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TULJAPUR - BHAVANI

(http://www.hindubooks.org/temples/maharastra/tuljapur/page1.htm)
(Author - M.S.Mate)
Introduction
The temple is situated on a very peculiar site. It is located on one of the deep
slopes on the ranges of the Bala Ghat. As one enters from the gateway one has t
o descend nearly some fifteen feet to reach the first stage of the temple prakar
a. This stage consists mainly of the large tank known as the Kallola tirth. Afte
r the construction of the nivas of the devi was over. Vishvakarma took leave of
Brahma- deva on whose command he had come down to the Yamunachala to build it. B
rahmadeva decided to create the-tirths necessary for any kshetra. He then invite
d all the well-known and holy waters on this earth to come to the Yamunachala. T
he response to the invitation was immediate, and every source of holy water that
existed on the surface of the earth and below it rushed to the spot. Ganga, Yam
una, Sarasvati all obeyed the command.Various other tirths from the Himalayas, V
indhyas, Sahyadris, Trikut and Malay mountains flocked together. There was a tum
ultuous assemblage of all these and on account of the furore created by them Bra
hmadeva named it Kallola tirth . The power of the tirth is so great that even its very
darshan is capable of destroying sin. A bath in the tirth is the first rite to b
e performed by a pilgrim. The tank is walled off from all sides and entrance int
o the enclosure is only on payment of a fixed charge. Steps lead down to the wat
er making it easier to take a bath in it. A dip in this tirth during the month o
f Magha is the giver of great good. The Tulajarnahatmya states that apart from s
ins, various diseases are cured by this water. This tirth is a large rectangular
reservoir forty feet by twenty and is most probably a fourteenth century const
ruction. On one side of the tirth are a number of aisles now used for residentia
l purposes. From the other side, that is, the northern sids a flight of steps le
ads down another fifteen feet taking the visitor down to the second stage of the
Prakara. This is crowded with various tirths and some subsidiary shrines. The p
oint that attracts immediate attention is the 'Gomukh tirth'. Here a stream of w
ater is constantly falling down some six feet from the Gomukh, a stone image of
a cow's head. This flow of water comes from the Mankavati tirth, as is evident f
rom the fact that when the latter dries up due to scarcity of rains, the former
also dries up. However, the local tale is quite different. The water flowing dow
n from the Gomukh is Ganp herself. Once there came a mendicant belonging to the
Nath sampradaya. His name was Garibanath. He was rather an unbelieving type of s
oul and not paying any attention to the local elders decided to go to the Ganges
to enjoy real Ganga-snana. When the devi saw that her devotees had failed to co
nvince him she herself appeared before him and tried to show him that this indee
d was water from the Ganga. But the man was in no mood to accept even the divine
explanations. He however, agreed in the end to carry with him a stick and a lem
on fruit to the Ganges and drop them in the water there. Walking down all the wa
y to the Ganges, the sadhu performed all the rites at the tirth, got the satisfa
ction he longed for and then remem bering the devi's words rather sceptically th
rew the stick and lemon in the river, The man returned to Tuljapur in due course
and when, following the usual custom stood below the Gomukh to bathe in the dow
npour, he saw the stick and the lemon coming out of the Gomukh. This at last con
vinced him that the water pouring forth from the Gomukh was in fact Ganges water
. The Mahatmyait the Dharsa-tirth , and says that it consists of the three waters, t
hat of Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati.
Along the same line are other tirths. These are in the nature of small tanks or
wells and recently cupola-like structures have been erected to cover them. Inscr
ibed plates indicate which tirth is what. A guardian or upadhyaya is sitting nea
r each of these tirths and guides the visitor about the rites to be performed at
each. There are the Ganeshtirth, the Amrit-kund, also known as the Sudha kund.
The whole assemblage of these tirths is kept remarkably clean and tidy. Near the
m are small shrines to some deities like Siddhi- vinayak, Vitthal, Dattatreya et
c. Then to the east of the Gomukh tirth, but outside the precincts of the temple

courtyard is the Mankavati tirth or the Vishnu tirth. This is a huge reservoir,
resembling a step well. The arched construction of the aisles around it showing
that it is a building of the late Maratha period.
Leaving these tirths and secondary shrines, and proceeding towards the west, the
visitor finds on his either side shops that offer for sale flowers, kumkum, hal
ad and other substances offered to the deity. Then a large gateway faces him. Th
is is a combined arch and trebeate construction. Crossing the gate one has to de
scend a set of some more steps before one enters the final and the lowermost lev
el of the three phased prakara. This courtyard is much larger than the previous
one and is enclosed within pillared aisles on all sides. The chief shrine is a s
eries of some four buildings oriented towards the east. The easternmost part con
tains the shrine of Shri Siddheshvar Mahadev. Next to it is the homa-kund.Then c
omes the sabha- mandap. This is square on plan, with a cross-shaped construction
al pattern. The pillars are of the Yadav Order, and beams and several other part
s are profusely carved, unlike the inner parts of the temple and the pillars of
the aisles. However, the arrangement of the pillars and the carvings on the ston
e betray the fact that it is a reconstruction from older materials. Stones have
been put together without paying any attention to considerations of symmetry or
the continuation of the designs carved on them. In addition to this unartistic a
rrangement the matter is further worsened by the colour decoration now applied t
o the structure. Bright and deep hues have been applied without caring for the b
alance of colours and the harmony of tones used. It is from this mandap, which h
as three entrances, the eastern side being blocked off by the boma-kund, that th
e visitor who has come only to have darshan can have a look at the image. The we
stern door opens in the central mandap, the southern and northern ones opening i
n the courtyard. Only if the visitor has anything to offer in terms of money is
he allowed inside the central mandap and have a closer look at the devi. There i
s a good deal of rush, and two doors intervene, the image is surrounded by those
who are out to present valuable offerings and this arrangement of having darsha
n is to say the least, unsatisfactory. It is in this mandap that certain rites s
uch as cropping the first locks of an infant- Javal', etc. arc performed in fulf
ilment of navas. This adds another element to the already thick crowds in the ma
ndap.
In the garbhagriba is the image of the devi variously known as Tvarita, Turaja,
Tulaja, Bhavani and Amba This is a stone image about three feet in height, of bl
ack polished stone. The devi has eight arms and they carry various ayudbas in th
e following order. The lowermost right hand holds a trident, the next one a dagg
er, the one above this an arrow and theuppermost right hand wields the chakra, I
n the upper most left hand is a sbankh, next is a bow, the third one carries a b
owl and the lower most left hand holds the knot of hair on the head of the asur.
The right leg is planted firmly on the body of Mahishasur, the left one is on th
e ground, between the two is the head of the asur gripped by the lower left arm.
The vahan of the devi is a lion, and on the backrest are carved the sun and the
nloon on the left and right sides of the devi. To her left is an image of a tap
asvin; head touching the ground and legs pointing towards the sky. This is a rep
resentation of Anubhuti, a woman tapasvini who was responsible for bringing Tvar
ita devi on this Yamunachal. On the head Tests a crown that has a yoni and ling
carved on it. Ornaments like earrings, kundalas, necklaces etc. are carved on th
e image. This image is supposed to be Iswayambhu'-seliborn, created without the
medium of human agency. However from the nature of the sculptural characteristic
s experts assign the late seventeenth or eighteenth century as the period of its
carving. The Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur and Vitthal of Pandharpur had been kept in
hiding during the days of Moslem rule to escape desecration. However, it is cle
ar from the records that the Bhavani of Tuljapur was not so fortunate. Sabhasad
Bakhar, a Marathi chronicle of the life and times of Chhatrapati Shivaji, writte
n during the last quarter of the seventeenth century is considered to be a relia
ble source of historical information by most scholars. This Bakhar, contains the
following information regarding the devi of Tuljapur:

As the date of this verse is uncertain the reference may mean two things, either
that the original old image was removed from Tuljapur to Parghat before the atr
ocities of Afzal Khan or that a new image was established as a. replica of the B
havani of Tuljapur.The image might be new or old, but the pith is ancient. There
can be n-) doubt on that count. A brief perusal of the known historical records
show that the earliest reference to the goddess is from a copper plate grant of
1204 A.D This plate refers to the goddess as Tukai, but the name of the kshetra
is unmistakable Tuljapur. The next known record comes from a small village name
d Kati in the Osmanabad district itself. It is dated 1398 A.D. This inscription
records the donations of some presents by one Parashurama to the great Tulja-mat
a. There is a story in the Gurucharitra relating to the life of Shri Nrisimha Sa
rasvati that a person had been staying at Tuljapur to obtain relief from a malad
y, but the goddess appeared before him and directed him to proceed to Ganagapur
where he would be cured. Some scholars date the Gurucha ritra to the early sixte
enth century and Shri Nrisimha Sarasvati's lifetime to the first half of the fif
teenth century. This -reference shows that the kshetra of the goddess was even t
hen treated as a very important religious centre, Gunakriti, a Jaina author in h
is work Dharmamrit (1592 A.D.) has discussed the good and bad tirths and kshetra
s. The good tirths are, of course, those of the Jaina sect, various shrines of t
his or that tirthankaras. And amongst those that are dubbed as Ikutirths' or evi
ls centres are Pandbarpur, Tuljapur-the two foremost kshetras of ]Hinduism. This
is an obvious indication of the importance enjoyed by the kshetras even then.
The area of the kshetra is not limited within the en closure. In the aisles arou
nd the temple are some stray images like Nrisimha, Yamai, Lakshmi-Naravan, Khand
oba etc. In the nOTth-east corner is the temple of Matangi devi which is suppose
d to be the shakti of the Bbavani, To the vi cst of this temple is the Matang ku
nd. The pujaris of this shrine are Mahar by caste, The Mahatmj*a states that Bha
vani herself took the form of Matangi. It was because of the atrocities of an as
ur named Matang. He was a powerful person and indulged most freely in warfare an
d desecration. He defeated and slew numerous kings, looted their treasures and a
bducted their wives and daughters, he burnt down several ashrams and slaughtered
the sages and mendicants that stayed there. Cows were slaughtered by the scores
, sacrificial altars destroyed and temples were demolished. The gods also could
not escape the grim fate and ultimately had to go to Bralimadeva to seek relief.
Brahmadeva gave them a hearing but in the end expressed his inability to do anyt
hing in the matter and advised them to approach Amba. They accordingly went to A
mba and after pleasing her with prayers and worships, told her their grievance.
The goddess became furious with rage to learn of the behaviour of the demon and
declared then and there that she would kill the demon shortly. She advised the d
eputation to return to their respective abodes. Then she go, upon her lion, arme
d herself to the teeth and went out to seek the asur.Matang had meanwhile heard
of the devi's advance, gathered together his victorious army consisting of horse
, chariot, elephant and foot soldiers and seated himself on a giant chariot. Thu
s battleready, he went to confront the goddess. After a fierce struggle in which
the devi had ultimately to call out other Shaktis like Vaishnavi, Varahi, Brahm
i etc. the demon was killed. Amba then praised her shakti who had killed Matang
and told her that she would henceforth be known as Matangi.
This kshetra has certain adjuncts in the form of some maths or monasteries. Thes
e are considered to be quiteimportant in the composition of the tirth, as most o
f the mahantas or founders of these maths were famous devotees of the devi. The
most well known of them is the math of Ranachhoda Bharati. This Ranachhoda Baba
was supposed to be an incarnation of Shiva and even today the belief is current
that the devi goes to this math to play chequers with the mahanta; she returns t
o the temple only at time of the worship. And to let her know that it was time f
or worship an announcer shouts out in the direction of the math the priests have
come, please come down.' This custom came in existence because it so happened t
hat for two consecutive days the devi got so much engrossed in her game she forg

ot to arrive in her temple at the time of the puja and naivedya. She immediately
took the priest totask for not serving her properly, but he politely pointed ou
t that the fault lay in the other direction. The devi then suggested that she sh
ould be daily called when the time was up. The math next in immportance is that
of Garibnath Baba. This was the same Garibnath that discovered that it was Gange
s water that was pouring down from the Gomukh tirth. The devi did not like that
she had to convince somebody like this and asked Garibnath river to coine and me
et him. Darshan was forbidden for him. The poor man begged for mercy, said that
he repented having distrusted the devi's words and pleaded with the devi not to
prevent him from having her darshan. All this pleading led to a concession and t
he goddess permitted him to go to the temple and have her darshan-but only once
a year. And this tradition continues to this day. The present occupant of the ch
air in the math goes out only once a year. This day is the last day of Ashvin. T
he math itself has the images of one 'Ingalaj Devi' and of the ten incarnations.
There also are seen the replica of the Bhavani image and busts of Garibnath and
his disciples.
The Bhavani happens to be the kula-devata, the family deity of numerous families
of Maharashtra; the most important of which was the family of the Bhosales to w
hich Clihatrapati Shivaji belonged. It is a common custom among these families t
o.visit the place for the darshan of the devi after some auspicious occasion lik
e child birth or marriage. It will be recalled that a similar Custom in existenc
e in relation to the Mahalakshmi at Kolhapur. Several types of , ows are taken b
y the devotees before the goddess- There is no rule as to how the goddess should
be satisfied. People come and ask for anything, for the cure of a disease, for
averting some divine or supernatural curse, for begetting children, for proper m
arriage relationships and so on. As stated before, this day is known to be jagri
t and hence is an object of Sakama-bhakti. Filling of the lap of the devi, the s
hearing of the locks of an infant, presentation of 11oral garments etc. are comm
on forms. Some methods peculiar to this place are as follows, Till some hundred
and fifty years ago, the slaughter of animals and drinking of liquor in the name
of the goddess were quite common practices. But now these practices have fallen
into disuse. To become a member of the Sampradaya of the devi, to signify one's
entry into this sect one has to wear a pota, a cotton torch, a bamboo basket an
d a garland of Kavadis. Another method is known as, Bhade. An earthen pot is bro
ken in two, in one part a handful of rice grains are put and upon this a lamp is
lighted. The devotee who has to fulfil the navas takes this part on his head an
d goes to take the darshan of the devi. Then there is the Idandavat'. The person
starts from the place where he is staying and goes to the temple, laying himsel
f prostrate after some five steps. A similar rite is performed while circumarnbu
lating the shrine instead. Married women sprinkle kumkum in the entire courtyard
of the temple and inside it. In the performances of most of the rites the servi
ces of the upadhyayas of the temple are necessary and the devotee has to pay fix
ed charges for particular rites he wants to perform. The lowest Tate for filling
of the lap starts with a rupee and quarter and goes up to twenty-five rupees fo
r the normal modes.
The village of Tuljapur is in the Osmanabad district and lies on the bus-route c
onnecting Sholapur and Osmanabad. From both these places hourly bus services are
available. It takes about one and a quarter hour to reach TuIjapur from Sholapu
r and about one hour to go to that place from Osmanabad. Direct bus services lin
k the place with some of the railway stations like Yedshi on the Kurduwadi-Latur
branch line of the Central Railways.If a visitor merely intends to go for the d
arshan of the goddess, he could go and return the same day from any of the two d
istrict places mentioned earlier. But even if he wishes to stav at the kshetra v
ery good arrangements exist. common place arrangement,of course, is that provide
d for by the upadhyayas of the kshetra. There is a large number of these upadhya
yas at this place and the notable point regarding these upadhyayas is that they
belong to all the castes and hence persons from various communities would find h
osts belonging to their own community to welcome them. They not only play host t

o the visitor but are useful otherwise also. They take him round the kshetra exp
laining to him the legendary importance of each of the numerous shrines there an
d assist him in whatever rites he wants to perform at the kshetra. As far as rit
es in the main temple are concerned the rates are fixed by the managing committe
e and displayed publicly on a board for the convenience of the pilgrims. The loc
al municipality has recently erected a resthouse for the benefit of the passenge
rs. Those who want to visit the shrine but are perhaps reluctant to utilise the
services of the kshetropadhvayas would definitely like this place. It is immedia
tely opposite the bus stand. The building is quite decent and rooms are let out
for a nominal charge of one rupee for twenty-four hours. There are some that wou
ld cost only eight annas for the same period. However, the boarding facilities a
re not as satisfactory as those of lodging ; specially for those who stay in the
rest-house. The standard of cleanliness of the places providing food and edible
s is not quite up to the mark. The town is otherwise quite neat and tidy with ro
ads paved with concrete and lighting provided by electricity.
Not quite unlike the Vagbcs at Jejuri and the Varkaris of Pandharpur there are t
he Bhutes at this place. They are the bhakts or devotees of the devi tied togeth
er in a well knit sect. The members of this sect have a typical dress, consistin
g of an angarkha or long flowing shirt, a cap studded with Kavadis and carry a t
orch with them. 'Their occupation is singing devotional songs relating to the de
vi to the tune of tuntune, tat and sambal; and moving from place to place to beg
in the name of the deity These bhutes like the Vasudevas were a cultural instit
ution in Hindu society and they were entrusted with the task of taking to the fa
rthest corner of the society the bhakti of the deities. They are also known as B
hopes. The Gondhalis are another class of people associated with the Bhavani. 'T
he Gondhalis are a class of religious minstrels recruited from among many castes
, The Gondhalis make their living chiefly by performing the Gondola dance. They
beg in the name of the goddess Bhavani and sing songs historical and religious.'
The Gondola dance is performed to the tune of the sambal, tall and tuntune and
begins with an invocation to various gods to attend the Gondhal. This list consi
sts of the names of all the important deities of the region and one cannot help
thinking that this list was of an essentially informative nature. Then follow se
veral prayers and devotional songs addressed to the goddess. All along torches a
re kept constantly burning, ghee being continuously poured on thern. It is a com
mon custom amongst many families to perform this Gondhal through the Gondhalis a
fter a marriage or a maunji-bandhan ceremony. These Gondhalis originally used to
sing of mythological heros, but in later times, especially the Maratha period,
they started singing obout the exploits of living persons as well. Those in whos
e name the Idanka' or drum was beaten were considered highly honoured. The Gondh
alis also be. came famous as ballad singers and in the lalits and tama. shas the
y played no unimportant part. However, they were originally the devotees of the
devi and continue to play that role even today.
Unlike the other shrines of Maharashtra, the devi is supposed to be asleep durin
g certain periods of the year. These periods are not quite extensive nor are the
y too many in number. The first period of rest is of seven days, from the eighth
day of the second or vadya fortnight of the month of Bhadrapad to the last day
or on monday of the same month. The next recess is during the next month and is
shorter than the first. It is of only four days. From the eleventh day of the fi
rst fortnight to the full-moon dav of the month of Asbvin the devi is asicep. Th
e third period of rest is during the month of Pausha. This rest for seven days,
from the first day of the month of Pausha tothe eighth. But for these eighteen d
ays the devi is Supposed to be constantly awake. Before and after each 'nidra' o
r rest session a goat is sacrificed before the goddess. There is no smaller repl
ica or utsava murti in this temple and as such, it is the main image itself that
is rested. Near the central mandap there is the devi's bed-room. Here a luxurio
us bed-stead, with a good deal of work on it, is placed. This was pre. sented to
the deity by the Kolhapur prince. The image is placed in a reclining position o
n this bed-stead during the rest periods. Darshan is not prohibited during the n

idra, although no other rites are performed.


The daily worship takes place in four separate sel'slops. The first is in the ea
rly morning when the Nvipc the face and the feet of the goddess with a wet cloth
. Then this cloth is squeezed and the drops of water that conic out of it are di
stributed as tirth to those present. Immediatelv after this wash the devi is ser
ved with a break- fast consisting of bread and some vegetables. The afternoon wo
rship is the main puja and is of sixteen upacharas including 'pancharnrita snana
'. I or this snana pots full Of curds, milk and other substances constituting th
e panchamrita are emptied on the image. Then the image is washed with clean wate
r. Sandal-paste is applied on the forehead, Kumkum and halad follow. The arati a
nd naivedya follow this. In the evening, arati with incense is the main feature,
and the We evening worship is known a Prakshalana-puja. After every worship the
goddess is decked out in new clothes and ornaments. This routine is altered on
certain days of the year when the alamkaTa-mahapuja is performed. The Gudi Padva
(Chaitra), Shiral-shashthi (Shravan), Lalita-panchmi (Ashvin), Bali-pratipada (
Kartika), Makara-samkrant (Pausha), and Ratha-saptami (Magha) are some of the da
ys that occasion the alamkara-maha puja. On these days the best of the garments
of the goddess and numerous ornaments are placed on the image. The whole make up
is most artistically arranged. The ornaments that the shrine has are of numerou
s varieties and as such each occasion of such an alamkara-mahapuja is worth seei
ng. If any visitor to the shrine wishes to witness this alamkara- mahapuja on da
ys other than those mentioned above, he has to pay extra charges. The rates for
these pujas begin with one rupee and go up to ten and there are five types of pu
jas which are normally exhibited for the visitor. Many of these ornaments have b
een presented to the deity by the Bhosales and the Peshwas.
The other routine feature of the temple rituals is the Chhabina or procession. T
his is not unlike the palanquin processions at other places. It is taken out on
each Tuesday, then the last two days of the first or Shuddha fortnight and the f
irst day of the second or vadya fortnight of every month. In addition, the first
nine days of Ashvin, that is, during the Nava-ratra festival and the seven days
from eighth to the fifteenth of the first half of Pausha, the Chhabina is taken
out. The procession starts immediately after the evening puja is over. The imag
e is placed in an lambari' and that ambari is placed on some of the vahans of th
e devi. There is a band of musicians to lead it. A number of Bhutes and Gondhali
s accompany it and the shouts of Ude, Ude, Ambabaicha Ude, fill the atmosphere.
During the days when the devi is asleep the procession is not taken out nor on t
he full-moon day of the month of Phalgun.
Although a good many festivals are observed here and each attracts a large crowd
, the nava-ratra and the vijayadashmi are the most important celebrations. The d
evi is awakened on the early morning of the first day of the month of Ashvin, an
d is seated on the pedestal. A potter brings some three earthen pots, Ighats', t
o the temple and keeps them near the Gomukh tirth. The priests and other sevaks
gather there and take these ghats to the temple to the tune of music. These ghat
s are then placed at fixed spots -ceremonia established. One is placed in the sa
bhamandap or the outer mandap, the other in the Shiva shrine in front of the dev
i shrine and the third one in front of the Matangi devi. After this, there takes
place the recitation of the Saptashati stotra and the homa. On the eighth and n
inth days, ashtami and navami, a sacrifice at which a goat is killed is performe
d. This is known as 'Khadga-navami'. The homa and the sacrificial rituals take p
lace in the altar or kund that is constructed in front of the sabbamandap and im
mediately behind the Shiva shrine. On each evening the chhabina of the devi is t
aken out, the vahan of the devi being different each day. The vahans are made of
wood and are, lion, horse, peacock, nandi, garuda etc. It would be noted that t
hese are the vahans of various deities like Brahmadeva, Skanda, Shiva, Vishnu et
c. and indicate that they- that is, the other deities- are nothing else than the
various aspects-rupas-of the goddess Jagadamba.

The Vijayadashmi attracts the biggest fair of the year. Early morning that day a
palanquin is brought before the temple. This palanquin is brought all the way f
rom Nagar and Bbingar by the members of the Teli community. The leader of the be
arers goes in the shrine, cuts his small finger and applies a tilak' of blood on
the forehead of the goddess, the afternoon puja being a grand alamkara mahapuja
. But the focus of all attention is the evening procession of Simmollanghan, the
traditional crossing of the boundaries. The devi is placed in the palanquin bro
ught to her in the morning, The rush is so terrific and so many people try to pu
sh forward to touch the palanquin that as a precautionary measure yards of cloth
are wound round the image to protect it from any possible harm. A deafening noi
se ensues from the combined efforts of several bands of musicians that employ su
ch vociferous instruments as nagara, tasha, sambal, karna and shinga. Cheers of
Ude, Ude' vie with the instruments, and it is difficult to say which was louder.
Numberless torches are set alight. Large quantities of kumkum powder are thrown
on or towards the palanquin. Every face is soon powdered red. The sight and the
entire atmosphere is memorable. The bands blaring out, the thunder of Ude, the
smoky torches crackling out and the red dust, all create an effect at once unusu
al and exciting. The route of the procession is not too long, the usual path of
circuniambulation being followed. The procession comes to a halt near the huge b
anyan tree where the palanquin is rested for some time. People try to reach the
deity so as to present to the devi the customary gold', the leaves of the Shami
tree. It is not before midnight that the tumul tous chhabina returns to the shri
ne, On return, the devi, who is naturally tired after meeting so many thousands
of her devotees, during the past ten days, is taken out of the palanquin and pla
ced on the bed-stead brought by the Bhingar devotees with them. This is the begi
nning of the second period of Nidra-rest, noted earlier, thereby Marking the end
of the biggest festival of this shrine.
The great goddess, the Jaganmata, came to this land in response to an appeal fro
m a devotee in distress. Hundreds of years ago, in the Krita yuga, there was a b
rahmin by name of Kardam. This Kardarn was a great pundit and was well versed in
the Vedas and the Shastras. His wife, Anubhuti, was greatly attached to her hus
band. She was of a religious bent of mind and the two of them were a very happy
couple. Years passed by and Kardam passed away plunging Anubbuti into a sea of g
rief. She decided to perform the rite of Sati, of sacrificing herself on the pyr
e of her husband. However, as she was preparing for that customary rite, a heave
nly voice told her that although her decision to follow her husband in the other
world was highly commendable, the rules of Dharma do Dot allow those women who
were either carrying or who had young children to look after, to perform the rit
e. Anubbuti had a small son entirely dependent on her and hence she should not i
mmolate herself. Rather reluctantly Anubhuti, who had now realised the responsib
ility of raising her young one, gave up her determination to perform Sati. She b
estowed great attention on the proper training and education of her son, discard
ing all the pleasures of the world. In due course he became a young man capable
of looking after himself. Anubbuti who bad already mentally torn herself apart f
rom the material side of this world now decided to cut off the physicalconnectio
ns as well and accepted the fourth or Vana- prasthashram. She became a sanyasini
. Leaving bet home and taking leave of her young son she went to the mountain -M
eru. Here she built for herself a small cottage and started practising yoga. Yea
rs passed by, she brought under control her body and mind, and was fast approach
ing her ultimate aim-moksha. But destiny thought otherwise. Her course was not t
o be quite smooth.
One day while Anubhuti was sitting before her ashram, engrossed in yogic concentration, there arrived one King Kukoor. This Kukoor was a powerful ruler of the
danavas and had encamped near the Meru moun- tains while on one of his hunting e
xpedi- tions. In the morning he got on his charger and soon sighted a deer, gave
chase and while running after it his eves fell on the lady. Rather curious to f
ind a lady sitting all alone in thick of the forests he approa- ched her to enqu
ire.But as he came nearer his intention changed. This Anubhuti was an extremely

fair looking woman and her charmsattracted the demon Kukoor went to her and addr
essed her. He wanted to know who she was and what businesssuch a beautiful lady
had to isolate herself from the world? He assured her that whatever be the objec
t of tier tapa, it could be realised through a path much easier than the one she
was following. She should marry him and that would solve all her problems ! But
his pleadings fell on deaf ears-the lady bad transcended herself above the sens
ations of the external organs and was trying to concentrate on a yogic samadhi.
So she never knew what was happening around her. Her silence provoked the king i
nto shouting at her. The woman showed some faint response to this but increased
her concentration and the daitya's efforts were of no avail. His patience was th
en exhausted and he tried to embrace her and to lift her with the intention ofab
ducting her by force. Now of course her samadhi was disrupted and she came to he
r senses.She wasinfuriated and asked the king as to who he was and what he meant
by touching her ? He repeated his earlier offer and promised to make her his 'p
atta-rani', the chief queen ,insupersession of the thousand and odd he already h
ad ! This provoked a tirade of harsh denuncia- tions from the sanyasini. But she
under- stood well that she was precariously near a grave danger.Anubhuti, in th
is moment of distress, prayed the goddess to come to her rescue. The devi-Tvarit
a-appeared before her within no time and enquired of the cause of Anubhuti's wor
ry. She told the devi of the king's evil intentions and requested her to punish
the daitya and relieve her of her worries. The devi accepted the task most willi
ngly and immediately called out her force led by the Yoginis, Chamunda, Ganas,Ka
nka-Bhairav, Kshetrapalas and so on. Kukoor was at first taken aback by the turn
of events. He never expected that by touching a helpless woman he would kindle
a fire that would ultimately consume him. But now it was there He had done somet
hing the consequences of which he could not escape. Secondly he was not at all a
verse to fighting and bloodshed. He was a skillful fighter, his army was well- s
easoned and was always victorious. He had full confidence in his ability. And as
events proved this confidence was not quite ill placed. The devi started the st
ruggle with a shower of arrows on the king. But the King instead of attacking th
e devi first, turned his attention to her army. Several yoginis and ganas were h
urt and laid unconscious on the battle field as a result of the handi work of th
e king. Then he marched forth to meet the goddess. She sent forth five sharp arr
ows to greet him. The danava then decided to use his supernatural powers, the ma
ya; and he assumed the form of a horse and started trampling under his hoofs the
ganas of the goddess, Then he charged into the army in the form of a be-buffalo
w, soonchanged himself into a lion, then again into a human being. The goddess t
olerated thisnuisance for some time but when the king hit her with a shakti her
patience came to an end. She caught hold of his hair and beheaded him with her s
word. Yet another headarose from the body, the devi cut that off again and then
ultimately the giant fell dead on the ground. The ganas and pishachchas celebrat
ed the triumph by feasting on the dead army of the king.
Anubhuti was full of gratitude for the devi and started to say it in so many wor
ds. But the devi stopped her and said that it was because of the great punya tha
t the lady had gathered that she had gone there and she was extremely pleased wi
th Anubhuti and would confer whatever boon she might ask for. Anubhuti told the
devi that the only boon she would ask for was that she should be able to see and
worship the goddess whenever she desired. The devi promised to be in this Loka
and selected the Yamunachala -the Yamuna hill of the Sahyadris as the place wher
e she would reside. The devi had another plan before her when she chose this par
ticular spot. She had foreseen the whole life story of Ramachandra and had decid
ed to help him in his worthy task. Yamunachala was on the way from Panchavati to
Rameshvar and she knew Rama would come there searching for his wife. Accordingl
y she was waiting there for the two brothers, encouraged them and advised them t
o establish and Worship Shiva-lings near her abode. These lings are today know a
s Rameshvar and Lakshmaneshvar. Then she told the pair that they would very soon
be confronted by a monkey king and advised them to befriend him to ensure futur
e success. This meeting was held on the Ghat-shila described earlier. Rama prais
ed her, obtained her blessing and proceeded towards Lanka. He was ultimately tri

umphant in his struggle against Ravana. This story nowhere appears in the Ramaya
na but occupies a pretty good portion of the Tulaja-Mahalmya. It is an explanati
on of how and why this very spot became the habitat of the devi and is as good a
s any explanation could be!
MOTHER BHAVANI OF TULJAPUR
(http://www.hindubooks.org/templesofindia/the_mandirs_of_maharastra/tuljapur/pag
e1.htm)
UNIQUENESS
Is "roudra" justifiable? Is it the right means to stamp out the fire of injustic
e? Does it quell the crisis? What place does it occupy in the Navarasas? Can it
admit universal application? What are its limitations? For explication correct a
nd interpretation precise, approach Mother Bhavani of Tuljapur and put these one
after another watching her reactions as the question session progresses. Sure t
he enlightenment that dawns makes the questioner another Buddha and sets him out
anon to sermonizing its efficacy. For, the Mother is renowned for subjectivity
and has been revealing the myriad forms of roudra by tapping at it periodically
to set right the erring brains and voluble tongues. Both legends and history are
treasuring up an innumerable accounts of her assuming 'roudraswarupa' and asser
ting herself to meet the situations of disaster either by her aerial voice, or t
hrough the lieutenants of unprecedented mettle, and succeeded with master strate
gy with or without battle against the ruthless iconoclasts and remorseless expan
sionists. This Mother Bhavani changed scores of commonplace kind of men into cel
ebrated rulers, who founded glorious kingdoms, established marvelous traditions,
demonstrated spectacular physical power and preserved age-old hoary culture.
She turned herself into rudraswarupini times umpteen to prove that abstinate per
versity must be met with adamantine wrath; despicable bigotry, could be milled t
o powder with callous bigotry, and sadistic brutality must be made to bite dust
with intractable stubbornness, aided by many more allied traits; and finally jus
tifies that virtuous wrath alone offers right solution and can silence once for
all injustice. And as such, it holds as much exalted status as that of any other
in the navarasas. It sees not distinctions of sex, nor confined to place, nor a
bides by the restriction of time. End justifies means under certain extra-ordina
ry conditions, though Santarasa is preferable to roudra.
Mother Bhavani, the personification of ferocious wrath taking her abode in the h
ill temple of Tuljapur is jagrit - living deity and is ever alert to taking repr
isal against the offenders. She tolerates not injustice meted out to any, by any
, at any time and in any place. Legends embody numerous accounts of her taking r
evenge upon the iconoclasts and wicked invaders through her human agency. This m
other animated the ordinary, sublime, simple men into roaring lions by igniting
virtuous wrath embedded in their hearts and became instrumental in founding empi
res.
Is it her permanent aspect? Not at all. She is Kamadhenu too. She is the family
deity of almost all the Maharastrians and was the first among the adorable Sakti
devatas to receiving honours from her votaries. The Peshwas for example, did no
thing without visiting this Sakti Pitha and praying for inspiration and benedict
ion. Although there are many Saktipithas in the land of Maharashtra, like Mahala
kshmi of Kolhapur, Mahamaya Renuka at Mahur, Jagadamba at Saptshring and Ambejog
ai at Osmanabad, this Bhavani is popular as a powerful Goddess who ignites heroi
sm in men and advocates righteous indigation in dealing with savages in royal ro
bes and blood - suckers on the saddle with torch in one had and sword in another
. The temple built on the Yamunachala by Viswakarma at the behest of Brahma acco
rding to legends has several unique features that bid instant visitation; for, i
t is this Jaganmata who has been staying here at the instance of an ardent devot
ee Anubhuti by name in the dim past; it is this Mother who played a dominant rol
e to keep aloft the Maharashtra banner; it is for this Bhavani, Brahma commissio

ned Viswakarma to build a shrine; it is for this Mother, the Kallola thirtha - t
he repository of the waters of all the rivers in the Punya Bharat was created.
It is this Mata that metamorphosed a homely lad into an empire builder of univer
sal recognition; it is this Mother that has the unique habit of going to sleep t
hrice a year, when special prayer services are suspended in the main temple; it
is this Mother who played chess with the pious Mahant daily; it is this Mother w
ho assumed the fiercest form to kill a demon called Matang; it is this Mother's
image that was smashed to powder by the Muslim bigot Afzal khan; it is this temp
le that enshrines a big boulder sanctified by the sitting of Sri Rama - Lakshman
a during their search for the abducted Sita; it is to this temple's famous Dhara
thirth, waters of Ganga Yamuna and Saraswati flow down; and it is this temple th
at set up the practice of offering of breakfast to the Mother in the morning bef
ore the ritualistic offer of Naivedya.
Renowned in the legend and history; patronised by illustrious rulers; worshipped
as the Kulaswamini of the entire Marathi race; eulogised by saint poets and chr
onicles; admired by Brahma, served by Viswakarma and Punya thirthas; and adored
by the warrior clan, this Jaganmatha Bhavani is luring a steady influx of pilgri
ms of all nationals since the Krita yuga.
ANTIQUITY
The principal works delineating the glorious history of this kshetra embody seve
ral episodes; they account for the advent of Mother to this place and her playin
g several sports for emancipating people and the country. Only two can be single
d out now, and they serve the purpose well.
THE MATANGA EPISODE
The story goes that there was an asura here by name Matanga reigning supreme and
causing untold suffering to the people, particularly to the sages and innocent.
He was atrocious and unscruplous-slaughtered the peace-loving, harmless subject
s; abducted several fair women for quenching his kamadaha; looted the rich to fe
ed his coffers; burnt asramas, destroyed temples, butchered cows and desecrated
yagnasalas to gratifying his atheistic aggressive nature. Were the suras spared?
No. His asura pravirthi asserting itself caused incalculable harm to all in sev
eral ways. When things went beyond the stage of toleration, the devas and humans
met Brahma and poured out their pathetic fate with streaming eyes.
The Pitamaha, giving a patient hearing sympathized with their affliction, but ex
pressed his inability to destroy him. Consoling sincerely, he advised them to ap
proach Mother Amba. Directing the steps to her abode, they repeated their woeful
tale. Moved visibly, She assured instant action. Sending them out, she emerged
assuming the fiercest form with roudra exuding from her blood shot eyes and veng
eance dripping from every pore of her fluttering frame, and entered the war fiel
d. Matanga was shocked to see such form, but being wicked and resourceful direct
ed his armies against her. His asurasakti when asserted to the fullest extent, M
other felt jolted for a while. Then she summoned her powerful saktis like Varahi
, Brahmi, Vaishnavi, Kumari, Indrani, Sambhavi, and with their strength she fell
on the demon with unparalleled ferocity. Their united strength and unyielding t
enacity at last scored victory over Matanga, who although proved more than a mat
ch in his strategy fell dead. Grateful people offered prayers and praised her va
lorous action in song. Heaving a sigh of relief, they enjoyed carefree life then
ceforward. As Matanga was killed, it was a clean, grand victory to Amba; and so
she was henceforth called Matangi. She is worshipped in a splendid shrine called
the Bhavani temple. And for the advent of Bhavani to this place and making this
an permanent abode in response to the desire of a devout brahmin lady, there is
another fascinating story.

THE ANUBHUTI EPISODE


It begins - there lived a pious brahmin by name Kardam in the Kritya yoga, known
for his mastery over ancient lore. He was an ideal brahmin who lived for learni
ng and teaching the hoary culture. He had an ideal partner in his loving wife ca
lled Anubhuti. They were inseparable like Uma and Maheswar. An ideal woman as sh
e was, she gave bliss to him by her devotion and chaste life. And a son too. But
their union did not last longer. Kardam met with a permature death, leaving his
young wife and infant boy. The grief-striken wife decided for the Sati-the cust
omary rite of burning on the funeral pyre. Just before her entering the blazing
fire, an aerial voice forbade the action on the ground that she had to bring up
the infant boy, as there was none to look after him. Bowing to the voice, she be
stowed undivided attention on the education of her son; yet her thought of reach
ing her husband in heaven did not leave her. It haunted, rather clung to her lik
e the shadow. The boy blossomed into a young man and resembled his father in all
. Was not he the product of the specimen couple with exemplary life?
Equipping him with everything necessary for his worldly life and convincing him
with her long cherished ambition, she entered the final asram - Vanaprasthasram.
Snapping all connections with kith and kin, she went to Meruparvatha for medita
tion. She did penance for long, and just at a time when her longing for moksha w
as about to be consummated, a king by name Kukoor appeared on the scence and ups
et the normal tenor. This earth and earthy Kukoor was lusty and licentious - a v
oluptuous beast, besides hunting mild beasts in the forest. Chancing to see her
alone in the asram, while on his hunting expedition, he was drawn to her. Her ca
ptivating beauty roused in him amorous instincts and so desired to own her for a
ppeasing his sensuality. He went near and proposed to marry her. As she was deep
in meditation, nothing entered her mind, nor could she relish such henious act.
So Kukoor resorted to physical force. When he was about to lift her for abducti
on, Anubhuti let out heartrending cry in such a high pitch that it record Mother
Bhavani. Then descended there anon Tvarita, another name for the Mother to prot
ect the chaste Anubhuti from the clutches of impetuous immoral Kukoor. The asura
was taken aghast as he never expected such a scene in a dense forest, in a lone
hermitage at it.
Seeing the Mother, the imbecile egoistic asura entered the fray with his powerfu
l army, presuming that a single lady could not save another lady in distress, bu
t he failed in his estimation. The Mother too pressed into service the bhutagana
s and yogins. The war went on for long since the asura taking several dreadful f
orms fought and destroyed almost all the ganas. The time came. Seeing him assume
d the form of buffalo, she bounced upon him and caught hold of his head and deli
vered a death blow with her potent sword. That lusty beast in his buffalo form f
ell down dead like a sack of bones and flesh. The ganas hailed the Mother and ce
lebrated her triumph. Dharma never brooks any defeat! Chastity never loses its c
hastity!! Will the salt lose its savor? Relieved Anubhuti then prayed to the Mot
her fervently to bless her and the people by taking her permanent seat in this l
oka at the same spot. Mother Bhavani enraptured by the exotic beauty of Yamunach
ala and the surrounding Nature in the prime of her beauty with colour and sound
ever flowing said 'Yes'. Thus the Yamunachala, a lovely spot on the slopes of Sa
hyadri mountain became the earthly scat of Mother Bhavani, who through several o
ther auspicious names like Tvarita, Tulaja, Amba, Turaja is worshipped ardently
by the people of all classes seeing in her the predominance roudra in her fierce
aspect, yet the most compassionate in fulfilling their desires. No soulful peti
tion was ever turned down, nor her votaries preferred other deities once they co
me to her feet and take refuge in her. As her miracles went on increasing with t
he passage of time, her fame rose sky high and turned her in course of time the
most reliable deity for progress and peace.
HISTORICITY

From the inscriptional and iconographical evidence, it can be adduced that this
Rudraswarupini was left to herself to safeguard her own position and glory durin
g the Muslim conquest of the south, unlike the fortunate Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur
, Pandurang Vittal of Pandarpur etc. who laid hidden in the dark hovels of the a
rdent devotees and were installed later with grandeur unheard of! Added to this
discomfiture, as it were, the invader AfzaI Khan, knowing that Mother Bhavani wa
s the family deity of his arch enemy Shivaji ordered at once to raze the temple
to the ground and the image to be smashed to millions of pieces and powdered in
a quern; but to what effect? Alas! he was paid in his own coin. For, the Mother
prophesied his end in three weeks in a resonant aerial voice that reverberated t
he whole Sahyadri Hills. Yes in a fortnight's time that remorseless bigot joined
the dust, decomposed and disintegrated to the dishonour of the whole clan of ic
onoclasts. This incident took place in 1659, when Adil Shahi of Bijapur sent gen
eral Afzal Khan, his commander to capture Shivaji, who proudly boasted that he w
ould take Shivaji to the capital, dead or alive before the end of his campaign.
With Mother Bhavani's infinite grace, Shivaji killed the arrogant prattler in a
fortnight's time. Mother Bhavani's aerial voice was thus fulfilled and along wit
h that Maharashtra banner started fluttering, and sounded to the Muslim kings th
e tolling of death knell, as it were. Government records embody certain referenc
es to the glory of the temple, when certain Maratha leaders of Bhonsales made gr
ants to the temple, wherein Mother Bhavani was mentioned as their Kulaswamini. A
nother notable feature that can be discerned from the records is that these sana
ds were made on the fulfillment of vows - Navasas taken by the rulers. On occasi
ons when certain rulers bypassed the Mother, relying upon their muscle power, th
ey were severely punished - defeated in the skirmishes against Muslim adversarie
s. Not only did the Mother rain boons for the success of her votaries, but punis
hed them, pointing out their lapses arisen due to either their over confidence o
r arrogance, when they reached her feet. They then made lavish endowments in tok
en of realisation.
Mother Bhavani thus kept the scales even and justified that 'roudra' is as indis
pensable as Vatsalya. Here is evidence.
Some of the young chicks among the Maharashtra leaders invoked the aid of gods o
ther than Bhavani, though she was their family deity and helped them before on s
everal occasions. Result: They were totally routed out, when Ahmad Shah Abdali c
hallenged their supremacy. So Mother Bhavani is believed as Jagrit - living godd
ess dispensing justice timely and justly. As the Kulaswamini, she corrected the
votaries in assuming the forms of Rudraswarupini and Karunaswarupini too accordi
ng to the situation. Archives embody this truth. The earliest mention of this te
mple is made in the copper plates belonging to the year 1204 AD. Next in 1398, a
nother grant to the temple was made by devotees on fulfillment of desires. All t
hese sanads help to reconstruct the history of the temple with exact dates, from
the thirteenth century onwards but legendary accounts push the date back to the
Kritayuga with Brahma's participation in the building of temple etc. and creati
ng of the ponds for the benefit of the deity and the visiting devotees.
THE TEMPLE
This is a hill temple built on the Yamunachala, one of the slopes of Bala ghat,
an integral part of the Sahyadri. As it lies on the deep slope, the visitors hav
e to descend to reach the Mother's feet from the Mahadwara, lying at a higher le
vel. Does not this descent signify that however great one may be, he has to step
down from his pedestal and reach her feet with humility? What is man after all
before the powers infinitude of that Universal Mother, the cause of cosmos and r
uler of the worlds? After a descent of about 15 feet, the visitor finds a big ta
nk called Kollola thirtha. It has an awe-some story.
THE KOLLALA THIRTHA

According to legend, this temple was built by Viswakarma at the behest of Brahma
. After completion, Brahma made this kshetra holiest by bringing the waters of t
he holier rivers for the holy dip by the bhaktas to purge of sins. So he summone
d all the rivers of the Bharat without exception to come through under ground an
d join the kund, dug there. They did as bid. They came in great haste and collec
ted there with unprecedented tumult; seeing their jubilant furore, Lord Brahma n
amed the thirtha as Kallola thirtha - an appropriate name. On account of the mer
ging of all the sacred waters, their efficacy is such that they have curative an
d purificatory powers. A dip emancipates, particularly in the Maghamasa. Visitor
s invariably take bath and observe rite as guided by the priests there.
After this point, there is a further descent of another 15 feet that takes into
the second prakara. Here in addition to thrithas, there are many shrines and man
daps for several deities. Among the thirthas, the Gomukh Thirtha deserves mentio
n. From the stone image of a cow's head, lying at a height of six feet, water fl
ows down constantly coming from the Mankavati thirtha lying far off. It goes by
the name of Dhara thirtha supposed to contain the waters of the Ganga, Yamuna an
d Saraswati.
They arc some more like Amrit thirtha, Ganesh thirtha etc. The precincts and the
kunds are perfectly tidy and at each there are priests called Upadhyaas station
ed to guiding the bathers with rituals. On the banks of these thirthas there are
many mini-shrines housing the adorable images of Dattratreya, Vittal, Vinayak e
tc. Crossing this, the visitors find several shops selling puja materials, like
kumkum, haldi etc. Leaving them when proceeded further, the visitors enter the t
hree phased prakara. Here they see vast courtyards with pillared aisles on all s
ides. The main shrine faces the cast and has four separate mandaps. Siddheswar M
ahadev is enshrined in the eastern most part and next to it has a square shaped
Sabhamandap with three entrances; and from here alone the visitors avail the dar
san of the principal deity. Devotees who make offerings are allowed to go furthe
r and they alone can have a close look at the image. Adjacent to this lies the c
entral mandap. The garbha griha is square shaped and is surmounted by a superb s
tucco sikhar. The architectural design and sculptural adornments attract the dev
otees. There are many worth-seeing images of several deities adorning the niches
in the aisles around the main shrine. The statues of deities like Khandoba, Nar
asimha, Yami, Lakshmi Narayana beckon attention and adoration. The temple of Mat
angi Devi, one of the manifestations of Mother Bhavani is situated in the north
east corner and this is equally beautiful and visit-worthy. Devotees offer praye
rs here also with equal fervour.
THE ARCHAMURTHI
The three-foot-high granite image of the Mother is grand to look at, and she rev
eals with eight arms holding weapons, like trident, dagger, arrow and chakra in
right lower and upper hands; and sankh, bow, bowl and the head of Mahishasur in
the left upper and lower hands. She is in standing posture with right leg on the
head of asur and the left leg on the pedestal with her mount Simha behind. It i
s here found the image of Anubhuti in meditation pose with head down. The Mother
with dazzling diamond jewels and colourful robes together with grand garlands l
ooks extremely beautiful and wrings veneration. It is a sight to see and that ex
perience lives in memory for ever. It haunts by flashing across the minds again
and again even after years of visitation. As the Mother is deemed to be Jagriti,
Sakama bhakti is prevalent. When the desires are fulfilled, devotees pour in th
eir money to redeem the vows taken, along with several kinds of rich offerings.
Among them, filling the lap of the Mother, shearing the locks of hair, offering
of garments etc. are very common and popular. And in the past slaughtering of an
imals and drinking of liquor were in vogue; thanks to the reforms, the authoriti
es stopped all those obnoxious practices and switched over to Satwika puja. Henc
e its popularity is waxing, as modernity with sublime piety has introduced throu

gh several traditions in the spirit of changing trends. And permissible to all s


ections of people.
THE GHAT-SHILA
Another miss riot spot here is the Ghat-Shila. It is associated with Sri Rama's
life and hence visit-worthy. It appears that Mother Bhavani took fancy to test S
ri Rama's monogamy - Ekapatni vratadiksha, while he was moving in this place, se
arching for Sita. So she approached him disguised as Sita. Sooner than seeing he
r, Sri Rama knelt before and asked for blessings. The crest-fallen Mother Bhavan
i owning defeat, played host to the brothers and promised help. Later, to mark t
he event and to perpetuate the memory of their visit, they were asked to install
two Siva lingas here and they are now worshipped as Rameswar linga and Lakshman
eswarlinga. The spot of their meeting as deemed holy and held sacrosanct. Hence
the craze on the part of this visitors, who miss not this spot however short the
ir stay may be.
PUJAS AND FESTIVALS
One can observe certain odd traditions prevalent here in the performance of regu
lar and occasional pujas to the Mother. Their novelty fascinates and elevates, i
f the probe is made and learnt the reason. As it is practised elsewhere, the dei
ty is worshipped at four times - the first begins early in the morning with the
wiping of the Mother's feet and face with wet cloth. The wet cloth then is squee
zed to the last drop, and the water collected thus is given as the holy thirtha.
An oddity. Then follows the offering of bread and vegetables as the dishes for
breakfast. With this the first puja is over. Another oddity! And a unique featur
e that surprises the visitors. The afternoon pooja is called Shodasopachari. It
is offered with elaborate rites, and closes with Mahanaivedya. In the evenings,
arati with incense forms the main feature, followed by Prakshalana puja. Everyti
me after the worship, the Mother is adorned with glittering ornaments and shimme
ring robes. The sight detains and enthralls the beholders.
Apart from these some occasional poojas are performed and they are called Gudi P
adva in Chaitra masa, Shriral Shasti in Shravan, Lalita Panchami in Ashvin, Bali
pratipada in Kartika, Makara Sankranti in Pausha, and Ratasaptami in Magha. And
they are grand. Thousands of persons participate in them jubilantly spending hu
ge sums of money on decorations etc. Another one by name Chabina or procession i
s very common. The palanquin is taken out on Tuesdays. During Navaratri festival
, the Utsavamurthi is taken in the ambari, borne by some vahana. Special categor
ies of people called Bhutas and Gondhalis lend charm by singing songs-vocal and
instrumental. The Vijayadasami during Navaratri is the biggest draw and the whol
e campus reverbating with music reach the worlds above. And the illumination mak
es the Sahyadri hills dazzle exceeding that of the Rajitaparvatha of Lord Siva.
THE MOTHER'S SLEEP
Another unique feature is the special puja offered to the Mother after waking up
; it occurs thrice a year. The Mother is put to sleep in the central Mandapa in
a special chamber, where a separate bedstead is installed. Though she sleeps for
certain days at a stretch on three occasions, the regular poojas are conducted
in the shrine unhindered. What a novelty! Such oddities indeed evoke surprises i
n the visitors, but for the regular Maharashtrian devotees they are very common
and hasten them to her Sannidhi to availing special rituals conducted then. May
be due to attending to infinite number of spiritual and secular duties she gets
exhausted and to recouping the lost, she sleeps soundly only on three occasions,
but she is ever alert and vigilant throughout the period. This uniqueness is pr
operly highlighted with special rituals due. Moreover, this Kulaswamini of great
fame has a preference for the game of chequers, which she plays with the Mahant
of the temple. How queer! On one occasion, when she delayed in returning to. he

r scat for receiving regular prayers, there was great furore. Then reciprocal re
criminations between the two - priests and the MOTHER ensued. So a new tradition
was established to announce the time of pujas to making her presence in the sca
t without fail. This temple maintains some monasteries, and the heads of the Mat
hs are called Mahants. Their presence enhanced the glory of the temple; for, the
appointed heads were great devotees and brought in several innovations in admin
istration and performance of pujas. With many such oddities, the temple is growi
ng in glory and piety.

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