TULJAPUR - BHAVANI

This kshetra has certain adjuncts in the form of some maths or monasteries. These are considered to be quiteimportant in the composition of the tirth, as most of the mahantas or founders of these maths were famous devotees of the devi. The most well known of them is the math of Ranachhoda Bharati. This Ranachhoda Baba was supposed to be an incarnation of Shiva and even today the belief is current that the devi goes to this math to play chequers with the mahanta; she returns to the temple only at time of the worship. And to let her know that it was time for worship an announcer shouts out in the direction of the math the priests have come, please come down.' This custom came in existence because it so happened that for two consecutive days the devi got so much engrossed in her game she forgot to arrive in her temple at the time of the puja and naivedya. She immediately took the priest totask for not serving her properly, but he politely pointed out that the fault lay in the other direction. The devi then suggested that she should be daily called when the time was up. The math next in immportance is that of Garibnath Baba. This was the same Garibnath that discovered that it was Ganges water that was pouring down from the Gomukh tirth. The devi did not like that she had to convince somebody like this and asked Garibnath river to coine and meet him. Darshan was forbidden for him. The poor man begged for mercy, said that he repented having distrusted the devi's words and pleaded with the devi not to prevent him from having her darshan. All this pleading led to a concession and the goddess permitted him to go to the temple and have her darshan-but only once a year. And this tradition continues to this day. The present occupant of the chair in the math goes out only once a year. This day is the last day of Ashvin. The math itself has the images of one 'Ingalaj Devi' and of the ten incarnations. There also are seen the replica of the Bhavani image and busts of Garibnath and his disciples.

[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]