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Mahur in Maharashtra – Birth Place of Renuka Devi and Dattatreya

Mahur Renuka Devi is the patron deity of many families in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. It is believed that Devi Anasuya gave birth to Bhagwan Dattatreya at Mahur. It is also associated with the divine incident of Renuka and Parshuram. Mahur village is located around 40 km northwest of Kinwat town in Nanded District.



Mahur Renuka Mata Mandir  

One has to travel around 7 km from Mahur Village to reach the temple, which is located atop a mountain. Surrounded by forests (with sighting of wild animals), the shrine has a history of more than 800 years. The temple was established by a Yadav king.

Goddess Renuka is the mother of Lord Parashuram, the manifestation of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that she was born at Mahur also known as Mahurgad. Another legend has it that when Parashuram decapitated her head, it fell here and he got it restored also here. The place is known as Matripur or Matapur in Devi Bhagavatam.

Mother Goddess is worshipped here in the form of a large Swayambhu Murti. The murti is painted red and is adorned with a huge crown. Lion, the vehicle of mother, is depicted as leaping. Another interesting aspect of the murti are the eyes and the symbol running from forehead to the nose.

Renuka mata mandir are found widely in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Rituals dedicated to her are observed throughout various temples dedicated to the Goddess.

The most important festival at Mahur is observed during the Sharad Navratri and concludes with Dasara (September – October).

Dattatreya and Mata Anasuya Mandir

The village has two other famous temples. They are also located atop mountains. The first one is dedicated to Dattatreya and the other one is dedicated to his mother Anasuya.

Dattatreya Jayanti, or the birth anniversary of Lord Dattatreya, attracts thousands of devotees to Mahur.

The other smaller temples in the village include Parashuram and Dev Deveshwar Mandir. Kali mandir is another sacred spot here. Sacred places include Sarva Tirth, Mathru Tirth, Bhanu Tirth, Pandav Leni and Mahakali Mandir.

Direction to Reach Mahur in Maharashtra

The nearest railway station to Mahur Renuka Devi Temple is Kinwat which is 50 KM away, but Nanded Railway Station which is 126 KM is the more convenient railway station on South Central railway.

By Road - Mumbai - Ahmednagar - Paithan - Jalan - Washim - Pusad – Mahur. The temple is around 717 km from Mumbai.

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