Van Devi temple thus stands as a living testament to Bihar's layered cultural heritage, where history, faith, and folklore intersect in a remote yet accessible rural landscape.