| Temples & Legends Of
Maharashtra |
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| Temples & Legends Of
India |
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KOLHAPUR-MAHALAKSHMI |
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| However,
according to the Puranic texts the darshan of the Mahalakshmi does not end the
proper pilgrimage to Karvir. The kshetra extends over a large area.Towards the east it
reaches to the temple of Rameshvar-Mahadev in the village of Alate (twelve miles to the
north cast ofKolhapur), to the south is Chakreshvar near the village Titve (to the South
west two miles off Valva), to the west Kalaheshvar near Kale (nine miles to the west in
the Panhala subdivision) and to the north Mallikarjun where the linga is non-visible
(gupta) at Gotkhind, that is, four miles due cast of It tare on the Kolhapur Poona road.
The presiding deities of the four directions as far as Karvir goes are Ujjavalamba to the
east near Ujalai hill ; Katyayani to the south, four miles on the hills of the same name;
Siddhabatukeshvar to the west on the hill known as Chatkai-Matkai hill and Kedar to the
north on Jyotiba hill nine miles from Kolhapur. A man or woman desirous of undertaking a pilgrimage of the kshetra is
to take bath either in the Manikarnika kund, which is in the same compound as the
Mahalakshmi temple, or in the Kashi Vishveshvar kund opposite the Vishveshvar temple or in
the Panchaganga river. Then he should perform the punyahvachan’. worship the Ganesh,
distribute gifts and dakshina and next day start on the yatra. The first to be visited and
worshipped is Tryambuli on the Tembalai hill, then he should visit the Sakshivinayak.
There are lists of twelve to eighteen temples that should be included in the itinerary,
most of them being in the temple courtyard and Ranka-Bhaitav on the Rankala lake, Various
tirths and kunds like Amrikund, Padmatirth, Suryatirth are mentioned. In view of the fact
that on the area now, occupied by the town there were not in the too distant past a number
of lakes small and large, it is not at all surprising to find so many kunds and tirths.
Anybody who has to perform this yatra in accordance with these regulations would haveto
enlist the aid of a priest, not only for the proper performance of rituals but also
for finding out which is what. There are numerous legends in literature like the
Mahabharat and other mythological work;. The chief amongst the latter is the Padma-Purana
which has a separate section devoted to the Karvir kshetra. I his is known as the Karvir
Mahatmya. The Devi-Mahatmya from the Markandeya Purana contains several legendary
references to the kshetra. Jaina works like the Brihatkathakosha contain some tales
regarding Karvir. |
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