Temple - Past
and Present
| Welcome to one of
the most religiously-celebrated, architecturally superb and culturally
rich temple of south-east India: Shri Mahamaya Devi Mandir, Ratanpur.
From many decades since, the temple and the town of Ratanpur have
attracted the attention of scores of historians and archeologists.
Surrounded by lush green hills and housing more than 150 ponds,
the town is flocked - twice a year - by hundreds of thousands
of devotees every year, who visit here in Navrataras to get darshan
of the awe-inspiring dual-statue of their beloved goddess: Mahamaya
Devi. Situated at 25 km away from the city of Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh)
on the Bilaspur-Ambikapur state highway, the Mandir and the relics
of scores of ancilliary temples, domes, palaces and forts - now
rundown by the time and natural forces - seem to tell a story.
Once the capital of the Kalchuri kings, Ratanpur - then, Ratnapur
- has almost a millenium of history. |
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| Built on the Nagar school of architecture,
the temple is surrounded by a 18 inch thick boundary wall. Supported
by sixteen stone columns, the temple is believed to be built around
12th century AD. Many of the statues and motifs used in the temple
have been taken from rundown or broken temples of earlier centuries,
some of them were Jain temples. The main campus of temple has the
smaller statues of Mahakali, Bhadrakali, Surya Dev, Lord Vishnu,
Lord Hanuman, Bhairav and Lord Shiva. It is believed that the first
puja and abhihek of Devi was performed at this place by Kalinga
king Ratna Dev in 1050 AD, when he shifted his capital from tuman
to Ratnapur. Because of its strategic geographical status, King
Ratna Dev and his heirs made Ratnapur their capital and built up
palaces, fort and temples, the remnants of which can be seen still
today. |
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Inside the main temple campus, facing
the famous Kanthi Dewal temple and the Temple main pond is the splendid
dual statues of Mahamaya: the front one is called the Mahishasur
Mardini and the hind statue is believed to be that of Goddess
Saraswati. However, by a casual viewer the rear statue
can often be overlooked. In the Navratras, devotees come from all
corners of the country and the world to get a glimpse of the celebrated
Devi and pay their rituals. Surrounding the main temple are many
big halls where Jyoti Kalashas are lit by the Trust on behalf of
the devotees. The Kalashas are kept "alive" for the whole
nine days of Navratras. This is why they are also called Akhand
Manookaamna Navratra Jyoti Kalashas. It is believed that Devi fulfills
all your wishes if you follow proper fasting, puja and
archana of Devi and also contribute to the Akhand Jyoti
Kalashas. |
| Around the main temple, there are
many other temples - of equally rich historical and archeological
value. The most important of these are Mahamrityunjaya Panchmukhee
Shiv Mandir and Kanthi Dewal. Panchmukhee Shiv Mandir is a magnificient
architecture made of red stone and is believed to be the origin
of the Mahamaya statue. It is also believed that if you make a wish
before it, after performing proper puja and hang a shriphal
(coconut) wrapped in red cloth on the tree before it, your wish
is granted by Him. |
| The Kanthi Dewal temple
is octagonal in shape and believed to be of Hindu and Moghul school
of architecture. Made of red stone, all its walls are decorated
by sculptures of 9th to 12th century. The important sculptures are
: Shaal Bhanjika, a Lady feeding a child, Lingodhbhava Shiva
and a Kalchuri king. Inside the Kanthi Dewal temple
is a Shiv Lingam, the phallus, which, in Hindu dharma,
is believed to be the source of Divine Energy. It is believed that
if Lingam is poured with milk and water after proper puja-archana,
it is sure to give the devotee the mental and physical strength
and energy. A little known fact about this temple is that it was
reconstituted recently by the Department of Archeological Survey
of India. The reconstitution spanned five years, but the actual
shape of the temple was kept intact. |
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