Situated near the banks of the Ganges, Kannauj makes for a small city now known for its Attar making industry that connects the city to the world. The significance of Kannauj and its mention though can be seen in stories and mythologies that are said to be dated long before any of the early perfumeries of the city even existed. Mata Chemkali Mandir located in the heart of the old city sitting on top of a hill remains one of the early structures of religious as well as social importance from the ancient times. The premises of the temple now are spread across a contoured landscape with a set of smaller temples built overtime around it. Believed to be the capital of the Chandravanshis, the 7th century king Harshvardhan restored and built the temples in the capital and this temple is known to be the most important. With its proximity to the Ganges(that supposedly used to flow right down the road that now passes alongside the temple at that time) and the altitude it sits on, the temple became a prominent space for the king and his royal family and since has become the mother goddess (kuldevi) of the city. The caretaker of the temple; whom everyone called ‘Baba’ when speaking to us, told us that the name of this goddess comes from the story of the birth of Krishna where when Kansa killed Yashoda and Nanda’s daughter she ascended to the heavens and transformed into a goddess and that goddess is Chemkali.