Bhāgavatī (Devanagari: भगवती, IAST: Bhagavata), is an Indian epithet of Sanskrit origin, used as an honorific title for goddesses in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Hinduism, it is primarily used to address the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. In Buddhism, it is used to refer to several Mahayana Buddhist female deities, like Cundā. The male equivalent of Bhagavatī is Bhagavān. The term is an equivalent of Devi and Ishvari.
Bhagavati Temples in Indian subcontinent Maharashtra Bhagavati temples can also be found all over Mumbai, for example, Bhagavati Devi Sansthan Deosari, Umarkhed, Yavatmal District, Maharashtra. Bhagavati temple at Ratnagiri, Maharashtra Uttar Pradesh Bhagawati Temple at Reotipur, Uttar Pradesh. Bhagawati Temple at Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. Karnataka Bagavathi temple Sasihitlu Mangalore. Famous temple in Karnataka on the bank of Arabian sea. Guliga is the main Daiva here. Bhagavathi temple in Ullal, Mangalore Attukal temple Kerala Shrines of these goddesses are referred to as Bhagavati Kshetram in Kerala. Some popular Bhagavati temples in Kerala are, Attukal Temple Kalluvettu Kuzhikkal Bhagavati Kshetram at Karaparamba, Calicut Punnasseri Bhagavati Kshetram at Athanikkal, Kozhikode. Areekulangara Devi Kshetram at Kattangal-Mavoor Rd., Kozhikode. Chakkulathukavu Temple Chottanikkara Temple Chettikulangara Devi Temple Madayi Kavu Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple Paramekkavu Bhagavathi Temple, Thrissur Sankarankulangara Bhagavathi Temple, Thrissur Olarikkara Bhagavathi Temple, Thrissur Sree Kattukulangara Bagavathy Temple, Mampad, Palakkad Meenkulathi Bagavathy Temple, Pallasena, Palakkad Peroor Kavu Bhagavathi Kadampuzha Devi Temple Pisharikavu Kavaserry Bhagavathi Temple Mangottu Bhagavathi Temple Mondaicaud Bhagavathi Temple in Kolachal, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu Lokanarkavu (Lokamalayar kavu) temple in Vatakara, Kozhikode District Kalayamvelli temple, Kozhikode District Uthralikkavu Bhagavati Temple, Thrissur District Shree Sasihithulu Bhagavathee Temple, Haleyangadi, Karnataka Kuttiyankavu Bhagavati Temple, Minalur, Athani, Thrissur District Thechikkotukavu temple, Peramangalam, Thrissur District Thachanaathukaavu temple, Parlikad, Wadakanchery, Trichur District Tiruvaanikkaavu bhagawati temple, Machaad, Wadakanchery, Trichur District Tirumandaamkunnu temple, Angaadipuram, Perinthalmana, Malappuram Kottuvally Kavu Bhagavathy temple, Koonammavu, Ernakulam Sree Emur Bhagavathy Hemambika temple Kallekulangara, Palakkad Kechery Parappukkavu Bhagavathi Temple, Thrissur Naxal Bhagwati, Kathmandu Kalinchowk Bhagwati Temple Goa Many Bhagavati temples are found in Goa, where the deity is mainly worshipped in the form of Mahishasuramardini by the Goud Saraswat Brahmin, Daivadnya Brahmin, Bhandari communities. Bhagavati is also worshipped as one of the Panchayatana deities in most of the Goan temples. Shrines specially dedicated to Bhagavati are: Bhagavati (Pernem) Bhagavati Haldonknarin (Khandola, Goa) Bhagavati Chimulakarin (Marcela, Goa) Bhagavati (Parse, Goa) Bhagavati (Mulgao, Goa) Dhavali,Bhagavati temple Chinnamasta Bhagawati Temple, Nepal Nepal Shobha Bhagawati(शोभा भगवती मन्दिर), Kathmandu Naxal Bhagawati Temple, Kathmandu Chinnamasta Bhagawati Temple, Saptari District, Nepal Palanchok Bhagawati Temple, Kavrepalanchok District Kalinchowk Bhagwati Temple, Kalinchowk Rural Municipality Bhagwati Bahal Temple (भगवती बाहल मन्दिर), Thamel, Kathmandu Bindhyabasini Temple, Pokhara Argha Bhagwati temple, Arghakhanchi District Taleju, Hanumand Dhokha, Kathmandu Taleju, Patan Taleju, Bhaktapur Bhadrakali Palpa Bhagawati --------------------------------------------- 1. Chettikulangara Devi Temple One of the most popular Durga temples in Kerala, and second to only Shabarimala as far as the income is concerned, Chettikulangara Devi Temple is the temple of Bhadra kali that is located at Chettikulangara in the district of Alappuzha in Mavelikkara taluk. The temple receives collections worth several crores of rupees annually. Sometimes a single-day collection runs more than one crore rupees. Prosperity and salvation in life is what they attain after worshipping her, as per a local legend. Vedic Agama worship is not followed here. The Shabarimala temple prasadams such as Appam, Aravana, etc., are made there from the offerings of Nellu (paddy) made at the Bhagavathi temple. The income from the temple is widely used to take care of pujas, etc at other temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board. She is an embodiment of holy trinity and responsible for activating the Kundalini shakthi in her devotees as well. Festivals Observed: A number of important festivals such as Kumbha Bharani, Parayeduppu, Aswathy Ulsavam, Ethirelpu Ulsavam, etc are celebrated in a grand manner here. Known as the most favourite tourist destination in india, this temple was built by none other than the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu, the Parashuram, Upadevathas like Ganapathi, Balakan, and Yakshini, also receive worship here. A significant feature of this temple is the mammoth oil lamp by name Kuthuvilakku, that is made of granite and filled with a thousand wicks. Your Face's Heat Patterns Can Reveal More Than You Can Imagine, Can Also Give Clues About Your Health 2. Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple One of the largest Bhagavathy temples in Kerala, the Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple located in the midst of Thrissur, towards the east of the renowned Vadukkunathan Temple, is an architectural slice of heaven on the gods own country. Dating back to 1000 years in time, this shrine is governed by the presiding deity Goddess Bhagavathi who is an incarnation of Goddess Durga and the traditional Panchavadyam called Palachottil Melom is famous the nation over. It is one of the largest and oldest Bhagavathy temples of Kerala that dates back to thousand years. It is known as a centre for the famous Thrissur Pooram festival. This temple is a regular witness to a vibrant procession of people and animals that gather from 15 different temples here. This procession that starts here, ends at the Vadakkunathan temple. During the times of Thrissur Pooram, this temple, is no less in splendour to that of the temple of Thiruvambady. The temple complex has two demarcated shrines, one is Paramekkavu and the other is Melakkavu. The idol of Paramekkavu Bhagavathy, was initially made of wood which was found to be damaged some time later and hence a new wooden idol was made. A sacred farewell was conducted to the old idol before accepting the new wooden idol as the deity for worship. Blood sacrifice of animals to the Goddess is an ongoing tradition here, which was stopped due to the governmental interference. But after a long time, the priests decided to perform the sacrifice only on the festival days of Kodungallur Bhagavathy temple. The deity was later consecrated at a place where the blood sacrifice was being performed. Festivals Observed: This temple has the privilege of participating in the famous Thrissur Pooram festival during which fifteen decorated elephants are brought in procession from Paramekkavu to the Vadakkumnathan temple to celebrate the Pooram festival. Navarathri, Makara Chowa, Shivaratri are the other important festivals. Ashadha Amavasya 2024 Horoscope: Planet Saturn Will Form Shash Rajyoga, These 3 Zodiac Signs Will Get Benefits 3. Attukal Bhagavathy Temple: The Attukkal Bhagavathy temple in South Kerala brings together an annual gathering of lady devotees at Pongala Mahotsavam which is why this temple has come to be known as 'Sabarimala of Women'. Attukal Bhagavathy Amman Temple is one of the famous shrines in south Kerala. It is situated in Trivandrum City. It is the place where Millions of women annually gather together for the famous Attukal Pongala Festival held in February/March. This actually has set a record and finds a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The gopuram exhibits a blend of both Tamil and Kerala architectural styles. You must have heard of Kannagi's legendary story (she is the heroine of Ilanko Adikal's 'Silapathikaaram'.) and here is where she has come to be enshrined as Attukal Bhagavathy Amman, the story of which is engraved in the sculptures here. The main deity of the temple is Kannagi who coexists with other Upadevathas of the temple such as Madan Thampuran. A temple for Chattambi Swamikal, a famous Social reformer who chose this temple for his meditative pursuit can be found here. Festival Observed: Sweet Pongal is the dish that is offered to Goddess as Prasad. It is made of rice, jaggery, coconut and water. The Attukal Pongala Festival goes on for 10 days, in the month of February/March. The festival lasts for 10 days. Attukal Pongala is conducted on the 9th day of the Pongala festival. Women from all over the globe take part in this festival. Nearly 5 km of the area around the temple is occupied and earmarked for the Pongala celebration. To participate in the Pongala festival, you need to qualify by observing a vrat of nine days prior to the festival. The entire ten-day-long festival is dedicated to singing the epic of Kannagi and the right to sing this epic song belongs to a particular family. Villakku Kettu is another kind of offering that is given to goddesses during these ten days. Thalappoli and Kuthiottam are two types of rituals observed by girls under 10 years and boys below 12 years of age in order to pray for the well being and prosperity of their families. Devi is taken out in a colourful procession to visit her brother the Dharmashasta. This entire festival ends with a blood sacrifice for the deity. Attukal Devi fulfils every wish that is made in deep earnest and faith. 4. Iringole Bhagavathy Temple Iringole Forest Temple otherwise popularly known as Iringole Kavu is a renowned Bhagavathy temple, located amidst the dense forest in the Pattal Village. The temple is about 35kms away from Ernakulam on the Aluva - Munnar road. This temple is believed to be around 2746 years old. It became an active centre for pujas and devotee visits around 1200 years ago. In Dwapara Yuga, prior to the birth of Krishna, his parents were imprisoned by the Demon Kamsa who feared that the 8th child of Devaki and Vasudeva, the parents of Lord Krishna would kill Kamsa. So when the 7th girl child was born the demon Kamsa, in an attempt to kill her, swung her to the sky. She glided from his hands and shone like a bright star and disappeared. This place which witnessed her light and glow came to be called Irnnol which gradually changed to Iringole whose deity idol appeared in a self-manifested form. The offerings to this deity are jaggery, thick payasam or kheer with jaggery, ghee and a special payasam named Chathussatham made of wheat. Marriages, Ganapati homam or reading of Ramayana scriptures are not held at the temple. Fragrant flowers or women wearing flowers are not allowed inside the temple. Only female elephants are allowed to carry the deity's effigy. The huge trees surrounding the temple are believed to be the Devas who came to pray to the Goddess for her blessings and stood there praising her and hence they are not felled for no reason and even a wood branch that falls on its own isn't used for any purpose. Festival Observed: During the annual temple festival season, the deity is given a sacred bath called 'aarattu' every day. It is believed that on the day of Karthika in the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, visiting her would be of great benefit as it will ensure longevity for them and for their spouses as well. Unmarried would ensure a good alliance. 5. Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple The Chottanikkara (modified pronunciation of Jyotiannakkara) Devi Temple is dedicated to Sri Bhagavathy or Mother Shakti. This Goddess ‘Keezhkkaavu devi' is believed to be the ‘Bhadrakali' (Mahakali), herself in her fierce or ‘ugra' form. She originated from the third eye of Lord Shiva with the intention of killing the demon Daruka. This Rajarajeshwari temple, is the abode of Sree Bhagavathi who takes on the form of Maha Saraswati in the morning, Maha Lakshmi in the noon and Maha Durga in the evening., this temple, located in Chottanikkara, a southern suburb of Kochi in Kerala, is one of the most popular temples in the state. This temple shares architectural excellence with the temple of Sabarimala. She also resides along with the supreme lord Shiva, Ganesh & Lord Dharmasastha (Ayyappa) whose worship is carried on alongside. The temple is known for curing mental illness and disorders due to evil spirits. Guruthi Puja or blood sacrifice which is done to invoke Kali is being conducted every day. Festival Observed ‘Chottanikara ‘Makam thozhal' is the famous religious temple festival observed here. The area in which the temple is situated was once a dense jungle that was a regular home to vampires called yakshis and raktharakshas. After the ritualistic bath of "Devi" in ceremonial pond [Onak Kuttichira] she is accompanied by Lord Sastha on the back of seven caparisoned elephants that reach the point of "Pooraparambhu" where they remain till 11 a.m. At the noon, the door of Sanctum Sanctorum closes for ucha pooja and then again reopens at 2 pm for the "Makam Darsanam." At this time, Devi appears in her fullest glory and splendour, which is when those who take a glimpse of her, would be blessed with fulfilment of their long-standing desire and prayers. During earlier days the darshan was the prerogative of only the upper classes. But now it is being extended to all cross sections of the society. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Bhagavatī (भगवती).—The words Bhagavān and Bhagavatī mean Paramātmā (universal self) and Prakṛti (Nature and its modifications) respectively. Prakṛti is also called by the name Śakti. The following elucidation once given by Mahāviṣṇu about Bhagavān and Bhagavatī is greatly illuminating. Time, space, atmosphere and the universe (Brahmāṇḍam) are, just like Paramātmā, eternal. This is the truth and reality. Below this eternal Gokula exists Vaikuṇṭhaloka, which also is, like the former, eternal. Just like this, Prakṛti, which is a sport to Brahmā and is also without beginning or end (Sanātanī) too is eternal. In the same manner as flame exists in fire inseparable from it, moonlight in moon, beauty in the lotus flower and brightness in the sun, so does nature exist in soul inseparable therefrom. In the same way as the goldsmith cannot make gold ornaments without gold and the potter cannot make pots without clay, the Paramātmā will not in the least be able to function unaided by Prakṛti. Prakṛti (Nature, Devī) is all powerful. 'Para' becomes powerful enough to do everything when he joins the Devī. (See full article at Story of Bhagavatī from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani) Bhagavatī (भगवती) is another name for Śivā: the Goddess-counterpart of Śiva who incarnated first as Satī and then Pārvatī, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.1.16:—“[...] the great goddess Śivā is of the three natures. Śivā became Satī and Śiva married her. At the sacrifice of her father she cast off her body which she did not take again and went back to her own region. Śivā incarnated as Pārvatī at the request of the Devas. It was after performing a severe penance that she could attain Śiva again. Śivā came to be called by various names [such as Bhagavatī,...]. These various names confer worldly pleasures and salvation according to qualities and action. The name Pārvatī is very common. ------------------------------------------------------------- The Bhagavatī Sūtra contains 41 Śatakas, each comprising 10 Uddeśakas, which for the present work have been called Books and Chapters respectively. The text, according to Law, follows “the uddesa and niddesa methods, the first implying the presentation of the thesis and the second their elucidation.” A Śataka starts with a couplet which gives in a precise form the contents of the 10 Chapters following, takes note of the time, place and occasion of the dialogue/discourse, mentions personalities taking part in it, and points to their inner cohesion, so that, it would appear, a single thread runs not only through the Uddeśakas making a Śataka, but also through the Śatakas themselves. Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra apart, the most dominant personality in the Sūtra is Indrabhūti Gautama, the first Gaṇadhara of the Śramaṇa Bhagavān, a profound scholar and master of four types of knowledge. Indrabhūti asks questions in all humility and curiosity, while the Śramaṇa Bhagavān provides answers with extreme patience, affectionately addressing his dear disciple on each occasion as ‘Goyama’. At times, other personalities have been brought in, for instance, Ārya Roha, Kālāsavesiyaputra who was a follower of Pārśva, the lay-followers at Tuṅgikā, the celebrated Skandaka, in the present volume, and these have provided the much needed relief to the reader. The standpoint of Jainism as presented in the Bhagavatī Sūtra is in no way different from that presented in other Āgamas. The fundamental principle of Jainism is ahī nsā [ahiṃsā], and to get into its true spirit, one must have a complete understanding of the karma theory which has been discussed at length in it. Among the traditional scholars, the Jainas are credited with having taken a hylozoistic view of nature which means that there is nothing formed in the world of matter, that nothing exists in space and time, which is not some form of a living organism. And it takes us further to believe, as has been done by Darwin for contemporary science, that all these organisms are in a process of development or evolution in their physical structures, modes of generation, intake of food and drink, deportments, behaviour, action, thought, ideas, knowledge, intelligence and the like. The Jaina belief in the multiplicity of souls each one of which is endowed with a consciousness and is the master of his own actions, pious as well as impious, karma-acquiring as well as karma-exhausting, is unique in the sense that the soul has been accredited with, and recognised as, an active principle, and is not merely passive, as is presumed in some other Indian systems. Another unique thing about the Jaina belief is that in it, even though soul and matter transform and undergo change due to change in circumstances, both have an eternality because of which any idea of original creation or destruction is rendered completely nugatory. The Jaina system necessitates a careful consideration of the cosmical, biological, embryological, physical, mental and moral positions of the soul in all parts of the Sphere. This has been done in the Bhagavatī Sūtra in an exhaustive manner. The translation of the work has been a surprisingly pleasant experience for the translator. Three things that have, in particular, impressed him are its methodology, its terminology, and its illustrations. Its methodology is scientific in so far as the term would convey anything in ancient times. Illustrations of most difficult concepts have been taken from most commonplace things. For instance, the cohesion of soul and matter is illustrated by the example of a leaky boat which is submerged at the bottom of water. When laboratory tests were unknown, such commonplace examples made even the most difficult concepts easy for understanding. The Bhagavatī Sūtra is rich in terminology, a good part of which may be useful in the production of scientific treatises in the Indian languages. The Bhagavatī Sūtra has a philosophical content of a high degree but it has also many anticipations of modern science. To note one or two, there is a complete anticipation of the atomic theory in the Sūtra, as there is an exhaustive analysis of matter. There are many other things relevant to Mathematics, Physics, Cosmology, Biology, Astronomy, etc. But this rich treasure we left behind in the past and managed to forget all about it. For centuries, therefore, we did not know that we had had such a rich heritage. But thanks to the pioneering work of the western Orientalists and Indologists, Indology as a branch of knowledge has already carved a place for itself, and during the past half a century, even Jainology is striving hard to take shape. It is heartening that Jainology now attracts scholars all over the world, and important works on Jaina canonical texts are coming up very fast. But what has not happened is that we have not yet been able to pick up the thread from where we dropped it in the past and to give it a really ‘big push’. Within a short time, the world at large, and this country in particular, is going to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of the nirvana of Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, and that would indeed be a great occasion for us to pick up the thread from where we dropped it and go further ahead. The Bhagavatī Sūtra of the Jainas is not the only text of the kind that deals with science and philosophy. There are many others, mostly interlinked in kinship, the Paṇṇavaṇā, the Jīvābhigama, the Uvavāi, etc., which are deserving of our attention in matter of their representation through a convenient medium. The present translation of the Bhagavatī Sūtra has been put up in the genuine expectation that in the next decade or so, Jaina scholarship will concentrate on translating all the important scientific works of the Jainas into English so that we, as well as scholars outside, may know where we really stand. Once we are able to take stock of our position, it may perhaps be easy for us to break our age-old stagnation. K RAJARAM IRS 6724 7724 ------------------------------------------------------- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZopVwR926sUcRZFmwVpWjyqmtkyc9xAmQDxa3D_yr%2BGwMA%40mail.gmail.com.
