ShaktI Peethas are places associated with the Goddess of Power and historically and mythologically these temples hold a lot of importance amongst its devotees. Around the whole India and even outside in other countries there are a total 51 Shakti Peeths. Out of them there are 3.5 Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra. It is said that in Maharashtra there are 4 of these important seats of Goddess Shakti out of which 3 are full Shakti Peeth and one is half. All these temples are really important sites of worship for the Shakti devotees.
People from all over the world visit these temples with a lot of faith and belief in the goddess. It would be a serene experience to visit the Shakti Peeth for sure. In this article I will mention everything about the Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra. So if you are interested to know everything about the Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra then keep on reading because this is going to be an informative as well as a helpful read for you.
Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra
How many Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra are there?
There are 3.5 Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra and these are
Mahalakshmi Temple in Kolhapur
Tulja Bhavani Temple at Tuljapur
Renuka Temple at Mahur in Nanded district
Saptashrungi Temple in Nashik
What is Shakti Peeth?
It is believed that once Devi Sati the wife of Lord Shiva wanted to go and attend a Yagna arranged by her father Daksha against Lord Shiva’s wishes. But when she reached there she was deeply humiliated along with Lord Shiva by her father. Devi Sati could not bear the burn of the humiliation and decided to surrender herself to the Yagna. Furthermore when Lord Shiva got to know about this he was furious and he started the dance of destruction with the corpse of Devi Sati. Later to stop him Lord Vishnu started cutting the body parts of Devi Sati and wherever the pieces of her body fell, the Shakti Peeths were created on those very spots.
Mahalakshmi Temple in Kolhapur
Address: Mahalaxmi Ambabai Temple, Mahadwar Road, B Ward C Ward, Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Timings: 5 am to 10 pm
It is one of the Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra that holds a lot of importance for the devotees. According to legends it is believed that Devi Sati’s 3 eyes fell on this spot. This temple is also known as the Dakshina Kashi and is believed as one of the 6 places where one can attain salvation. Here the presiding deity is mounted on top of a stone platform and weighs about 40 kgs and is also known as Ambabai. She is further crowned with jewelleries and a crown. Furthermore her crown contains an image of Sheshnag, the serpent of Lord Vishnu, who is her husband.
Unlike other Hindu deities that face the north or the east, here the deity faces the west or the Paschim. The deity is almost 3 feet tall and carved in Black stone. Here the main sanctum is designed with the idea that once in a year the sun rays directly fall on the face of the Goddess for 3 days. The main temple structure looks splendid and is made in ancient Deccan architectural style. Along with that many structures and sculptures can be seen on the walls here like Gods and Goddesses in various dance forms.
One of the major celebrations at this temple is the Procession of the Goddess during the Navaratri where she is taken out on a palanquin. Also on every Chaitra Pratipada the Goddess is taken on a Nagar Pradakshina in a chariot and a palanquin. Furthermore on Aswin Poornima that is the full moon day of Ashwin month Mahaprasad is served to all the devotees. This Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra is also known as the Shree Peetham or the Karvir Peetham. Every year Lakhs of devotees from Maharashtra as well as from outside like Karnataka and Telangana visit here. This is a full Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra.
Shree Tulja Bhavani Temple
Adress: Mahadwar Road, Jijamata Nagar, Tujlapur, Maharashtra
Timings: 4 am to 10 pm
This is another important full Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra dedicated to Goddess Parvati. Here the Goddess is worshipped in the Tulja Bhavani form. Also known as Adi Shakti, it is believed that she is the Guardian Goddess or Kulswamini. Furthermore she is also known as Bhavani, Tulaja, Durga, Parvati, Tvarita, Bhagwati, Tripura Sundari, Amba and Jadagamba which means the Mother of the Universe. Bhavani literally means the Giver of Life and Goddess Bhavani is mostly worshipped in states like Maharsahtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Northern Karnataka, Telangana and even in Nepal.
There are two main entrances to this temple which are Raje Shahaji Mahadwar and the Rajmata Jijau Mahadwar. The temple of Tulja Bhavani Devi is spacious and the main body of the temple here is covered in silver sheet. On that beautiful carvings are made. Goddess Bhavani is also worshipped as a Kuladevi by many Maratha Clans. Here the deity is Chal Murti. Thrice a year the idol of the Goddess here is moved from her throne and taken on a bed outside the main shrine.
Furthermore it is said that Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj used to visit this temple regularly. It is also said that he was the one who blessed this establishment by giving the Bhavani Talwar.
Shri Renuka Mata Temple Mahurgad
Address: Patil Colony, Mahurgadh, Maharashtra
Timings: 6 am to 8 pm
Considered as one of the 3.5 Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra this is another important Shakti peeth in Maharashtra. Renu literally means Atom which translates to the Mother of Universe. Renuka Mata is also known as Yellamama and is considered as the mother of Parashuram who is the 6th avatar of Lord Vishnu. Furthermore Yellamama Devi is one form of Goddess Kali and is also worshipped in other names like Mahakali, Jagadambika, Somalamma, Renuka Devi and more.
For someone to reach the temple there are 200-250 steps that need to be climbed. The temple is located on a hilltop and offers beautiful panoramic view of the whole area. Alongside, the temples of Lord Dattatreya and Lord Parashuram are also found here. The Idol of Renuka Devi is seen wearing various gold ornaments and garlanded with gold flowers, gold garlands and gold noserings and gold jewelry. Festivals like Navaratri, Vijaya Dashami, Diwali, Makar Sankranti are celebrated here with a lot of pomp and grandeur. Every year a lot of devotees visit this Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra to pay their visit to Renuka Mata.
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Shree Saptashrungi Nivasini Devi Temple
Address: Saptashungi, Maharashtra
Timings: 5 am to 9 pm
Sapta literally means 7 and Shrungi means peak and it is believed that the Goddess here resides within the 7 mountain peaks. Mainly the Goddess here is worshiped by the Marathas and some Hindu tribes as well. It is believed that the right arm of Goddess Sati has fallen here. However this temple is considered the half Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra of the three and a half Shakti Peethas in Maharashtra. However there are some doubts regarding that as many people believe that the Renuka Mata Temple is the half Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra.
Furthermore the official site of this temple mentions this temple as a complete Shakti Peeth. According to Devi Bhagavata Purana the Saptashrungi hill is declared as a Shakti peeth. But nowhere else this temple is given this status. It is also believed that the presiding deity here that is the form of Mahatmya is a combined manifestation of the other three deities of Shakti Peeth like Mahalakhshmi of Kolhapur, Mahasaraswati of Tuljapur and then Mahakali of Mahur.
The deity is also called the Saptashrungi Nivasini which means one who resides in the Saptashrungi. Furthermore she is also known as the Brahmaswarupini Devi as it is believed that she appeared from the kamandulu of Lord Brahma. Here she is worshipped in the form of Goddess Mahatmya which is one form of Goddess Durga to stop the demon Mahisasura. Since the Goddess took her form here it is believed that she resides here.
During the Chaitra month the temple observes the biggest festival here that is the Chaitra Utsav. It starts on Ram Navami and ends on Chaitra Poornima. Many childless women attend this festival in order to pray for a child. Also in Aswin the Dussehra and Navratri are celebrated here with much grandeur and thousands of devotees attend these festivals.
Wrapping Up!
Out of 52 Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra there are 3.5 Shakti Peeth. However there is some major confusion regarding which temple is the half. But nevertheless that does not lessen the importance of any of these 3.5 Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra. It is believed that it is extremely holy to visit all the temples in a single day. So if you are interested you can try to do that. Or else you can even take time to visit each of these Shakti peeth in Maharashtra and explore the temples on your own slowly understanding the relevance and importance of each temple.
Furthermore all these temples are revered Shakti shrines which are deeply followed by the devotees. Annually a major footfall is recorded in all these temples in Maharashtra. So if you are in Maharashtra, and if you are interested in visiting the Shakti Peethas go and visit these temples. You will get a lot of peace after visiting these temples and praying in each of the temples here. Do let me know if this article on Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra is helpful for you. Also do let me know if you have visited any of these temples already.
