Chandrapur Mahakali Mandir – Maharashtra

Address

Chandrapur Mahakali Mandir – Maharashtra

Girnar Chowk Road, Babupeth – Junona Rd,

Chandrapur, Maharashtra 442402

Amman

Mahakali

Introduction

Mahakali Temple is one of the prominent temples in Chandrapur, and many devotees visits the temple every day, especially on Tuesday and can be called an icon of the city. This is prominent place in the heart of people of Chandrapur. The main deity in this temple is Mahakali Mata. Within the walls of the Mahakali Mandir are miniature temples dedicated to Ganesha and Hanuman. For the temple, there are two entrances. The Ganesh and Hanuman temple is located beside the back entrance. The ancient temple was built by Dhundya Ram Sah, Tribal King of Gond Dynasty around 16th century.

Puranic Significance

According to mythology, Khandkya Ballal, the son of Gond King Surja (also known as Ser Sah), succeeded his father in the kingdom. The body of this prince was covered in tumors. His attractive and knowledgeable wife took care of him. She persuaded Khandkya to leave Sirpur and settle on the northern bank of the Wardha, where he built a fort known as Ballalpur, after discovering that no treatment could cure him. According to folklore, the monarch once became parched while out hunting to the northwest of Ballalpur and rode up to the dry Jharpat river bank in search of water. After drinking, he bathed his face, hands, and feet with the water he had found dripping from a hole. For the first time in his life, he slept well that night. The queen was overjoyed to see that many of her husband’s tumors had vanished the following morning. After further investigation, the amazing recovery was attributed to the Jharpat water, which the King drank and used to wash his face. Khandkya was asked to escort the queen to the location of where he had quenched his thirst. Both continued to the Jharpat, where the hole was eventually discovered. After removing the grass and sand, we could see five water-filled cow footprints in the solid rock. The area has an endless supply of water. The Tirtha of Ancalesvar of the Treta Yuga renown was a sacred location. All the tumors on the king’s body disappeared as he took a bath. Two idols (murthys) can be found in the Mahakali Mandir in Chandrapur. The main idol is a single-standing Murthy covered in red, yellow, and orange fabrics. Shiv Ling was also connected to the primary idol.

Special Features

Inside the Mahakali Mandir, one gets to see two idols. The first is the standing deity clad in red, yellow and orange colors while the other is seen in a reclining position. One needs to get below the ground level inside a tunnel to get a glimpse of the reclining deity.