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In the distant past, Brahma while engaged in Creation produced three 'manasputras’, Gaya, Lavana and Kolha. All the three were extremely powerful and became practically invincible through the blessings of their father and also of Shiva. The eldest Gaya and the next Lavana enraged the gods, especially Indra and Yama, and Vishnu with the assistance of other gods killed both of them. However, the gods consented to turn the spots on which they had fallen into tirths, thus we have the Vishnugaya tirth.
‘The youngest brother Kolha, the monarch of Kolhapur, decided to seek revenge of the death of his brothers, not through war and bloodshed but by dislodging the gods from their positions with the power of his penance. He took to the Kolhagiri hills and followed the austere routine of a tapasvin. His penance increased his strength so much that Brahmadeva decided to lay at his feet the entire Universe. Of course, the gods, had their own axe to grind. When Kolhasur left his capital a demon by the name of Sukeshi had taken over. He was a great enemy of the established religion and freely wrecked the temples and ashrams of the rishis.
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