Mahalaxmi Temple Of Kolhapur - Story, Timings And More

Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Temple is situated in the city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Kolhapur is located in the south-west corner of the state Maharashtra and is 240 km away from Pune. It is located on the national highway that is in between Bangalore and Pune. Mahalaxmi temple of kolhapur is located on the bank of river Panchganga.

Mahalaxmi temple of Kolhapur Story

According to the legends, after the self-immolation of Devi Sati, Lord Shiva was wandering in sorrow. It created an imbalance in the universe and therefore Lord Vishnu cut the body of Sati into 51 parts. These body parts of Devi Sati has fallen in different parts of India as well as in its neighboring country. The fallen body parts of Sati is known as Shakti Peeth.
Out of these 51 Shakti Peeth, 4 of them are located in Maharashtra. And Mahalaxmi temple of Kolhapur is one of the four Shakti Peeth of Maharashtra which is surrounded by other shrines and ancient temples. According to the Legends, a demon named Kolhasura, that had tormented the whole universe with his devil acts. He was then destroyed at Karavira by the Goddess Mahalakshmi. That spot later became a Thirtha and Mahalakshmi took abode there which is known as Mahalakshmi temple today.

There was a time when the temple had fallen down and then the idol of the Goddess Mahalakshmi was placed elsewhere. In the year 1715, Marathas rose to power and after that, the temple was restored for the worship of the goddess. Now the temple is in a great condition and it encounters a huge crowd in almost every season.

Mahalaxmi temple of Kolhapur – Details, and Timings

It is easy to get there but difficult to capture beauty because photography isn’t allowed there. One can enter Mahalaxmi temple of Kolhapur through Mahadwara which is there on the western side of the temple. After entering one can see several deepamaalas on both the sides and a Gaduda Mandam on the center. These mandap shows the characteristics of Maratha temples and is formed in the 18th century. This temple also showcases the rich artwork of different sculptures on its walls. These include the sculpture of gods and goddesses, musicians, etc.

At Mahalaxmi temple of Kolhapur, one can worship the goddess five times every day. The worship starts at 5 am, at this time priest wakes up the deity with a torch and mantras. At 8 am the priest offers the Shodashopachara pooja which consists of 16 elements. In the afternoon and evening, the priest offers the Shejaarati pooja constituting the other three worship service.