The Shakti Peethas of Maharashtra

The Three and a Half Shakti Peeths of Maharashtra

What is Shakti Shakti is a manifestation of power from which creation ensued. In Hindu mythology, Shakti is manifested in several forms. She is Uma – the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom. She is Durga – the power of nature that conserves the good and removes the bad forces and is an embodiment of harmony. She is Maha Maya - from which the universe is created and conserved. She is Lakshmi – the eternal consort of Lord Vishnu and the embodiment of wealth and prosperity. She is also Kali – the fiery destroyer and conqueror of evil. Adi Shakti is the primordial energy or the source of all that exists. It is also the power that is invoked by the Gods to save the worlds - whenever an evil influence consumes their efforts. Shakti is always manifested in the form of the mother.

The Legend of Shakti Peetha The earliest mention of Shakti is as Uma – Inner Knowledge or wisdom – and is mentioned in the Kena Upanishad as the knowledge that manifests upon Indra from the sky when he cannot recognize Brahma. And the Vaivarta Purana gives a detailed account of one of the earliest manifestations of Shakti as Sati – the consort of Shiva. Though the Purana mentions how Sati consumed herself in a fire and how Vishnu wept with Shiva while consoling him; there are legends that appear later than the Puranas that suggest that Vishnu severed the corpse of Sati using his Sudarshan Chakra (or holy discus) in order to prevent the grief of Shiva from destroying the world. Several parts fell to the earth and became temples of Shakti or Shakti Peethas. The legends mention 51 such Shakti Peethas scattered all over the Indian subcontinent and beyond - from the temple of Hinglaj Maata in Baluchistan right up to the temple of Chandranath near Chittagong. Shakti Peethas also stretch from Manas near Manassarovar in Tibet to Nainativu in Sri Lanka.

Maharashtra
The state is home to five great temples of Shakti – that together make three and a half Shakti Peethas. This is because they are said to correspond to the three and half syllables that form the holy word AUM – that represents all creation. The five great manifestations of Shakti are –
  • The Temple of Goddess Mahalakshmi at Kolhapur
  • The Temple of Goddess Renuka at Mahurgad near Nanded
  • The Temple of Goddess Ekveera Devi near Lonavala
  • The Temple of Goddess Bhavani in Tuljapur near Sholapur
  • The Temple of Goddess Saptashrungi at Wani near Nashik

The Temple of Goddess Mahalakshmi at Kolhapur
is perhaps the most revered of all Shakti temples in Maharashtra. Built probably during the 7th and the 8th century AD, the temple bears the influence of Chalukya architecture. It was said to have been patronized by the Yadavas of Deogiri. The Goddess Mahalakshmi is the main deity of the temple, but there are idols and small temples dedicated to various other deities such as the navagrahas, Kolhapur is easily accessible by the Central Railway, by road (The Mumbai Bangalore National Highway, NH4, passes through the city.) and by air. Kolhapur is a modern city and has all the amenities that tourists of all classes can enjoy.

The Temple of Goddess Renuka at Mahurgad Mahurgad is a holy Teertha Kshetra situated about 120 km away from Nanded, which is the closest railway station. Regular buses and cabs ply the devout to the town of Mahur. Nanded is a big city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra and is famous as the final abode of Guru Gobind Singh. It is a holy pilgrimage centre for the Sikh community who visit the Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sachkand Gurudwara – and is well connected by Rail and Road. National Highway 222 that connects Mumbai with Telangana passes through Nanded. It also has an airport.
Renuka Mata is also connected with Ekveera Maata and both Goddesses have temples in Mahur. The temple of Goddess Renuka is situated on a hill whereas the temple of Goddess Ekveera is situated about 40 km away near the Pen Ganga River.

Goddess Renuka is said to be the mother of the Lord Parshurama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. There is a Parshurama temple that also has a holy pond called the Parshurama Kund.
There is also another holy pond called the Matru Teertha where the Lord Parshurama is said to have performed the rites for his father Jamadagni. The holy pond has the capacity of washing away all your sins.

The holy town is also home to the Goddess Anusuya Mata – the mother of Lord Dattatreya – the single manifestation of the holy trinity of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Maheshwara. There is a temple dedicated to the Goddess Anusuya Mata and also a temple dedicated to Atri Rushi – who is the father of Lord Dattatreya. And finally there is the Lord Devdeveshwar temple which is said to be the Nidra Sthana or the place where Lord Dattatrey sleeps.

The Temple of Goddess Ekveera at Lonavala The Goddess Ekveera or Ekvira Mata is highly revered by seafarers and is visited by thousands of members of the Agri and the Koli communities of coastal Maharashtra. Situated on a hill near Lonavala – a popular hill station on the Mumbai Bangalore National Highway (NH4) – this is probably the oldest temple of the Shakti Peethas as there is archeological evidence that dates part of the construction back to the 2nd Century BC
A series of steps takes you up to the top of the hill from where you get a scenic view of the Lonavala Khandala region. The temple is richly decorated and also contains the idol of the Goddess Jogeshwari Mata – who is also considered a manifestation of Shakti.

Some devotees do not know that Goddess Renuka, Goddess Ekveera and Anusuya Mata all reside at Mahurgad. However even though many devotees do know about the holiness of Mahurgad, they still consider their pilgrimage of the Shakti Peeths of Maharashtra incomplete without visiting and paying their respects to Goddess Ekveera Devi of Lonavala.

The Temple of Goddess Bhavani at Tuljapur near Sholapur is revered by all members of the Maratha community of Maharashtra as it is believed to be the protective mother of all warriors. Indeed among the main caretakers of the worship at the temple – are members of the Maratha community.
The temple to the Goddess Bhavani is said to have been constructed in the 12th Century AD and other temples to the Goddess Bhavani such as the one at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan are said to have been constructed later.

The temple itself has an imposing structure and its spiritual ambiance actually infuses a feeling of inner strength in its devotees. Tuljapur, located in Osmanabad district is just 45 km away from Sholapur or Solapur, which is a major town in South Maharashtra. It is well connected by road (National Highway 9 that connects Pune and Vijaywada passes through the city. National Highway 13 connects Solapur to Mangalore in Karnataka. Solapur also lies on National Highway 204 that connects Ratnagiri to Nagpur. It is also the starting point for National Highway 211 that runs from Solapur to Dhulia or Dhule. It is also an important junction on the Central Railway.

The Temple of Saptashrungi Maata at Wani near Nashik is a unique manifestation of the glory and splendor of Shakti. The Goddess herself is said to be residing in an area covering seven hills, hence the name (Sapta = seven and Shrunga = mountain peaks). Her power and glory are manifested in a huge 8 feet idol that is believed to have merged naturally from the sheer face of the rock in the holy cave over which the temple has been built. She has eighteen arms that hold.

  • The trident of Lord Shiva
  • The discus of Lord Vishnu
  • The conch of Lord Varuna
  • The fire of Lord Agni
  • The archery weapons of Lord Vayu
  • The thunderbolt of Lord Indra
  • The club of Lord Varaha
  • The rosary of Lord Daksha
  • The water casket of Lord Brahma
  • The sun rays of Lord Surya
  • The sword of Goddess Kali
  • The axe of Lord Parshurama
  • The goblet of Lord Kubera
  • The mace of Lord Narayana
  • The lotus of Goddess Lakshmi
  • The spear of Lord Kartikeya
  • The noose of Lord Yama
  • The benevolent incandescence of Goddess Durga

In this way all of creation is represented in this form of the goddess. She is therefore known as Brahma Swaroopini (or the representation of all creation). The temple is situated in Wani on a hill that is 60 km from Nashik. Nashik is itself a very holy town and one of the four sites of the holy Kumbha Mela. Nashik is one of the largest cities in Maharashtra and is well connected by road (National Highway 3 connecting Mumbai with Agra runs through Nashik), Central Railway, and air. Cabs and buses ply regularly from Nashik to Vani from where you begin the climb to the hill that houses the holy temple of the Goddess Saptashrungi Maata.

How to Travel
As you have seen, each Shakti Peetha represents creation itself but completing the entire pilgrimage is considered holy and beneficial to devotees. You can get stationed in Mumbai and take the Mumbai-Bangalore Highway and stop first at Lonavala and visit the temple of Goddess Ekveera. If you start early you can reach Kolhapur the same day. If you stay over in Kolhapur, you can have the opportunity to attend the early morning aarti  at the Goddess Mahalakshmi Temple. This is called kaakad aarti and held before sunrise. From there it is a four hour drive via the Ratnagiri Nagpur Road (National Highway 204) to Solapur and 46 km from there to Tuljapur. 

It is advisable to return back to Solapur and start the next day for Nashik. The drive to Nashik will take at least 8 hours no matter what road you take. There are three roads – one via state highway 9 and state highway 141, the second via state highway 9 and state highway 10 and the third route being via National Highway 9 to Pune and from there via National Highway 50 (Pune Nashik Road). The entire journey will leave you tired and it is therefore advisable that you stay in Nashik and only proceed the next day to Vani from where you will climb uphill to get darshan of Saptashrungi Maata. Trace your steps back to Nashik and take National Highway 222 to go to Nanded, which will be about 463 km or more than 8 hours away. From there you have to travel another 120 km to Mahurgad, where you will complete the entire parikrama or pilgrimage of the Shakti Peeths of Maharashtra. The entire journey by road can be comfortably completed in 5 days.

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