Shakambhari is an incarnation of Mata Parvati, and is our holy mother. She accepts any Vegetarian Item as the Prasad. Usually in her temples, she would be decorated with various flowers, fruits and vegetables. It is also believed that during the times of drought and famine, Parvati Mata would incarnate as Shakambhari and gives food to the hungry. She is also called as “SARVA LOKA MATA” (UNIVERSAL MOTHER) and worshipped in several names. Her Shakti peeth is situated in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. She is also popularly mentioned in several Puranas.
Once there lived a powerful demon named Durgamasur, and he was very arrogant. He didn’t like the vedic sages chanting the mantras of the gods. He wanted to stop this act. Hence, he went to the Himalayas and performed severe penance on Lord Brahma. Brahma appeared before him and was willing to offer the boon. The demon had asked Brahma to give him all the Vedas. Lord Brahma had given the four vedas to the demon and then disappeared.
From that time, the great sages and the vedic pandits didn’t do their daily rituals, fire sacrifices, and other rites and were become lazy. After some time, the demon fought with the divine devas and made them to vacate from the heaven.
All the divine devas, sages and the holy people went to Himalayas and worshipped Mata Parvati to show mercy on them. Parvati took the form of Shakambhari and after a long battle she killed him, and took the four vedas and handed over it to Lord Brahma. Due to that, the sages and the vedic people were able to chant the mantras and do homams and pujas on gods and goddesses.
TEMPLES
- Ma Shakambari temple at Sakarai in Rajasthan.
- Shakambari Mata temple at Jharkhand.
- Mata Shakambari Devi temple in koltata.
- Shakambari temple in Uttar Pradesh.
- Shakambari temple in Odhisha.
- Shakambari Mata temple in Badami.
- ShakambariTemple in Cuttack.
- Shakambari temple in Aurangabad.
- Shakambari temple in Pune.
Every year in Durga Temple at Vijayawada, goddess Durga would be decorated with vegetables and fruits for three days and worshipped as Shakambari Devi.
Various Pujas would be performed in Shakambhari Devi temples during Navaratri festival days.
IMPORTANCE
Goddess Shakambhari Devi is a god of vegetation and agriculture. By worshipping her, there would be a good harvest in the agriculture sector. She is the kind mother, who will used to provide food to the people, whenever in case of need. Through her blessings only, nowadays free food is offered in most of the temples throughout india. She is the affectionate mother who offers boons to her sincere devotees and blesses them.
Let us worship the kind mother and be blessed.
“OM SREE SHAKAMBHARI DEVIYE NAMAHA”
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR