Mahalakshmi Temple -The Shri Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India, is one
of the Shakti Peethas, listed in various puranas of Hinduism.
According to these writings, a shakti peetha is a place associated with
Shakti, the goddess of power. The Kolhapur peetha is of special
religious significance, being one of the six places where it is
believed one can either obtain salvation from desires or have them
fulfilled. The temple takes its name from Mahalakshmi, the consort of
Vishnu, and it is believed that the divine couple reside in the area.
The temple belongs, architecturally, to the Kannada Chalukya
empire, and may have been first built circa 700 AD. Mounted on a stone
platform, the image of the four armed and crowned goddess is made of
gemstone and weighs about 40 kilograms. The image of Mahalakshmi carved
in black stone is 3 feet in height. The Shri yantra is carved on one
of the walls in the temple. A stone lion, the vahana of the goddess,
stands behind the statue.
The crown contains an image of the Sheshnag — the serpent of
Vishnu. In Her four hands, the deity of Mahalakshmi holds objects of
symbolic value. The lower right hand holds a mhalunga (a citrus fruit),
in the upper right, a large mace (kaumodaki) with its head touching the
ground, in the upper left a shield (khetaka), and in the lower left, a
bowl (panpatra).
Jyotiba Temple -Jyotiba is a holy place of Hinduism near Wadi Ratnagiri,
Maharashtra, India. The deity of the temple is known by the same name,
and is held by the locals to be an incarnation of three gods: Brahma,
Vishnu, Mahesha, and Jamadagni. An annual fair takes place on the full
moon night of the Hindu months of Chaitra and Vaishakha.
Jyotiba temple is
an important Hindu religious destination located at an altitude of
3124 feet above sea level in the Panhala range of Maharashtra. It is
believed that the main deity the Jyotiba is formed from the souls of
three Primary Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Legendery stories tell
that Jyotiba is formed to kill the demon Ratnasur.
Visiting and offering prayers to the Incarnation of Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva as Jyotiba is a sacred ritual according to Hindu
belief. Devotees and tourists throng to this temple premises for the
large fair held yearly in the full moon days in the months of Vaishakh
and Chaitra.
