Jagdamba Temple

Shendala, Taluka Mehkar, District Buldana

There are many temples in Vidarbha dedicated to Jagdamba Mata, who is known as the ‘Mother of the Universe’; one such ancient temple is located in Shendala, in the Mehkar taluka. The idol of Jagdamba Mata, which has been enshrined here for about four hundred years, is 12 feet high and 7 feet wide. It is counted among the tallest idols in Vidarbha. The idol is draped in two nine-yard (Nauvari) sarees, which gives an idea of the grandeur of this Goddess. Hundreds of devotees come daily to seek the blessings of this ‘Jagrut’ (awakened) deity. During Chaitri Purnima and the Sharadiya Navratri festival, there is a large gathering of devotees here.

The literal meaning of the word ‘Jagdamba’ is ‘Mother of the World’. This Shakti is considered the root of the three universal processes: creation, preservation, and destruction. According to the ‘Devi Mahatmya’ section of the ‘Markandeya Purana’, when powerful demons like Mahishasura and Shumbha-Nishumbha defeated the gods, took control of heaven, and disrupted the penance of the sages, a great power emerged from the collective anger and radiance of all the gods. Born from the union of the radiance of Agni, Vayu, Vishnu, Shiva, and Indra, this eighteen-armed Jagdamba manifested. Armed with divine weapons received from each god, she annihilated the demons; hence, she is also addressed as ‘Mahishasuramardini’.

Religiously and historically, Jagdamba has a very strong bond with the soil of Maharashtra. The three and a half Shakti Peethas, considered the Kulswaminis (family deities) of Maharashtra, are various forms of this Mother. The three complete Peethas are Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur, Bhavani Mata of Tuljapur, and Renuka Mata of Mahur, while Saptashrungi Mata of Vani is the half Peetha. Scriptures mention that this Adi Shakti, who governs the universe, has taken various incarnations in different eras. There are many ancient temples of this ‘Mother of the Universe’, Jagdamba Mata, in the Buldana district. Among them, this Jagdamba Mata temple in Shendala is a place of faith for thousands of devotees.

The legend of this temple is that about four hundred years ago, a boy born into a carpenter family had a passion for making idols of gods and goddesses from mud and clay. Through this passion, he turned to the path of devotion. Once, he went to visit the Saptashrungi Devi at Vani near Nashik. At that time, a desire awakened in his heart that this Goddess should be established in his own village. Therefore, he took a vermilion-smeared arrow kept near the Goddess and brought it to his village. He installed this arrow on a stone platform at some distance from the village. After that, he dedicated himself to the service of the Goddess. He began to travel to nearby villages carrying the Goddess’s palanquin. The villagers of these villages would help him in the form of grain and money. With this money, he crafted a beautiful idol of the Goddess using raw bricks and coated it with vermilion. Over time, this idol became ‘Jagrut’ (awakened), and its fame spread throughout the surrounding area, with people believing that “all wishes are fulfilled by her darshan.” Consequently, many devotees began to come for her blessings. The temple of the Goddess was built here in 1898. Later, the renovation of this temple was carried out under the initiative of Ayaji Patil, who was honored with the ‘Samaj Bhushan’ award. After another recent renovation, the temple attained its present form. Upon entering through the temple gate, one reaches the courtyard. In the courtyard, there are two lamp pillars (Deepstambhas) in front of the temple. The structure of the temple consists of a semi-open assembly hall (Sabhamandap), an antarala, and the sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha). There is exquisite craftsmanship on the wooden door frame of the sanctum entrance. On the lintel of the entrance, there is a sculpture of Ganesha. In the sanctum, there is a grand, vermilion-smeared idol of the Goddess. On this idol, the eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips, and ears are clearly carved. The Goddess wears a silver nose ring (nath). Near the feet of this deity, adorned with clothes and ornaments, are a Shiva Linga and Padukas (footprints).

There is a Yajna Kund in the temple premises, where Homa-Havan is performed on various occasions. There is a Shiva temple and a Gajanan Maharaj temple in the vicinity. The shrine of Asara Mata is also located here. This awakened deity is the village goddess (Gramdevata) of Shendala. Various religious programs are organized in this temple on the day of Chaitri Purnima. On this day, Mahaprasad is distributed to the devotees. The Sharadiya Navratri festival is the main festival here. During this festival, various religious programs are organized for nine days. Homa-Havan is performed here on the day of Navami. During this festival, hundreds of devotees line up for darshan from the morning itself.

Useful Information:

• 11 km from Mehkar
• 70 km from Buldana
• ST bus service available from Mehkar
• Private vehicles can reach the temple
• No accommodation available in the premises
• Contact: Rajabhau Patil, President, Mob. 9420814444,
• Suresh Rahate, Vice President, Mob. 9764654041