| Temples & Legends Of
Maharashtra |
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| Temples & Legends Of
India |
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KOLHAPUR-MAHALAKSHMI |
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| Like most of
the temples, this shrine plays host to a number of other images. There is very little
method or discipline in this unwieldy congregation. An extremely unusual position is
occupied by a Shiva ling. Immediately above the garbhagriha of the Mahalakshmi shrine is a
second storey. Here a Shiva ling and a nandi are placed, by whom and when no one knows.
The niches facing the three cardinal directions house Venkatesh, Katyayani, and
Gauri-Shankar, facing the north, east and south in that order. Formerly a number of images
of various gods and goddesses occupied any place they chose in the courtyard; this
encroachment’ is now removed and most of them are housed in the cells of the arcade
that surrounds the courtyard, These images belong to various periods stylistically, some
going back to the eleventh and twelfth centuries, others not older than the eighteenth
century, But for the images of Rama-Sita and Radha-Krishna and one or two others, the rest
are in black basalt. That of Rama-Sita etc. are in white marble. A mention might be made
of the members of this colourful congregation.
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