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Women Banned From This Temple During Navratri in Bihar
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News18•15-10-2026, 11:58
Women Banned From This Temple During Navratri in Bihar
- •Women are barred from entering the famous Maa Ashapuri Temple in Ghosrawan village of Nalanda district in Bihar during Navratri.
- •The restriction applies continuously for 9 to 10 days, from the first day of Navratri until the Aarti on Vijayadashami.
- •This strict rule is enforced because special Tantric rituals and spiritual practices take place inside the temple premises.
- •Known as Asha Than, devotees believe that sincere prayers here fulfill all their desires, earning the Goddess the name Ashapuri.
- •Despite the entry restriction for women, devotees from states like Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Delhi, and others visit with immense faith.
Key Questions Answered
Women are barred from entering the famous Maa Ashapuri Temple, located in Ghosrawan village of Nalanda district in Bihar, for a continuous 9-10 days during Navratri from the first day until the Vijayadashami Aarti.
This strict rule is followed because special Tantric rituals and spiritual practices take place inside the temple during this sacred period, a tradition tied to old customs, mythological stories, and local beliefs.
Asha means desire or wish, and the Goddess was named Ashapuri because it is believed she fulfills the sincere desires of all devotees. Additionally, during the 9th century in the time of Nalanda University, about 1,800 Buddhist monks prayed here and had their wishes fulfilled, leading locals to also call it Asha Than.
