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Showing posts from January 6, 2017


Story of Bhairava and Demon Nila

Legend has it that Demon Nila once took the form of a wild elephant and started harassing the people of Kashi. He destroyed the crops of the people and ran amuck the fields. Shiva then ordered his doorkeeper, Bhairava to save the city from Nila. The story of Bhairava and demon Nila begins here. Bhairava attacked Nila who had taken the form of a fierce elephant. He cut the trunk of the elephant and damaged his legs and trunk. When Bhairava was about to slay the elephant, he asked that his skin should serve as Shiva’s mantle. Bhairava promised that his wish will be fulfilled. Kangra Painting of Shiva and Goddess Parvati 1790 AD Thus Shiva is depicted sometimes as wearing elephant hide. There are numerous stories regarding Shiva wearing elephant skin garment. The stories vary from region to region. In some scriptures, it is Shiva who himself kills the elephant and then wears the skin as garment. Bhairava is the guardian deity in almost all Mother Goddess Shakti temple

Kalubai Mandhar Devi Temple Paush Purnima Festival

Kalubai Mandhar Temple is located at Mandradev in Satara District in Maharashtra and is dedicated to Kaleshwari Devi. In 2025, Kalubai Mandhar Temple Paush Purnima Festival is on January 13. On the full moon day in Paush month (January – February), a major festival takes place here and is attended by thousands of devotees. Kaleshwari Devi is an incarnation of Goddess Shakti and is a hugely popular deity in this region of Maharashtra . Kalubai Mandhar Temple is located atop a mountain – 1200 m high. On Paush Purnima more than 200,000 people gather at the temple. Devotees offer green colored saree to Kaleshwari Devi on the day. Kalubai Mandhar Temple is about 18 km from Wai and 120 km south of Mumbai. Related Yamai Devi Yatra in Satara

Asta Sambhu Temples in Bargarh in Odisha – Astasambhu or Eight Shiva Temples in Odisha

Asta Sambhu, or Astasambhu, is the collective name given to eight important Shiva temples in Bargarh District in Odisha. The concept of Ashta Shambhu is famous in Orissa. Two of the these temples are today located in Sambalpur. The eight Astasambhu Temples are: Bimaleswar Temple at Huma in Sambalpur Kedarnath Temple at Ambabhona in Bargarh Baidyanath Temple at Deogaon in Bargarh Balunkeswar Temple at Gaisama in Bargarh Mandhata Baba Temple at Maneswar in Sambalpur Swapneswar Temple at Sorna in Bargarh Visweswar Temple at Soranda in Bargarh Nilakantheswar Temple at Nilji in Bargarh Visiting the eight temples is the above sequence is considered highly meritorious. People also visit all the eight as part of getting their desires fulfilled. Devotees visit the temple in sequence especially in the Shravan month.