TULJAPUR - BHAVANI

From 1650 A.D. onwards there are numerous records that mention the goddess Bhavani and the kshetra Tu1japur. Most of these are letters or grants made by Maratha noble-men to the goddess. Some are grants made by members of the Bhosale dynasty. There are papers showing various inam grants made by the Bhosales of Kolhapur to the goddess. It is a notable feature of these sanads that they always refer to the Bhavani as the Kulaswamini of their family and state that it is an lanadi' kshetra of the jagrit devi. A very large majority of the available papers are in connection with the fulfilment ofvows or navasas taken by the various people before the devi. The most important and revealing of these is one from 1760 A.D. This is the year in which the Pesbwas were called upon to face the threat from Ahmed Shah Abdali, the Afghan leader. It had already becorne clear that the danger was extremely formidable, and it was decided by the Peshwas to invoke the aid of divine power in addition to the great human effort they were putting up. It was only in the fitness of things that the Peshwas should have turned at this critical moment to the goddess Bhavani of Tuljapur who had so consistenly supported the founder of the kingdom they ruled. She was the Kulaswarnini of the ruling dynasty and as such of the entire nation. And it was quite natural that in a national crisis it should be to her that people should turn. The Peshwas decided to make some grants to defray the costs of some additional daily rituals they planned to start. Thus the government was to under take the expenses of the daily worship, naivedya and the nandadipa -lighting in the garbliagriha. Arrangements were made to start the Chaughada. It was also decided to im prove the maragement of the funds already allocated tc; temple service and to enforce partial prohibition, as there was too much wine flowing around the tirth iinder the name of prasad. However, this time the goddess did not favour the devotees as before. The Peshwas received heavy blow at Panipat. In later times several devotees have continued to make various grants and presents to the goddess.

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