#‘you used to call me Tama’ / ‘she’s not my priest!’

[solasfenheral]

I am just. chewing over and over again the connotations to Taash alternating between ‘mother’ and ‘Tama’

[magicalbuttertarts]

Part 1 ♥︎ Part 2 ♥︎ Part 3

Damian Priest x f/Reader (AU)

WWE Masterlist

Just like all my other stories, this has not been proofread, but please enjoy.

Warnings: no sex for now. Eventually smut. Blood drinking. Murder. A bit of swearing.

WC: 1316

Divider by @strangergraphics

©️magicalbuttertarts 2024: do not repost or translate my work. This is the only place I post my work.

"You want to do women's night?" Rhea asked me as I had a meeting with my friends who work at the club.

"Yes. We haven't had one in a while. Women pay half the price. A man who comes with any female can pay just ten dollars more than she is paying. No female companion, no discount."

"Okay. I'll make up the flyers. Send out the mass emails. Jey and Jimmy, you two put up the flyers around town." Rhea told them.

"Before you leave though, I want one of you to come to my office." I added before dismissing everyone.

◆

"You needed to see one of us?" Jey asked as he knocked on my open door, and I waved him in.

"Yes, I have a special invitation that I need personally delivered. Doesn't have to her, it can just be placed in her mailbox." I handed him the black envelope, even though he had a perplexed look on his face.

"Uh yeah, no problem." Jey responded as he looked at the envelope.

"I would say make that your first stop and then work your way back here."

"Sounds good." Jey said, perplexed.

Probably wondering why this person is so important that they have gotten their own personal invite.

It is women's night, and it is very successful in the terms of attendance and the cash rolling in. This is the place to be tonight, but she still hasn't shown up.

I watched the security cameras like a hawk until I had to do my usual rounds.

As I was walking past the VIP section, that is when I smelled her, lavender and peppermint.

I could see her laughing and smiling with her friends, getting bottle service from Bayley.

I decided to introduce myself, so I walked towards their table.

"Hello my name is Damian. I am the owner of this club. How is everyone doing tonight?" I could hear how their heartbeats picked up when I got close to them, and when I smiled.

They each talked over one another, but she still stayed quiet, as she looked at me.

"And how are you liking it?" I asked her. Her friends looked at her, waiting for her to answer.

"I am having a good time Damian, thank you." Her voice, oh her voice, and how she said my name.

I left the group alone, walking back up to my office and wondering how I can get her alone now.

I went outside, just to enjoy the nice, summer air, and to try and see if anyone wanted to help me quench his thirst.

I knew he could get someone inside to agree, but sometimes, but sometimes I just enjoy the hunt. Trying to persuade someone to let me have just a taste.

When I heard a scream and ran to where it came from.

I could smell you before I saw you, and that made me move even faster.

There you were, just a bit down the way, being pushed into a alley, a man has you walking against the wall, pointing a gun at you wish each step you took.

I could hear the lowlife, and how they were demanding you hand over everything you have, which you did, not wanting to get hurt.

You have tears in your eyes as you shook, hoping the man would just go away, but he looked you up and down, making you cringe.

I appeared behind the man, growling, "look away."

The gunman had no idea what happened before I snapped his neck and drank from his body.

He tasted bitter.

I spit out the last of his blood that was in my mouth, needing mouth wash to get rid of the bitter taste.

I called Rhea and told her what happened, and before I was even done telling her, Tama and Tonga were with me, getting rid of the body.

I could literally sense that she was shaking behind me.

I turned around slowly, wondering if she is going to run, but she didn't move.

She just kept her eyes on where the body once was.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, concerned she may go into shock.

"He was, he was." She kept repeating as tears ran freely down her face.

I pulled her into my chest as I rubbed her back, her body shaking as it fully dawned on her what could of happened.

"Thank you." I heard her mumble into my chest, making me smile.

"No problem at all." She pulled back suddenly and I dropped my arms.

"Shit, you're a vampire." She took a step back, looking me up and down.

"Yes." I hesitated. "Yes, I am a vampire."

"I always heard your kind was evil and ugly."

"Do I look ugly to you?" I playfully moved my hand up and down my body as she giggled.

"And we are not evil. Like your kind, we have our good and our bad. Most of us have our urges under control."

"Thank you Damian, but I must be going home."

"May I walk you home? After what happened, I would like to know you got home safe."

I knew she was hesitant, to be so alone with a vampire, but when she whispered okay, I could have jumped for joy as we walked off in the direction of her place.

I asked her questions about her, which she answered. We walked slow and just got to know one another.

"Now Damian, how old are you?"

"I am 42."

"Your real age." She gave me a look.

"Give or take a few years, 250."

"Holy shit." Was her reply.

"I know, I know. I look good." I said, playfully.

"May I ask when you were bit?" She stopped in front of a park bench, and we both sat down.

"I remember it being summer, and the American Colonies were on the cusp of war, but I was a trader, and I just sailed from what is now Puerto Rico. I was trying to sell as much as I could, but then I met a man by the name of Adam. Adam, like me was just trying to sell his products, or so I thought. On my last night here, I was drinking with him and he kept asking me what I thought was ridiculous questions at the time."

"And those were?" She asked me.

"Have you ever thought about being immortal?"

"Do you wish you could be better than you are now?"

"And you didn't think those were odd?" She questioned.

"I was drunk on ale and when I told him yes to those questions, and the others, he bit me, and he showed me how to control my urges."

"Oh. Where is this Adam now?"

"Somewhere in the mountains of North Carolina with his mate."

"I see."

I stood up, seeing how tired she was.

"Should get you home." I gently told her, as she stood up.

"So let me get this straight. Your kind can not be repelled by garlic, crosses, sunlight doesn't kill you."

"And we don't sparkle on the sunlight. Also, many vampires believe in God still, and they actively go to church."

"How interesting." She said as we stopped at the end of her pathway.

"This is me."

"And I should get back to deal with everything."

"Wait, Damian, can I see your phone?" I handed her my phone as she typed in it and handed it back to me.

I saw that she put her number in it, and quickly text the number. "My phone is dead, but once I have a charge and I get some sleep, I'll message you."

"Good night." I told her, wanting nothing more than for her invite me in.

"Good night Damian." She closed her front door, and locked it.

Now, time to go and deal with the mess of the man who I killed.

♥︎

Damian Priest Taglist: @madhatterbri @terrortwinunicorn @jstarr86

Tag list: @lghockey @nicoleveno14 @legit9thlunaticwarrior @hooks-martin @madhatterbri @wwenhlimagines @melissahausen @tahiri-veyla

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Dragon Dancer III: Nailing The God

Mild Spoiler Warning: This chapter Spoils a Conversation in Level 103 and a Conversation from a scene Level 109

-----

In the crimson light of a setting sun, Chisei and I took off together in a large military grade helicopter towards the Tama mountains. We were joined by 28 men who had been disguised as the priests in the shrine, but now donned tactical gear and submachine guns. These elite forces of the Hydra, highly trained and loyal, displayed fighting prowess on the level of US Navy Seals. Even though this was a small group, we had the strength of an army.

“You’re sure you’re up to this? You were injured not long ago,” Chisei asked me.

I chuckled to myself. “Having too much energy was one of the reasons I wasn’t adopted, you know. I was so tired a few minutes ago, but I feel fine after such little rest. Hybrid energy never ceases to amaze.”

“Get Anjou on the line,” was Chisei’s only response. 

His sat, arms crossed, piercing the space in front of him with a steely glare. The phone line picked up, but Anjou didn’t say so much as a greeting.

“I hope you realize, Anjou, that your kinetic weapon is not going to work.”

Anjou remained silent.

“You cannot decide when to launch and you cannot adjust it once it launches. All the King has to do is move the god away from the Red Well and Tokyo is gone and the world is lost. The King’s men infiltrated the Hydras and assaulted your group. Don’t you think they know what you’re up to already?”

My eyes turned away. My good mood dampened. 

“It was my plan to hold the god there for you. To prevent their movement until the strike of the rod.”

My chest ached hearing those words. He planned to die. Chime must have known. His cries and his tears were still fresh in my mind.

Anjou finally spoke, his voice soft but clear. “You’re already on your way?”

“Yes. We’ll be there in 15 minutes. I am still a patriarch. I said I was not a good student and I meant it. I made a lot of mistakes. I am not as good as Caesar, Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei but... I like them very much. It’s too late to make friends with them. I hope at least to get a passing grade from you now.”

“I’m sorry I have spoken to you so harshly.” Anjou’s reply was full of regret.

“I wanted to be scolded. To be told the things I already knew. Only Carli refuses to tell me what I need to hear.”

"Then Carli is with you.”

He turned to me, though he still addressed the Principal. “Yes. Do you have any regrets of sending your genius to die with me? Or was this your plan all along? You should know the dangers of her bloodline, even if she doesn’t. If so, it’s inexcusable for you to deceive her this way.”

I turned to him. I didn’t believe Anjou wanted either of us to die here. He was the one who asked me to be here. Was he afraid Chisei might make this a suicide mission?

Was that my real reason to be here? 

I spoke up. “I can leave any time. But I’m here on the behalf of Chime Gen.”

Chisei’s jaw clenched. “I’m here to make up for the mistakes I’ve made.”

“What mistakes?” I asked.

Chisei’s pained look of disbelief and anger put a lump in my throat. His guilt still tormented him despite my forgiveness.

“You’re still going to die for justice?” Anjou asked, quietly. His question confirmed my suspicions about his true motive.

Chisei cut the line. He avoided my gaze, staring over the ruined landscape of Tokyo instead. I knew there were no words that could truly turn the tide when it came to thoughts of suicide. These sorts of feelings overpowered logic and reasoning. Without the support of Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang, I would have succumbed to them long ago.

“You should go, Carli. Go back to Chu Zihang.” He finally said, still gazing out the window.

“I know.” I responded. “Not that it has anything to do with you. The King knows almost everything about us.  Our Soul Skills, our bloodline, even my ability to teleport. He’s already taken a contingency against us. But... I still have something that only one other person knows. Only Chu Zihang knows.”

That got his attention, he finally looked at me again. “You have an ace up your sleeve.”

I smiled at him. “I have two.”

We broke through the clouds over the Tama mountains. The normally green peaks had turned an ashen grey and were draped in strange white filaments as if a giant spider had spread a veil of silk overnight.

-----------------------

Lu Mingfei settled in the wine cellar of the Takamagahara, listening to the sounds of thudding feet on the upper floor. No one knew he was down there. Outside this underground haven, ravenous Servitor monsters stalked the hallways led by gunmen from the Devil Clan. He was sure each of those thugs would be eager to be the one to take down the S-ranked member of Cassell. Silence was punctuated by screams and gunfire, followed by more silence. He couldn’t make it out of there without Carli’s help.

“Carli...” He whispered to himself. He felt terrible for even needing her help. Carli had looked up to him from the day they met. She’d never stopped calling him ‘senpai’, even though her achievements quickly outstripped his. He’d always suspected that he was an imposter of an S-Rank. Carli had finally shown him the truth of it in this devastating contrast.

He would never forget the sight of her being pinned to the wall by Ruri Kazama’s long knife. She was the most precious thing in the world to him, but in that moment he’d been unable to protect her. She had to save herself and she did. Now it was up to him to save himself and he was not so sure of his own chances.

Perhaps, if he had managed to keep his Akira persona, things might have gone differently.

When he had heard the woodblock sound, it had awakened a great strength in him, a strength he could use in this situation. However, the woodblock was in the hands of the enemy. If he had dared join Carli in battle against Kazama, who knew if he would have fought with her or turned against her under the control of the King? He shuddered at the thought.

As if in sympathy, his phone vibrated on the bartop. A text message from Erii... He was surprised. She knew already that he wasn’t Akira, that his true identity was another person named Mingfei. But she was texting him?

“Where are you?” She was worried about him?.

“I’m okay. I’m hiding in a shelter. Are you safe?” Her text made him smile.

“I’m on my way to the airport with my brother. My brother is very upset, but he is with me and comforts me. Is there someone there to comfort you?”

There is now. That line of thought sounded like something Akira would say. During the time he couldn’t remember his own name or where he came from, people surrounding him just started calling him Akira, saying he was from a prestigious clan. Even though he couldn’t remember it, it felt better than being confused so he accepted that identity.

While he was Akira, he loved Erii so much. Those feelings still lingered. Erii was texting a ghost of a person. Someone who wasn’t real but had somehow existed. He felt like he should apologize for deceiving her this way, but he struggled to do it. Every time he tried to text ‘I’m sorry’, the feelings of affection and the memories of his time in isolation gaming together with her welled up and stopped him from pressing send.

The feeling of her lips against his sent a pang through his chest and pressed a sigh from him.

How could he acknowledge the past feelings were real and acknowledge that they had to start over?

He didn’t want to lose her. He didn’t want to have her for the wrong reasons.

Mingfei hung his head. “I have our memories to comfort me.” He typed.

“Where are you? Are you at the Heavy Industries building? I will pick you up. We can go to South Korea together.”

He wanted it. He wanted so much to go to her. His spirit was torn in two. If she came back to where he was, she would be in danger. She had received stabilizing treatments for her debilitating condition, but her health was still delicate. The streets were flooded and impassable. The car could be wrecked or swept away. If she ran into danger from the Devil Clan gang or the Servitor beasts, using her Soul Skill could endanger her health.

His prophetic dreams told him so: first would be the water. Next, would be fire. “No, Erii. It’s too dangerous to come. I will join you in South Korea later.”

He stared at his message in horror, moaning. “Oh... no... why did I write that? Why did I write that? There is no way I can just go to South Korea!”

“When?” She asked.

He groaned. He tried to backtrack in his message. “Not now. There are no more tickets. All of Tokyo is trying to get out of here right now.”

“I will contact my brother to buy you a ticket.”

“What? Wait!” He rubbed his head in frustration, turning his hair into a wild mess. “No I don’t want to impose. I can’t get to the airport anyway with the streets all wrecked. Just wait. When I get there, I will text you and we can meet up then.”

Mingfei felt himself getting more and more entangled in his own web of deception.

“You’ll buy me ice cream? When we play Pokemon Go? I really want to play Pokemon Go with Sakura.”

No matter how much he struggled, his heart made his fingers type the wrong messages. Mingfei’s face grew hot. Tears rolled down his cheeks. None of this was real. Nothing he said was real. None of this could happen!

“Are you scared?” Was her next message.

“No.” He whispered, head low in defeat. He took a breath and typed out what he felt would be his final messages to her. “I’m just sad because it seems I might not see you anymore. I just hope that you won’t be sad. That you’ll be happy in South Korea with your brother. I hope you will forget about Akira and me.”

“Why would I forget about you? I cannot forget about you. Does South Korea make you forget?”

He stared at the phone, tasting tears through his clenched teeth. “Because deep down I am a useless person. I’m not very strong. I get scared. I can’t fight with a sword like your brother. I can’t even escape this shelter or protect my friends. Please, go find someone in South Korea who is strong and beautiful and smart like you. When you find someone like that, you will forget me.”

“If South Korea will make me forget you, then I will not go.”

“No, Erii, you should go make your new life.”

“I don’t want a new life. I want Mingfei.”

“Erii! No!” He was trying to type so quickly. “You can’t come back here. You’ll die!”

“I am okay with dying. I nearly died before. But I was happy because I was with you. I will not be happy in South Korea if Mingfei is not there with me.”

--------

In the armored Cadillac, Erii tugged on Chime’s arm. She held up her notebook. “Tell him to stop the car.”

“She says to stop the car.” Chime told the driver.

The driver kept going. “I cannot stop the car,” he replied.

Erii nodded, unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. Before Chime could do anything, she leaped from the vehicle, landed hard against the momentum, and began to run. The Cadillac skidded to a halt. The driver got out and yelled at her to stop.

Chime, confused, unbuckled himself and got out to run after her. “Erii! Where are you going? Come back!”

As he came around the trunk, he saw the driver jog a few steps, then reach into his coat. Chime’s eyes grew wide, recognizing the glint of a black pistol in the driver’s emerging hand.

Chime broke into a run to the driver. He was not strong, but he caught the driver by surprise, and wrapped himself around the driver’s arms. The gun discharged into the ground.

The driver twisted his body around and drove his knee into Chime’s stomach, laying him flat. He pointed the gun at him.

Erii turned at the gunshot, eyes flashing yellow.  Carli had warned her not to use her voice. The poison of the dragon’s blood in her veins could reassert itself.  But at that moment she couldn’t help herself even if it meant suffering a relapse. Chime was her second brother. As such, even if she didn’t know him well, he was sacred in her heart. She opened her mouth and a deluge of draconic curses homed in on the driver.

The man was instantly vaporized, snuffed out of existence like the flame of a candle.

Erii ran back to Chime who was still on the ground, winded, and helped him sit up. Her ears were ringing and she felt weak. 

“Erii, why did you do that?” He gasped, leaning on his knees.

 Her eyes shifted and she fidgeted. She didn’t have her phone or her notepad. She couldn’t communicate without risking Chime’s life. 

She would not have the chance to retrieve them. A loud bang and a wave of heat knocked them flat. Erii clapped her hands over her ears. Chime’s hands grabbed her under her shoulders and dragged her until she found her feet. She looked back. A fireball rolled upwards out of the car. The doors, the hood and the trunk had blown open, lifting bits of metal and shards of glass into the air. Chime wrapped his arm around Erii and hurried her away as the debris started to come down around them.

[altughuner-blog]

Mahalakshmi temple and Kolhapur – you probably hear these words in the same breath. From a pilgrim and travelers’ perspective, both mean the same. Most visit the city for the darshan of Mahalakshmi goddess.

Mahalakshmi Temple Stock Photos – Shutterstock

Kolhapur is an ancient city in Maharashtra on the banks of Panchganga river. It is mentioned in many scriptures like Devi Gita of Devi Bhagwat Puran and other Shakta texts. It is also known as Karvirpur Kshetra and Mahalakshmi is also known as Karveerpur Vasini – the one who lives in Karvirpur. The city still revolves around Ambabai – another name of Mahalakshmi.

An old image from Ambabai website

Kolhapur is named after asura Kolhasur who was killed by the Devi. It was his dying wish that the city is named after him.

The temple is a Shakti Peeth, one of the most important Devi temples in India. The number of Shakti Peethas vary depending on which text you are looking at, but Mahalakshmi of this city is always a part of that list. It is a Maha Shakti Peeth.

Mahalakshmi Temple or Ambabai Mandir

It is at the heart of Kolhapur just like Kanchi Kamakshi is at the heart of Kanchipuram. The whole town revolves around the holy place.

Landscape view of the entrance

I had first visited the temple on my Deccan Odyssey trip. It was a quick darshan, but with a promise to come back. It took me a few years to go back. This time we landed in the city around 4 AM and headed straight to the temple. We reached just in time for the morning ritual of waking up the goddess. I could not have asked for more.

Mahalakshmi Temple Architecture

When you enter, you see the base of the big structure in dark grey stone. You get a hint of Chalukyan architecture. Most of the sculpted images on the walls are broken.

The architecture of the Mandir

If you understand Indian temple architecture, you can make out a lot of Madanika or Sur Sundari figures. The literature points out that these were probably 64 yoginis carved on the niches all around. It is difficult to identify or count them as it is covered by many things at the moment. Some deities can also be seen.

On the steps leading to the mandir, I could see a huge Varaha image holding the Bhudevi in its mouth.

Shikhara’s

Shikhara’s

The Shikhara’s is painted in pale lemon yellow with saffron outlines. The Shikhara’s are triangular or conical in shape and look like a much later addition to the original mandir. Were the original Shikharas destroyed or they were simply renovated, I am yet to find the answer.

Conical Shikhara in pale lime color

From the ground level, it is difficult to understand the formation of Shikharas. There are 5 Shikharas in all. The central one is on top of Koorma Mandap and the four in four cardinal directions surrounding it are on the temples of Mahalakshmi, Mahakali, Mahasaraswati, and Ganapati. The one on top of the presiding deity is the tallest of them.

Typical Maharashtra style Deepstambhs stand in one corner. It would be a pleasure to see them lit up like olden days. I was told they are lit up on the festival days.

Deepstambh of Ambabai Mandir

The main entrance gate is called Mahadwar, you see the deity as you enter from this gate. There are other entrances in North and East called Ghati and Purva Darwaja respectively.

Varaha Holding Bhudevi – Mahalaxmi Temple Kolhapur

There used to be two ponds in the complex called Kashi and Manikarnika but they no longer exist now.

The main temple is surrounded by many small ones.

Mahalaxmi Murti

The main Murti of Mahalaxmi is in black stone. It is four-armed Mahalakshmi in standing pose, about 3 feet in height.

Kolhapur Mahalakshmi or Karvirpurvasini

If you want to see the Murti, visit early in the morning for the first Arti called Kakad Arti. You will witness the waking up the Goddess by singing songs. After which, her clothes are changed and morning Alankar is done. During the Abhishek, you get to see the Murti.

During the Arti, few women are allowed to sit inside the Garbhgriha. It is a divine experience to sit next to the goddess as the deep goes around her and the bells ring all around.

Old photo of Murti of Mahalakshmi Devi

The big Alankar Arti is done around afternoon time. Sri Mahalakshmi is dressed in a colorful silk Sari and then adorned with lots of jewelry. I would later find the same jewelry designs in the markets of the city.

Ambabai Murti from Ambabai website

The Pradakshina path or the circumambulation path around the sanctum is rather plain compared to the rest it. It was built in 11th CE by King Gandaraditya of the Shilahara Dynasty indicating that temple pre-dates it. Try tapping the wall just behind the deity and you will hear a different sound from the other stones around it.

Mahakali & Mahasaraswati

To the right of Mahalaxmi’s Murti is a small temple dedicated to goddess Mahakali. On the left, is another dedicated to Mahasaraswati. Together the three deities constitute the highest trinity of Shakti representing the three guns – Rajas, Tamas & Satva. All three images are in the main temple. As per Durga Saptashati, Mahakali and Mahasarawati emerge from Mahalakshmi.

Opposite the sanctum is a small Ganesha mandir.

Koorma Mandap

In front of the sanctum, there are two mandapas. First one is called Darshan mandap and is used to have darshan of Mahalakshmi.

The second is Octagonal Rangmadapa called Koorma mandapa as the central stone or Shila is carved in the shape of a tortoise. It is also called Shankh Tirth Mandap as this is where the priest stands to sprinkle the Tirth on the devotees using a Shankh or a conch shell.

I stood there as the priest came with the water used for the Abhishek of the Mahalakshmi as he sprinkled it generously on us using a conch shell. People close their eyes and open their mouths to take the water in.

All these constructions are in dark black stone.

Matulinga

Right above the sanctum of Mahalakshmi temple, there is a cave-like temple with a Shiva linga called Matulinga along with Ganesha and Nandi. You have to take a flight of stairs to reach this. This gives the impression of being a cave temple.

Matulinga mandir is opened briefly after the early morning Arti, and you are allowed to visit it. I think it is kept closed for the rest of the day.

Matulinga shrine dates back to 12th CE. The linga represents the linga that is carved on the crown of Mahalaxmi as it was not visible to the devotees.

Sri Yantra

In one wall niche, there is a Sri Yantra carved. Haldi, Kumkum and flowers are offered to it just as they are offered to the main deity.

It is covered with glass so it is difficult to see it properly.

Other Temples in the Mahalakshmi Temple complex

Navgrah

Navagraha – Dedicated to the nine planets

Sheshashayee Vishnu – This octagonal structure closer to the eastern gate has a panel of 60 Jain Tirthankaras. It is suggested that this was dedicated to Neminath. However, as of now, Vishnu sits here comfortably.

Vitthal Rukmai

Old photo of Datta Temple in Ambabai Mandir complex

Datta mandir

Radhakrishna, Kalbhairav, Siddhivinayak, Sinhavahini, Tuljabhavani, Lakshmi-Narayana, Annapurna, Indrasabha, Rameshwar, Narayanswami Mahara, Jyotiba and Temlai Bai mandir.

Festivals of Mahalakshmi Temple Kolhapur

Every Friday night, around 9:30 PM, Palki of Mahalakshmi goes around the mandir. I missed attending this, but hopefully, I will get to go there again, soon. Some prominent festivals celebrated here are:

Navaratri

Being a Devi Mandir, Navaratri is the biggest festival here. For 9 days during Ashwin or Sharad Navaratri is full of celebrations. The daily Alankar of the Devi is grand. A palki procession takes places every evening.

Navratri Decorations

On the 5th day of the Navratri, called Lalita Panchami, Devi visits Tryambuli Bai mandir located few km away. This is her annual visit to her sister. On the way she stops at Shahu mill where she is offered Puja. The local ruler called Chhatrapati offers her a symbolic sacrifice by cutting a pumpkin with a sword in the presence of a Kanya.

On Ashtami or the 8th day of Navratri, she is offered a one cannon salute. This tradition was started by Rani Tarabai – the daughter-in-law of Chhatrapati Shivaji. After this, she goes around the town in a Palki and is offered Paan-Supari and other things like Sari, flowers, Puja.

Kironatsav

The Kolhapur Mahalakshmi temple is so designed that twice a year, the sun rays fall on the Murti.

On 31st Jan and 9th Nov – Sun rays fall on the feet of Mahalakshmi 1st Feb & 10th Nov – Sun rays fall on the middle of the Murti On 2nd Feb & 11th Nov – Sun rays fall on the entire body of the deity

This is the engineering marvel here.

At Vidyashankara Temple in Sringeri too, the sun rays fall as per the movement of the sun through 12 zodiac signs depicted on different pillars.

Rathotsav

In April, the Utsav murti of Mahalakshmi goes on a ride on her chariot. There is a golden Palki that is worth seeing.

Markets around

Outside the mandir, there were shops selling colorful Saris, bangles, jewelry, coconut and bunches of Lotus flowers, to be offered to the Goddess.

In the evening, the lanes around are full of eateries and hawkers selling all kinds of Kolhapuri street food.

Kolhapuri Saaj

Kolhapuri Saaj

The jewelry of Mahalakshmi can be seen here on the official website. You can buy the same jewelry in imitation, in silver or in gold in the lanes around.

I spent an evening looking at all kinds of jewelry that was made using small coins with Mahalakshmi in it. Some are made using coral beads adding a bright color to the gold. Some are made with small balls of gold. There were pendants with Mahalakshmi on it.

I saw a lot of women buying their Mangalsutras here along with something with the goddess on it. After all, she is the giver of prosperity and jewelry is the ultimate sign of auspicious prosperity.

Other Devi Temples

Kolhapur is a town dominated by Devi Temples. Let us visit them one by one.

Just like the three main deities are present in the Mahalakshmi temple complex, the three deities are also present in the city.

Mahakali Temple

Mahakali Sanctum

If you walk towards Rankala, roughly a kilometer down the road you will find an arch on your left. Enter the narrow lane and you will find a small but ancient temple on your left. I discovered this by chance while walking around the city.

We saw an ancient Murti of Mahakali. Again we got lucky as the Abhishek was going on and we could see the Vigrah in its original form.

Next to it is a smaller mandir with Rasai Devi in it. I could not gather much about her.

Renuka Devi Temple

Sri Renuka Devi Murti

Renuka Devi who is a form of Mahasaraswati is located on the other side. It is small but very interesting one. It has a smaller mandir dedicated to Parshuram who is the son of Renuka & Rishi Jamdagni. Another one is dedicated to Matangi Devi.

Renuka-Jamdagni Wedding Invite

Renuka Devi here is believed to be a form of Yellama Devi too.

I discovered an interesting ritual here. Celebrating the wedding of Renuka and Jamadagni. A board outside announced an open invitation for the wedding that was due in a few days.

Tulja Bhawani Mandir at Bhawani Mandap

Tulja Bhawani Mandir at Bhawani Mandap

Bhawani Mandap is the old Palace. Tulja Bhawani is the Kuldevi or the family deity of the royal family of the region. Her mandir continues to be in the old palace premises through the palace itself moved to a new palace in Kolhapur.

The open courtyard is where I got to see Dand Patta or the martial arts by the Maratha women during my earlier trip to the city. Watch the video:

Triambuli or Temlai Devi Temple

This is a small one located a few kilometers away. This is the mandir that goddess Mahalakshmi visits of Lalita Panchami or 5th day of the Navratri.

Triambuli Devi Mandir

The story goes that when Mahalakshmi was fighting asura Kolhasur, she was assisted by the daughter of the ruler here. However, after the fight was over, Devi forgot about her and the girl was annoyed. So, Devi visited her and blessed her that she would be worshipped in Kolhapur. She also promised that she would pay an annual visit to her mandir. The tradition continues.

Triambuli or Temlai Devi Idol

Triambuli Devi or Temlai as she is fondly called is treated as the younger sister of Mahalakshmi.

There is also a mandir dedicated to Magai Devi close by.

Kapileshwar or Kapil Tirth Mandir

Ancient Kapileshwar Mandir or Sri Kapil Tirth

Not too far, there is a Mandi or the vegetable market. We walked into the market just out of curiosity or maybe some divine forces led us to it. We discovered a small but ancient Kapileshwar Mandir here. Standing on typical Chalukyan pillars it is an ancient Shiva temple.

Later, at the town hall museum, we discovered many artifacts that have been discovered from an excavation that was carried out in this complex. We also learned that the market is at a place where the temple tank used to be.

In fact, all the temple tanks of the city no longer exist.

Sri Yantra Carved on a Linga at Town Hall Museum in Kolhapur

My biggest discovery was a Sri Yantra carved on the Yoni like a Shivalinga usually is. This is a unique carving that I have not seen anywhere else.

At the museum, I realized how big pilgrimage center or Shakti Khsetra of the city must have been at some point in time.

Travel Tips

The city is well connected with big cities like Pune and Mumbai. It is also well connected by train and bus network

There are ample hotels in Kolhapur city. Sayaji is the only luxury hotel I know of. We stayed at Maratha Residency and it was a decent place to stay within a reasonable budget.

Mahalakshmi Temple opens for visitors at 4:30 AM and remains open till 9:30 PM or so.

No photography is allowed inside the premises. You can take the structure from a distance.

There are shops inside as well as outside the Mandir where you can buy Puja items. It gets very crowded, especially on Fridays and festival days.

Other temples are open from morning to evening. They were practically empty with the countable number of people when I visited.

The post Mahalakshmi Temple – Jewel Among Kolhapur Temples appeared first on Inditales.

[asksythe]

FtGoG Snippet: Mouse sees the Wind fall - Part 2

Lord Kazekage sits down in the chair of his office, momentarily stunned into speechlessness. He looks at her long and hard, a young woman in her early twenties who clearly does not have much experience with true war battlefields and who is a consummate pacifist by both words and actions. For someone so used to seeing fierce warrior men and women, she looks soft, frail. Mouse can see the questions clear as day churning in his head.

Why? How?

Seventeen million is a lot. Not even the casualty of all three great world wars combined even compare to that number. Seventeen million is…

…The total population of Kaze no Kuni and Hi no Kuni combined, says Diamondback with a few curt signs.  

It seems the Miko guesses the same for she smiles a sad smile, sits down in a chair next to him and tells him her story for the first time.

“You once guessed that my power was a force of nature. It is more than that. It is something that grows the more it is fed, the more I use it. But I didn’t know this back then. You have to understand. I had lived most of my life in peace. I never had to fight for anything, until suddenly I had to fight for everything.”

She pauses for a moment then, gathering her thoughts.

“There was an old woman, an old Miko who taught me the ropes in the beginning. She had good eyes and she saw what I had. She told me the same thing you did, that I needed to get a grip on this power, that it would be key to ending the conflict. But I didn’t really listen to her. I had been a normal girl for most of my life then. I didn’t have any reason to believe I was that special, or that I had the power to decide anything like that. I was not alone in that fight, nor the leader of that group. I had friends that fought with me, that stood before me in the battlefield. Besides which, I wanted a normal life. I wanted to go to college, to marry and settle down, and live happily… as an ordinary woman. Learning the Miko arts, learning how to fight demons, doing it every day for life… it all seemed so… out there. And if I did it, if I committed to being a Miko, it would be like I have given up on my dream of living a normal, happy life. So… I… didn’t really give it my all. I learned a bit, and then I mostly stayed in the sidelines. I did my part but...”

She fell quiet for a second, lost in thoughts.

“Then it got bad. My friends fell, one by one. Until it was just me… and the enemy.” Mouse has never heard such hatred and dread from the Miko before. “... I panicked. For the first time in my life I called upon the full breadth of my power. Perhaps if I had been in a better state of mind I might have been able to control it, but I wasn’t. I was terrified, and in despair. All the people I loved, gone. The man I loved and trusted with all my heart, gone. All of my faith and my hope, gone. I was all alone in a hellish realm, trapped in the illusions my enemy wove for me.”

Her hand comes up to her chest where her heart was. She closes her eyes.

“... In an instant, I ripped out the souls of every single living being on that island, humans and demons. My power has no true counter you see, not when it is at its strongest. But that war I was in had been five hundred years in the making. My enemy, he knew this power well. The old Miko told me that he feared it above all else, but because he feared it so, he understood it better than anyone else. Since the day I was born, he had been preparing himself. In that very same instant, as I was lost amidst the screams of a thousand innocent souls I hadn’t meant to hurt, he descended upon me. He trapped me in my own mind, wove a dream for me so sweet that I couldn’t immediately break free. Then he took control of my body, and rode it on a bloody rampage across the lands.”

She falls quiet once more. The room is so silent they can hear the sound of her trembling breath. When she finally opens her eyes, Mouse has to remind himself that he’s looking at a young woman who has just recently passed her 20th years. In that moment, she seems as old as the great desert itself, old and worn and brittle as glass.

“... I didn’t wake up until months after, when someone risked death to break the enemy’s grip on me. I came to in a dead world, everything burnt to the ground, every souls ripped apart and eaten alive by the enemy, and I… I was drenched in the blood of my own people, and wearing armors made from their bones.”

She looks down at her hands, for a moment looking like she’s seeing something else in their place.

“We fought,” she continues. Her voice has gone quiet, as if it has taken everything she has to tell that first part. “Neck and neck, for seven days and seven nights. With the help of the man who broke me free, I won over the enemy. I ripped apart his heart, shattered his soul into a million pieces, and then I devoured every last bit of him to prevent him from ever rising again. And just like that… it was over. A war five hundred years in the making and involving more powerful demons and priests than you will ever see in a single lifetime. A war that had taken everything I had and destroyed a nation. Over, in a matter of days… but though I won, there was nothing left for me.”

Silence again, for a full five minutes this time. Lord Kazekage reaches over and holds her hand in a rare gesture of empathy. She looks at their conjoined hands, looks at him, smiles. It is a weary, exhausted smile, but it does not lack for a certain sense of sweetness. Sweetness that is reserved for lord Kazekage alone it seems.  

“And then you came here?” he asks. She shakes her head.

“I begged for death,” she says. “I had nothing left to live for. My family were still alive in a different country, but I knew then that I could never go home again, not after what I did. So, I begged for death. The man who broke me free was there still, dying, but he had the strength to end me. The elder half brother of the man I loved. A powerful great demon. He had a sword that could tear open doorways into other worlds. He used it to open rifts straight into the heart of hell where he sent his enemies. He could also use it to resurrect the dead, but he didn’t do it nearly as often as he could. The bastard.”

She laughs. It’s a tired, jaded laugh filled with nostalgia and old regrets. It is a laugh that sounds too old to have come from one as young as her. “Had circumstances been different, I think I would have called him brother in law. He would have hated it too, for a mere human to call him so.”

She drew in a long breath.

“So I got on my knees in front of him and begged for death. I told him this power I bore was a terrible burden no mortal should bear. I told him that it would be a mercy and if we ever met in some other life, that I would be forever indebted to him.” She pauses for a second. “But he refused me. He called me a liar and fraud. He accused me of having forsaken the oath I made to the Miko that came before me, to Midoriko, and to Kikyo.”

Mouse glances at Diamondback. The representative of the research branch is scribbling away furiously on its notepad. Rare are the times the Miko shares anything on her power, on her old home, on the people of her past. And here she is, spilling as if a dam has been broken. The name Midoriko is something he has read once before from her dossier. Supposedly she was the most powerful Miko and likely to be mother to the one Miko they have in their village. The other name he knows nothing of, but for it to be mentioned in the same breath as Midoriko, it must be of equal importance. Down below the conversation continues.

“Pillars hold things up, and salt keeps things clean,” she speaks as if reciting an old oath. “But it’s a poor exchange for losing yourself. People go back, but they don’t survive, because two realities are claiming them at the same time.” She looks at lord Kazekage. Her gaze is as deep and unfathomable as the great abyss. It is not the look of a young woman barely past her twenty-one year, but one belonging to some other unknown creature from a shadowed world. “In the endless shadow of that nightmare, before Sesshomaru came to break me from the enemy’s hold, two hands reached for me. Midoriko and Kikyo. They made me promise to them that regardless of how things turn out, that I would carry on living, would carry on their legacy as the Miko of the Shikon no Tama. I begged him for death but he called me a liar and told me he had no need to humor the likes of me. With his last strength, he opened a rift between worlds and threw me inside. When I woke up, I was in the desert.”

................

TBC in Part 3

...............

A/N: the bombing continues!! 

[altughuner-blog]

Mahalakshmi temple and Kolhapur – you probably hear these words in the same breath. From a pilgrim and travelers’ perspective, both mean the same. Most visit the city for the darshan of Mahalakshmi goddess.

Mahalakshmi Temple Stock Photos – Shutterstock

Kolhapur is an ancient city in Maharashtra on the banks of Panchganga river. It is mentioned in many scriptures like Devi Gita of Devi Bhagwat Puran and other Shakta texts. It is also known as Karvirpur Kshetra and Mahalakshmi is also known as Karveerpur Vasini – the one who lives in Karvirpur. The city still revolves around Ambabai – another name of Mahalakshmi.

An old image from Ambabai website

Kolhapur is named after asura Kolhasur who was killed by the Devi. It was his dying wish that the city is named after him.

The temple is a Shakti Peeth, one of the most important Devi temples in India. The number of Shakti Peethas vary depending on which text you are looking at, but Mahalakshmi of this city is always a part of that list. It is a Maha Shakti Peeth.

Mahalakshmi Temple or Ambabai Mandir

It is at the heart of Kolhapur just like Kanchi Kamakshi is at the heart of Kanchipuram. The whole town revolves around the holy place.

Landscape view of the entrance

I had first visited the temple on my Deccan Odyssey trip. It was a quick darshan, but with a promise to come back. It took me a few years to go back. This time we landed in the city around 4 AM and headed straight to the temple. We reached just in time for the morning ritual of waking up the goddess. I could not have asked for more.

Mahalakshmi Temple Architecture

When you enter, you see the base of the big structure in dark grey stone. You get a hint of Chalukyan architecture. Most of the sculpted images on the walls are broken.

The architecture of the Mandir

If you understand Indian temple architecture, you can make out a lot of Madanika or Sur Sundari figures. The literature points out that these were probably 64 yoginis carved on the niches all around. It is difficult to identify or count them as it is covered by many things at the moment. Some deities can also be seen.

On the steps leading to the mandir, I could see a huge Varaha image holding the Bhudevi in its mouth.

Shikhara’s

Shikhara’s

The Shikhara’s is painted in pale lemon yellow with saffron outlines. The Shikhara’s are triangular or conical in shape and look like a much later addition to the original mandir. Were the original Shikharas destroyed or they were simply renovated, I am yet to find the answer.

Conical Shikhara in pale lime color

From the ground level, it is difficult to understand the formation of Shikharas. There are 5 Shikharas in all. The central one is on top of Koorma Mandap and the four in four cardinal directions surrounding it are on the temples of Mahalakshmi, Mahakali, Mahasaraswati, and Ganapati. The one on top of the presiding deity is the tallest of them.

Typical Maharashtra style Deepstambhs stand in one corner. It would be a pleasure to see them lit up like olden days. I was told they are lit up on the festival days.

Deepstambh of Ambabai Mandir

The main entrance gate is called Mahadwar, you see the deity as you enter from this gate. There are other entrances in North and East called Ghati and Purva Darwaja respectively.

There used to be two ponds in the complex called Kashi and Manikarnika but they no longer exist now.

The main temple is surrounded by many small ones.

Mahalaxmi Murti

The main Murti of Mahalaxmi is in black stone. It is four-armed Mahalakshmi in standing pose, about 3 feet in height.

Kolhapur Mahalakshmi or Karvirpurvasini

If you want to see the Murti, visit early in the morning for the first Arti called Kakad Arti. You will witness the waking up the Goddess by singing songs. After which, her clothes are changed and morning Alankar is done. During the Abhishek, you get to see the Murti.

During the Arti, few women are allowed to sit inside the Garbhgriha. It is a divine experience to sit next to the goddess as the deep goes around her and the bells ring all around.

Old photo of Murti of Mahalakshmi Devi

The big Alankar Arti is done around afternoon time. Sri Mahalakshmi is dressed in a colorful silk Sari and then adorned with lots of jewelry. I would later find the same jewelry designs in the markets of the city.

Ambabai Murti from Ambabai website

The Pradakshina path or the circumambulation path around the sanctum is rather plain compared to the rest it. It was built in 11th CE by King Gandaraditya of the Shilahara Dynasty indicating that temple pre-dates it. Try tapping the wall just behind the deity and you will hear a different sound from the other stones around it.

Mahakali & Mahasaraswati

To the right of Mahalaxmi’s Murti is a small temple dedicated to goddess Mahakali. On the left, is another dedicated to Mahasaraswati. Together the three deities constitute the highest trinity of Shakti representing the three guns – Rajas, Tamas & Satva. All three images are in the main temple. As per Durga Saptashati, Mahakali and Mahasarawati emerge from Mahalakshmi.

Opposite the sanctum is a small Ganesha mandir.

Koorma Mandap

In front of the sanctum, there are two mandapas. First one is called Darshan mandap and is used to have darshan of Mahalakshmi.

The second is Octagonal Rangmadapa called Koorma mandapa as the central stone or Shila is carved in the shape of a tortoise. It is also called Shankh Tirth Mandap as this is where the priest stands to sprinkle the Tirth on the devotees using a Shankh or a conch shell.

I stood there as the priest came with the water used for the Abhishek of the Mahalakshmi as he sprinkled it generously on us using a conch shell. People close their eyes and open their mouths to take the water in.

All these constructions are in dark black stone.

Matulinga

Right above the sanctum of Mahalakshmi temple, there is a cave-like temple with a Shiva linga called Matulinga along with Ganesha and Nandi. You have to take a flight of stairs to reach this. This gives the impression of being a cave temple.

Matulinga mandir is opened briefly after the early morning Arti, and you are allowed to visit it. I think it is kept closed for the rest of the day.

Matulinga shrine dates back to 12th CE. The linga represents the linga that is carved on the crown of Mahalaxmi as it was not visible to the devotees.

Sri Yantra

In one wall niche, there is a Sri Yantra carved. Haldi, Kumkum and flowers are offered to it just as they are offered to the main deity.

It is covered with glass so it is difficult to see it properly.

Other Temples in the Mahalakshmi Temple complex

Navgrah

Navagraha – Dedicated to the nine planets

Sheshashayee Vishnu – This octagonal structure closer to the eastern gate has a panel of 60 Jain Tirthankaras. It is suggested that this was dedicated to Neminath. However, as of now, Vishnu sits here comfortably.

Vitthal Rukmai

Old photo of Datta Temple in Ambabai Mandir complex

Datta mandir

Radhakrishna, Kalbhairav, Siddhivinayak, Sinhavahini, Tuljabhavani, Lakshmi-Narayana, Annapurna, Indrasabha, Rameshwar, Narayanswami Mahara, Jyotiba and Temlai Bai mandir.

Festivals of Mahalakshmi Temple Kolhapur

Every Friday night, around 9:30 PM, Palki of Mahalakshmi goes around the mandir. I missed attending this, but hopefully, I will get to go there again, soon. Some prominent festivals celebrated here are:

Navaratri

Being a Devi Mandir, Navaratri is the biggest festival here. For 9 days during Ashwin or Sharad Navaratri is full of celebrations. The daily Alankar of the Devi is grand. A palki procession takes places every evening.

Navratri Decorations

On the 5th day of the Navratri, called Lalita Panchami, Devi visits Tryambuli Bai mandir located few km away. This is her annual visit to her sister. On the way she stops at Shahu mill where she is offered Puja. The local ruler called Chhatrapati offers her a symbolic sacrifice by cutting a pumpkin with a sword in the presence of a Kanya.

On Ashtami or the 8th day of Navratri, she is offered a one cannon salute. This tradition was started by Rani Tarabai – the daughter-in-law of Chhatrapati Shivaji. After this, she goes around the town in a Palki and is offered Paan-Supari and other things like Sari, flowers, Puja.

Kironatsav

The Kolhapur Mahalakshmi temple is so designed that twice a year, the sun rays fall on the Murti.

On 31st Jan and 9th Nov – Sun rays fall on the feet of Mahalakshmi 1st Feb & 10th Nov – Sun rays fall on the middle of the Murti On 2nd Feb & 11th Nov – Sun rays fall on the entire body of the deity

This is the engineering marvel here.

At Vidyashankara Temple in Sringeri too, the sun rays fall as per the movement of the sun through 12 zodiac signs depicted on different pillars.

Rathotsav

In April, the Utsav murti of Mahalakshmi goes on a ride on her chariot. There is a golden Palki that is worth seeing.

Markets around

Outside the mandir, there were shops selling colorful Saris, bangles, jewelry, coconut and bunches of Lotus flowers, to be offered to the Goddess.

In the evening, the lanes around are full of eateries and hawkers selling all kinds of Kolhapuri street food.

Kolhapuri Saaj

Kolhapuri Saaj

The jewelry of Mahalakshmi can be seen here on the official website. You can buy the same jewelry in imitation, in silver or in gold in the lanes around.

I spent an evening looking at all kinds of jewelry that was made using small coins with Mahalakshmi in it. Some are made using coral beads adding a bright color to the gold. Some are made with small balls of gold. There were pendants with Mahalakshmi on it.

I saw a lot of women buying their Mangalsutras here along with something with the goddess on it. After all, she is the giver of prosperity and jewelry is the ultimate sign of auspicious prosperity.

Other Devi Temples

Kolhapur is a town dominated by Devi Temples. Let us visit them one by one.

Just like the three main deities are present in the Mahalakshmi temple complex, the three deities are also present in the city.

Mahakali Temple

Mahakali Sanctum

If you walk towards Rankala, roughly a kilometer down the road you will find an arch on your left. Enter the narrow lane and you will find a small but ancient temple on your left. I discovered this by chance while walking around the city.

We saw an ancient Murti of Mahakali. Again we got lucky as the Abhishek was going on and we could see the Vigrah in its original form.

Next to it is a smaller mandir with Rasai Devi in it. I could not gather much about her.

Renuka Devi Temple

Sri Renuka Devi Murti

Renuka Devi who is a form of Mahasaraswati is located on the other side. It is small but very interesting one. It has a smaller mandir dedicated to Parshuram who is the son of Renuka & Rishi Jamdagni. Another one is dedicated to Matangi Devi.

Renuka-Jamdagni Wedding Invite

Renuka Devi here is believed to be a form of Yellama Devi too.

I discovered an interesting ritual here. Celebrating the wedding of Renuka and Jamadagni. A board outside announced an open invitation for the wedding that was due in a few days.

Tulja Bhawani Mandir at Bhawani Mandap

Tulja Bhawani Mandir at Bhawani Mandap

Bhawani Mandap is the old Palace. Tulja Bhawani is the Kuldevi or the family deity of the royal family of the region. Her mandir continues to be in the old palace premises through the palace itself moved to a new palace in Kolhapur.

The open courtyard is where I got to see Dand Patta or the martial arts by the Maratha women during my earlier trip to the city. Watch the video:

Triambuli or Temlai Devi Temple

This is a small one located a few kilometers away. This is the mandir that goddess Mahalakshmi visits of Lalita Panchami or 5th day of the Navratri.

Triambuli Devi Mandir

The story goes that when Mahalakshmi was fighting asura Kolhasur, she was assisted by the daughter of the ruler here. However, after the fight was over, Devi forgot about her and the girl was annoyed. So, Devi visited her and blessed her that she would be worshipped in Kolhapur. She also promised that she would pay an annual visit to her mandir. The tradition continues.

Triambuli or Temlai Devi Idol

Triambuli Devi or Temlai as she is fondly called is treated as the younger sister of Mahalakshmi.

There is also a mandir dedicated to Magai Devi close by.

Kapileshwar or Kapil Tirth Mandir

Ancient Kapileshwar Mandir or Sri Kapil Tirth

Not too far, there is a Mandi or the vegetable market. We walked into the market just out of curiosity or maybe some divine forces led us to it. We discovered a small but ancient Kapileshwar Mandir here. Standing on typical Chalukyan pillars it is an ancient Shiva temple.

Later, at the town hall museum, we discovered many artifacts that have been discovered from an excavation that was carried out in this complex. We also learned that the market is at a place where the temple tank used to be.

In fact, all the temple tanks of the city no longer exist.

Sri Yantra Carved on a Linga at Town Hall Museum in Kolhapur

My biggest discovery was a Sri Yantra carved on the Yoni like a Shivalinga usually is. This is a unique carving that I have not seen anywhere else.

At the museum, I realized how big pilgrimage center or Shakti Khsetra of the city must have been at some point in time.

Travel Tips

The city is well connected with big cities like Pune and Mumbai. It is also well connected by train and bus network

There are ample hotels in Kolhapur city. Sayaji is the only luxury hotel I know of. We stayed at Maratha Residency and it was a decent place to stay within a reasonable budget.

Mahalakshmi Temple opens for visitors at 4:30 AM and remains open till 9:30 PM or so.

No photography is allowed inside the premises. You can take the structure from a distance.

There are shops inside as well as outside the Mandir where you can buy Puja items. It gets very crowded, especially on Fridays and festival days.

Other temples are open from morning to evening. They were practically empty with the countable number of people when I visited.

The post Mahalakshmi Temple – Jewel Among Kolhapur Temples appeared first on Inditales.