Kolhapur Mahalakshmi

Most people run after Lakshmi who is said to be the giver of wealth and fortune. They often tend to forget Vishnu. I was just the opposite. I’m a devotee of Vishnu/Krishna and I have never had any deep dealings with Lakshmi. However, I always tell everyone that Mahalakshmi runs after those who worship her Lord, Vishnu. This certainly proved true in my case. For many years I had been nursing a vague longing to go to the famous Mahalakshmi Mandir at Kolhapur but somehow, I never got an opportunity. I have always found that we cannot make an arbitrary decision to visit any mandir. It is not our choice. The deity herself has to invite us before the opportunity occurs. In this case my invitation to visit her came suddenly on a Friday after I finished reciting the Lalita Sahasranama which is a recital of the thousand and one names of the Goddess. The call was clear and unmistakable – “Come”!

Immediately we contacted some devotee in Kolhapur and after that everything went on oiled wheels. Two days later we were on a flight to Pune. Someone who suddenly decided to join us had arranged a van to seat all of us and others who had come from Mbay had brought a delicious lunch which we ate on the bus. However, I must admit the journey from Pune to Kolhapur was gruelling. It was never ending and we decided to go straight to the mandir since I was anxious to reach for the arati. Of course, we did not reach for the evening arati but through her grace we did reach for the night arati, which was a very elaborate affair after which she went to sleep!! Due to the Covid restrictions only five of us were allowed to go right up to the room next to the sanctum. However, I was happy that on the next day all those who did not get this opportunity were allowed to go in.

My impression of that first darshan is indescribable. I felt as if she had thrown a heap of gold dust at me when I opened my eyes to her charming presence. We were allowed to sit there for the full duration of the arati and I must admit it was indeed a thrilling experience. I had been to many Shakti mandirs and all of them had a totally different vibration. The Kali mandirs were somehow shockingly vibrant but this was sweetly vibrant.

Lakshmi is that aspect of the Divine Mother that makes life a joy. It is what gives us a reason to live and a feeling of contentment and happiness. Her beatific presence is to be found in all the beautiful things on this planet that bring joy to our hearts. Life would have been dreary and drab had it not been for her charming aura. This was so obvious in the mandir.

After the wonderful darshan we were given a special treat. We were taken to an undisclosed Shiva Mandir in a secret chamber housed in the dome, which is normally never shown to anyone. This was another precious gift. There was no priest or fanfare or anything to entice the eyes. It was almost like a cave dominated by a big Ganesha beneath which was a small lingam towards which the eyes were irresistibly drawn. The dome of the mandir curved above the lingam. The whole project was done hurriedly and secretly since I suspect the pujari was frightened of the consequences of taking us to this place which was out of bounds. I would have loved to have sat there and meditated but this was not to be. We made up for it by sitting outside and meditating and chanting.

Our hostess had provided a wonderful Maharashtrian dinner for us at her residence which unfortunately we were not able to do full justice since it was already 10 pm. By the time we reached our hotel it was midnight!

It was much later that I found out many details of this fantastic mandir. Of course, I could not fail to notice its antiquity when we came out of the inner parikrama. Apparently, it was built in the 7th century by the Chalukyan kings. It has been referred to in many Puranas.

The mandir is located on the banks of the Panchganga River in the town of Kolhapur which was known as Karaveer. In fact, the district in which the mandir is situated is still known as Karaveer. It is said that both Lakshmi and Vishnu reside in Karaveer and will not leave even at the time of Mahapralaya (which is the dissolution of the whole world for a vast period of time). The region is eternally blessed for it is believed to be cradled in the right hand of the goddess. Many sages and saints have hallowed this place with their footprints. It is said that Lord Dattatreya comes every afternoon to take alms from the goddess.

The goddess is also known as Ambabai so the mandir is popularly known as the Sri Kollur Ambabai Mandir. It is the greatest and most sacred abode of Lakshmi in the world. Even in Bharat this is the only mandir that is solely dedicated to Mahalakshmi.

The murti is considered to be at least 5,000 to 6,000 years old. Mounted on a stone platform, the figure of the crowned goddess is made of gemstone and weighs about 40 kg. The image is carved out of black stone and is 3 ft tall. A stone lion, which is her vehicle, is quite prominent and stands behind her. Her crown contains an image of the serpent, Sheshnag on which Lord Vishnu relaxes. She has four hands. The lower right holds a Mhatulinga which is a type of citrus fruit. The upper right holds a mace or “gada.” This is the same that is held by her Lord, Vishnu and is called Kaumodaki but unlike the one held by Vishnu, this has its head pointed to the ground. The upper left hand holds a shield or “khetaka” and the lower left, a bowl called the “panapatra.”

Strangely enough she faces west unlike most murtis in other mandirs. There is a reason for this. According to the Hindu calendar, the year is divided into two parts consisting of six months each. Uttarayanam is from January 14th to June 14th when the sun starts its journey towards the north. Dakshinayanam is from June 14th to January 14th when the sun turns towards the south.

The door facing the west lets the rays of the setting sun fall on the murti for three days during Uttarayanam and Dakshinayanam.

Hence, the most important festival here is known as Kirnotsava (festival of the sun’s rays) when the rays of the setting sun fall directly on her. It is as if Surya, the Sun God, pays his homage to Mahalakshmi. During Uttarayanam, these three days are 31st January, 1st and 2nd February. On 31st the rays fall on her feet, on 1st February they fall on her navel and on the 2nd over the whole body. In Dakshinayanam, on November 9th the rays fall on her feet, on the 10th on her navel and on the 11th her whole body is bathed in light!!

On these days the rays of the setting sun start moving from the huge Mahadwara (gate) on the western side towards the Garuda Mantapa. From there the rays move towards the big Ganesha murti in the Ganapati Chowk, then to the Karava Chowk where people stand for darshan; then it slowly advances to the Pitali Umbaratha and then to the Khajina Chowk and finally to the Garbha Griha to nestle at her feet or navel or full form according to the day!

It is a fact that every ancient mandir in Bharat has some such incredible feat of architecture. We are still to discover how these ancient builders managed to figure out such details without the use of modern technology and how they were able to construct such fantastic monuments exhibiting incredible expertise in both geometry and astronomy.

Apparently, twenty one days later the same phenomenon is repeated in the Chopadi Devi Mandir which is in the Jyotiba Mandir!

As usual with most of our mandirs there is an interesting story connected with the reason why the Divine Mother chose to incarnate at this place. Once it is said that the gods wanted to test who was the most forbearing of the trinity composed of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They sent the great sage, Brighu to test them. He went first to Brahma Loka, the abode of Brahma, where he deliberately showed great disrespect to the Creator. Brahma was furious but refrained from doing anything since Saraswati stopped him. Brighu cursed him that he would never have a mandir and would never be worshipped at any time.

He then went to Kailasa, the abode of Shiva and found him engrossed in a game with his consort Parvati. The bull, Nandi stopped him from entering. Brighu cursed Shiva that he would only be worshipped as a formless lingam henceforth.

His third visit was to Vaikunta, the abode of Vishnu who was in slumber on his snake bed! The sage stormed in and gave a well-aimed kick at Vishnu’s chest! The Lord opened his eyes and begged his pardon for not having welcomed him. He said, “My chest is adamantine and your soft foot would have been hurt by it.” So saying, he took the sage’s foot and massaged it. He also told him that he would always cherish the mark of the sage’s foot and to this day we find that it exists on Vishnu’s chest and is known as the “srivatsam.”

Brighu returned and announced to all the sages that Vishnu was the most forbearing of the gods of the trinity. However, Vishnu’s consort Mahalakshmi was furious at the insult to her husband. Since she is said to reside on his chest, it was a double insult. She left Vaikunta and came to the world. The place she chose to reside was Kolhapur!

Apparently, this story is a recent innovation and is not mentioned in any of the Puranas.

The rituals and pujas conducted in the mandir lead us to believe that this is actually a Shakti Peeth. It is one of the hundred and eight major Shakti Peeths of the country. The Shakti Peeths are actually places where the different limbs of Sati, the wife of Shiva, fell off after the catastrophe that took place at the Daksha Yaga. The Kolhapur Mahatmya, which is a text composed in 1730, gives the history of the place. It is mentioned in the book that the goddess came to the place to protect the locals from the demon called Kolasura who was troubling them by sucking away the water of the river. The word “kolhar” means fox and of course “puri” means town or district. The people begged the Divine Mother to save them and she agreed to come and kill the demon. Before dying he is said to have begged her to forgive his inequities and name the place after him and so it was done.

Another reason for suspecting this to be a Shakti Peeth is the fact that a secret Shiva Mandir exists within the dome of the shrine about which I have already mentioned. Obviously, this was kept in order to balance the “shakti” or power of the goddess. It was her grace that allowed us to go there twice even though it is no longer open to the general public.

I had not known of the relationship between Thirupati Balaji and Mahalakshmi until I went to Kolhapur. As soon as you enter the mandir the first shrine that greets you is the one to Thirupati Balaji. We have to pray here before proceeding to the abode of Mahalakshmi. I had wondered about this and was given the story later. In this glorious land that abounds in stories and fables such accounts are plentiful and add to the power of the mandirs and increases the faith of the devotees.

Every day a special train arrives in Kolhapur from Thirupati in Andhra Pradesh carrying hundreds of pilgrims who have already had darshan of Thirupati Venkatachalapati and who believe that their pilgrimage will not be complete without having darshan of Kolhapur Mahalakshmi. The 860 km journey from Thirupati to Kolhapur is essential since Venkatachalapati will not bless you until and unless his wife Mahalakshmi blesses you! I had been many times to Thirupati but it was only now that I was given the opportunity to have his full blessings!

After the Islamic invasions, the mandir was abandoned and the deity removed to the house of the pujari. It was only restored at the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s son. His daughter-in-law Tarabai actually established the kingdom of Kolhapur and built their palace right next to the mandir. At that time many additions were made to the original mandir.

We did a circumambulation of the mandir and went and sat right in front of the main shrine on the parikrama path. All of us chanted the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam and invoked her and meditated on her powerful presence which seemed to permeate the whole atmosphere.

The ancient mandirs of our country are what holds the Sanatana Dharma together. There is a deliberate attempt by other aggressive religions to destroy them and to wrest them from our custody for they know how important they are to us. Hindus should make a concerted effort to stop these diabolic schemes and see that our mandirs are given back to our custody.

A strange thing happened after our return from Kolhapur which shows us that the deities housed in these great mandirs are not mere blocks of stone but have been imbued with the breath of the divine and have the power to evoke miracles. I had bought a small, antique-looking murti of the goddess from a wayside store. Nobody liked it much since it was made of an alloy and didn’t look very good. But somehow out of all the bright and polished murtis that were on sale, my eyes were drawn to this insignificant looking one. After returning to the ashram, I took it out of the packet and placed it on the altar. A flood of golden light flashed across my eyes. I was taken aback to see that it had turned to gold. It was early morning and in the flickering lights of the oil lamps the figure looked incredible. What can I say about this except that it was truly her show of power!

I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had changed back to her original drab colour the next day but I’m happy to say she still looks like burnished gold! After all she is Mahalakshmi, the possessor of all wealth. May she bless us with her true wealth which are the gifts of auspiciousness and spirituality.

Jai Ambabai!