Kolhapur Mahalakshmi Temple

Kolhapur Mahalakshmi Temple 

The Shri Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India, is one of the Shakti Peethas (goddess of power) listed in various puranas of Hinduism. The temple belongs to the Kannada Chalukya empire and may have been first built in circa 700 AD. Kirnotsav (festival of Sun rays) is celebrated when the sun rays fall directly on the deity's idol at the time of sunset.

Mounted on a stone platform, the image of the four armed and crowned goddess is made of gemstone and weighs about 40 kilograms. The image of Mahalakshmi carved in black stone is 3 feet in height. The Shri Yantra is carved on one of the walls in the temple. A stone lion, the vahana of the goddess, stands behind the statue. The crown contains an image of the Sheshnag — the serpent of Vishnu. In Her four hands, the deity of Mahalakshmi holds objects of symbolic value. The lower right hand holds a mhalunga (a citrus fruit), in the upper right, a large mace (kaumodaki) with its head touching the ground, in the upper left a shield (khetaka), and in the lower left, a bowl (panpatra). Unlike most Hindu sacred images, which face north or east, the image of this deity looks west (Pashchim). There is a small open window on the western wall, through which the light of the setting sun falls on the face of the image for three days around the 21st of each March and September.

 || सर्व मंगलमांगल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके शरण्ये त्र्यंबके गौरी नारायणि नमोस्तुते ||