Famous Temples in India

Religious Significance

When evil forces gained strength and got the upper hand and embodied themselves as demons and began to destroy the Dharma Setu (Bridge of Dharma). Rajas and Tamas were the most predominant evil qualities in them. They tortured the people in innumerable ways. In such a situation Shree Bhuvaneshwari, Divine Mother assumed divine forms with the names Kumari, Tripura, Kali and Durga and established the age old Dharma by destroying the wicked and protecting the good. These facts have been explained in Shastras and Puranas. The above were fractional incarnations of Shree Mahadevi just like the incarnations Matsya (fish) and Koorma of Lord Mahavishnu. But Shree Lalitha Devi was the full incarnation of Shree Bhuvaneshwari. After coronation She was called Shree Rajarajeshwari.The pious soul who installed and worshipped the clay image of Shree Rajarajeshwari with subordinate deities in the ancient days deserves our greatest gratitude.

It is well known that King Suratha installed and worshiped Shree Rajarajeshwari. Starting from Swayambhu there are fourteen Manus. In the early years, Swarochisha, the second Manu begot a son by name Chaitra. King Suratha was born in his line after many years. His vast kingdom spread all over the world. Unfortunately by force of circumstances he had to fight with a band of hunters by name 'Kolavidhwamsi'. Even though they were less powerful, King Suratha suffered defeat at their hands. Therefore the King totally withdrew from the areas overrun by his enemies and returned to his capital city. The Ministers now understood that their King had become weak and incompetent and took the military and treasury under their control. King Suratha now realized that his Ministers had cheated him. He feared that his ministers and military might conspire with his enemies and handover him to them. He therefore decided to flee away for safety. He told them that he was going out for hunting and rode away on his horse. At last he entered a dense forest and reached the hermitage of Sumedha, a great ascetic. The King prostrated before the sage and narrated the event that forced him to come to the forest.

The sage warmly received the King and asked him to stay there for some days. One day Suratha was walking around the hermitage bemoaning the loss of his Kingdom, wealth, wife and children. On the way he met a merchant. He paid his respect to the King and narrated his sad story that how his wife and children driven him away hankering for his wealth. Hearing this story the King took the trader to the sage. Both of them offered obeisance to the Muni (Ascetic). King Suratha then narrated the story of the merchant to the sage. Hearing this sage advised them to worship Divine Mother as prescribed in the Shastras and seek blessing from her. The King and the merchant offered their obeisance to the sage and took leave of him. Now both of them were eager to see the Divine Mother face to face. At the same time they were will grief - striken because of their attachments to the people who had driven them away. They selected a place from where water had recently receded. This place was not far away from the hermitage of Sage Sumedha. There they built a hermitage and there in they made out a clay image of the Divine Mother along with that of her subordinate deities, strictly in accordance with the rules of Tantra Shastra and sculpture. Both of them began repeating the sacred Devi Sooktha, beginning with words, "Namo Devyai Mahadevyai" and invoked Chandika Devi, the one integrated form of Mahakali, Maha lakshmi and Maha Saraswathi into the image they were worshiping. In the beginning they were taking limited food at regular intervals.