Introduction
Mahurye Ekaveerika Shakthi Peeth is the 8th Maha Shakthi Peeth. Devi Sati is worshipped as Ekaveerika Mata. Devi Sati’s head had fallen here.
Location
Ekaveerika Shakthi Peeth is located on the banks of Panch Ganga River near a small village Heure in Mahur, Nanded District, Maharashtra. The temple is 126 Kms from Nanded and 50 Kms from Kinwat. Renuka Devi temple is another temple which people visit along with Ekaveerika Shakthi Peeth. Road connectivity to the temple is good. The nearest railway station is from Kinwat. Nearest airport is Nagpur.
Other temples on the hill top include:
a) Dattatreya temple, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu
b) Parushurama temple and Parushurama pond
c) Anasuya Temple, mother of Dattatreya
d) Atri Maharushi temple, father of Dattatreya beside the temple of Anasuya Mata temple.
e) Matru Tirtha is the pond where Parushurama did the religious rites of his father Sage Jamadagni. There is a mention of this pond in Guru Charitra. People take a dip in this pond to get rid of their sins.
f) Devdeveshwar Mandir is the sleeping place of Lord Dattatreya. The Lord takes a bath at Varanasi in Ganga River, Bhiksha in Kolhapur and comes over to sleep in Mahur every day.
g) Ramgad Fort is another tourist place in Mahur
h) Chinta Mani Ganesh temple facing south is located 20 kms from Yavatmal.
i) Palace of Raje Udaram: They are the last rulers of Mahur.
The Temple and the Deity
Ekaveerika Shakthi Peeth is a small shrine with one hall and a sanctum Sanctorum. Only the head of the deity is here. Ekaveerika mata is the elder sister of Renuka Devi, the wife of Sage Jamadagni. Ekaveerika Shakthi Peeth is a seat of Tantric worship. People offer Bali to Devi.
Renuka Devi temple is an ancient temple, about 800 years old and is on the hill top. Sage Jamadagni is also present in the temple in the form of a Shiva ling. The temple was built by Yadava King of Devagiri in the thirteenth century.
Pan and Supari are offered as Prasad to the deity.
Puranic Reference
Renuka Devi, wife of Sage Jamadagni used to get water daily from a river in a newly made pot. One day, she saw some Gandharvas having a good time in the river and thought how happy they were. She could not make the pot that day. On reaching home, she narrated the whole incident to her husband who was enraged. He asked his sons to separate Renuka’s head from her body. Out of his four sons, only Parushurama took his Parashu (axe) and killed her. The separated head of Renuka Devi is worshipped as Ekaveerika Mata and the body that of Renuka Devi.
Parushurama felt remorse for having killed his mother and requested his father to restore life back to his mother. Jamadagni restored life to Renuka Devi.
Festivals and Fairs
Dasara during Ashwija Masa (Sep- Oct) is celebrated with great fervour. A big fair is held on Vijayadashmi day, during which people from nearby towns and cities visit the temple.
Datta Jayanti or Datta Poornima is celebrated with religious fervour.
