Kolhapur Mahalakshmi
Located at the southwest part of the Indian state of Maharashtra, Kolhapur is a fast growing city. Many Maharashtrians consider this as the ‘ancient capital of Maharashtra’. There are many things to see in the city and beyond it, but probably the most famous is the temple of Mahalakshmi. Thousands of pilgrims come here every year to pay their homage to the Goddess Mahalakshmi.
According to the ancient writings or Puranas, the Mahalakshmi Temple in Kolhapur constitutes a Shakti Peeth which is associated with Shakti or power. The deity is considered as the Goddess of Power. The temple takes its name from Mahalakshmi, the eternal consort of Vishnu, the Avatar. The statue of the Goddess Mahalakshmi, which is made of precious stones weighing more than 40 kilograms, has four arms. In her lower right hand, she is holding a big lemon-like fruit (Matulinga), while in her upper right hand she is having a large mace, kaumodaks, with its head stroking the ground. With her upper left hand, the Goddess is holding the shield or the khetaka. The lower hand holds the bowl (Pan-Patra). The crown of the Goddess Mahalakshmi is adorned by a cobra hood as also with a Shiva-linga with Yoni clasping it.
Contrary to popular custom, the Goddess in the Mahalaskshmi Temple faces westward. There is a window on the Western wall that is opened only on certain days, mostly during the sunset hours. As a result, the golden rays of the setting sun falls directly on the face of the Goddess, providing her with a halo of ethereal light.
How to reach: There is a railway station and an airport in the city of Kolhapur. So you can take either the train or the flight. You can take an auto rickshaw once you are in the city to visit the temple. It is quite far from Mumbai, so driving your own vehicle might not be a good idea.
Finding a good place to stay is not a problem at Kolhapur. There are many hotels near Kolhapur Mahalakshmi Temple, resorts near Kolhapur Mahalakshmi Mandir, and home stays around Kolhapur Mahalakshmi Temple.
