Pavagadh Of Mahakali

Pavagadh Of Mahakali

Way :
Ahmedabad - 190 KM

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Geographically speaking, Pavagadh is within the limits of Panchmahal district. However, to reach it we find it easier to proceed from Vadodara. A center of pilgrimage, Mount Pavagadh is only 46 km away froin Vadodara and is the site of worship of Goddess Mahakali, and as such is the major Shakti-pith of Gujarat as well as India.

The history of Pavagadh is connected with Patai Raval. The base of the mount is called Champaner, a city that Vanraj Chavda founded to commemorate his Chief Minister, Chaampa. The Patai family of the Raval branch ruled here and guarded the borders. Legend says that once Goddess Mahakali, whose temple was on the peak, came down to Champaner to play the 'garba', a folk dance, in the form of a lady. The last ruler of this line, Jaisinh eyed her with lust, and so the Goddess cursed him. As a result, within a short period the Gujarat ruler, Muhammad Begda invaded and conquered Pavagadh. The Patai ruler lost the battle and was killed. Begda shifted his capital from Ahmedabad to Champaner.

Pavagadh is considered very sacred and it is believed to fulfill all the wishes of the devotees. For this purpose the Japa, Mantra and Tantra, Anushthan and other religious rites are to be performed in the worship of the Goddess A number of saints and ascetics are advancing in spiritual pursuit while living at various peaks of this mountain and offering worship. This place of worship of the Mother Goddess Mata Kalika Bhavani, as she is also known, is famous for fulfilling the wishes and needs of Her devotees. The Shri Kali Mantra is considered the best for the Japa or chanting in order to please Her and get the wishes fulfilled. Tens of thousands of people visit this sacred site to pay their respects to the Mother Goddess here.

As it is a 'Shakti-pith', the temple does not have an image of the Goddess, but merely a niche or recessed place called 'gokh'. Here the 'Kalika Yantra', placed at the center of Gokh is offered worship. To its right is the image of Kalika Devi, to the left is the 'af!gi' of Bahucharaji Mata and a little away on the left is the image of Mahalakshmi Mata. Pavagdh also has great attraction for the followers of Jainism, for this extremely beautiful place is also for them a highly sacred place called 'Siddha Kshetra'. All those places where the Jain Tirthankaras, Muni Maharaj, great Acharyas, Upadhyayas or Gandhars breathed their last, attained Nirvana or Moni Gati, turned into important places of worship for the devotees. There are 9 sacred temples of Digambar sect of Jains at Pavagadh, and 7 of them are on the highest Maulia Peak, situated between Dudhiya lake and Chhasia lake on a small and narrow flat peak of Takorkhana Nagarkhana. Three of them are on the banks of Dudhiya Lake. The ancient and huge Jain temple is of the 7th Tirthankar Prabhu 1008 Shri Suparshvanath Bhagvan of Digambar sect. The image of this Digambar Tirthankar is seated facing the E~st and his image is most beautiful. Thousand years old, this temple has the structure with 52 Jinalayas and has been renovated time·and again and is standing proud at the bank of Dudhiya Lake today.

Another Jain temple is called 'Daheri' houses the 'charanpadukas' of the sons of Lord Rama, namely Lav and Kush who are said to have accepted Jainism and assumed the names of Ananglavana and Madankush, and they are said to have attained Moksha here.