The Ambaji Temple is dedicated to the goddess Amba .it is located in the town of Ambaji, in the Danta Taluka of Banaskantha district in the state of Gujarat, India. The temple is situated near the Arasur Hill in the Aravalli Range, near the Saraswati river .
Ambaji is well-connected by road, and the nearest
railway station is at Abu Road, which is about 20 kilometers away from the
temple. The closest airport is in Ahmedabad, nearly about 180 kilometers from
Ambaji.
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Ambaji Temple |
Ambaji holds cultural and religious significance,
attracting devotees from various parts of the country. Devotees often visit the
temple to seek blessings, participate in religious ceremonies, and experience
the spiritual ambiance of the sacred space dedicated to Goddess Amba.Ambaji is
often referred to as Arasuri Amba, named for the location of the temple in the
Arasur hills .it is considered one of the major shaktipeeth among 51 Shakti
Peethas, which are dedicated to the goddess Shakti or Devi. Here Devi has been
worshiped since the pre-vedic period.In the temple , there is no image or
statue of goddess the holy “Shree Visa Yantra” is worshiped as the main deity. The
original seat of Ambaji mata is on Gabbar hill top in the town.
A large number of devotees visit the temple every year
specially on Purnima days. A large mela on Bhadarvi purnima ie full moon day is
held.
Every Year from all over the country people come here
walking all over from their native place just to worship MAA AMBE in September.
The whole Ambaji town is lit up as the nation celebrates the festive time of
Diwali. The
history of Ambaji Temple is deeply rooted in Hindu tradition , and while the
exact historical timeline may be challenging to establish, the temple's
significance has been passed down through generations to generations.
Mythological Origin: According to Hindu literatures Daksha , father of sati or shakti performed a yajna with a desire to take revenge on lord Shiva. Daksha invited all the deities to the yajna, except lord Shiva and Sati or shakti . The fact that sati was not invited did not deter Sati's desire to attend the yajna. She went unhappily to her father's yajna and cursed her father and self-immolated. when Lord Shiva's wife Sati or Shakti immolated herself in protest against her father Daksha's disrespect for her husband,
Enraged at the insult and death of his spouse, Shiva in
his Virabhadra avatar destroyed
Daksha's yajna and cut off his head. His anger not abated and immersed in
grief, Shiva then picked up the remains of Sati's body and performed the Tandava, the
dance of destruction, across all creation. Frightened, the other deities
requested Vishnu to intervene to stop this destruction. As a
recourse, Lord Vishnu's Sudarshan Chakra cut Sati's body into 51 pieces,
which fell at various places on Earth. These locations are revered as Shakti
Peethas .
51 Shakti Peeth name
and its location :
1) Hinglaj Mata : This Shaktipeeth had fallen from Brahmarandhra (upper part of the head) of Mata, about 125 km north-east of Karachi, Pakistan. The Kottari of this Shaktipeeth is Shakti and Bhimlochan Bhairav.
2) sharkarre : This Shaktipeeth is near Sukkar station in Karachi Pakistan. And also called Nainadevi Temple, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. This was the eye of Goddess Sati. This Mahish is Mardini Shakti and angry Bhairav.
3) Sugandha : This Shaktipeeth is 20 km away from Barisal of Shikarpur in Bangladesh on the banks of the Sondh River. Mother Sati’s nose had fallen here. Sunanda is Trimbak Bhairav in this Shaktipeeth.
4) Mahamaya : This Shaktipeeth is located in Amarnath, Pahalgam, Kashmir. This was the throat of Mother Sati. There is Mahamaya and Trisandhyeshwar Bhairav in this Shaktipeeth.
5) Jwala Devi : This Shaktipeeth is situated in the Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Goddess Sati’s tongue fell here. This Shaktipeeth houses Siddhida (Ambika) and Unmatta Bhairav.
6) Tripuramalini : Tripuramalini Shaktipeeth is situated on the banks of Devi Talab near Cantonment Station in Jalandhar, Punjab. The left chest (breast) of Mata Sati had fallen on this. It is situated in the form of ‘Tripurmalini’ Shakti and ‘Bhishan’ Bhairav.
7) Ambaji : This Shaktipeeth of Ambaji Mata is situated on the border of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Mata Sati’s heart had fallen here. Ambaji Batuk Bhairav is seated in this Shaktipeeth.
8) Gujayeshwari : The Gujayeshwari Shaktipeeth is near the Pashupatinath Temple located in Nepal. Here both the knees of Goddess Sati fell. This Shaktipeeth has Shakti Mahashira and Kapali Bhairav.
9) Manasa-Dakshayani : Manasa – The Shaktipeeth of Dakshayani Mata is situated in a stone rock near Manas, Mount Kailash, Mansarovar in Tibet. The right hand of Goddess Sati had fallen here. Dakshayani Shakti and Amar Bhairav are seated here.
10) Virja Devi : This Shaktipeeth is named after Virja Mata in Utkal, Odisha. This was the navel of Mata Sati. Shakti Vimala and Bhairav Jagannath are in this Shaktipeeth.
11) Bahula Shaktipeeth : Bahula Shaktipeeth is located on the banks of the Ajeya River in the Bardhaman district of West Bengal. The left hand of Goddess Sati had fallen here. Goddess Bahula Shakti and Bhairav Bhiruk are seated in this Shaktipeeth.
12) Gandaki : The Gandaki Shaktipeeth is situated on the banks of the Gandaki River in Pokhara, Nepal. The head of Mata Sati has fallen at this place. Shakti Gandaki Chandi and Bhairav Chakrapani are there in this Shaktipeeth.
13) Ujjayini Chandika : Ujjayini Chandika is situated at a place called Ujjayini, 16 km away from Guskur station in the Bardhaman district of Bengal. Here Goddess Sati’s right wrist fell and in this Shaktipeeth Mangal Chandrika Shakti and Bhairav Kapilambar are there.
14) Tripura Sundari : Tripura Sundari Shaktipeeth is located in Radhakishorpur village near the Matabadi mountain peak of Udarpur. The right leg of Goddess Sati had fallen at this place. In this temple, Shakti is seated in the form of Tripura Sundari and Bhairav Tripuresh.
15) Bhavani : Bhavani Shaktipeeth is located on the top of Chandranath Mountain in the Chittagong district of Bangladesh. This is the right arm of Mata Sati that had fallen. Shakti Bhavani and Bhairav Chandrasekhar are seated here.
16) Bhramari Shaktipeeth : Bhramari Shaktipeeth is located in Salbari village in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. Devi Mata’s left leg had fallen here. Shakti Bhramari and Bhairav Amber are seated in this Shaktipeeth.
17) Goddess Kamakhya : Kamakhya Devi Shaktipeeth is situated on Nilanchal Mountain in the Guwahati district of Assam. This was the vaginal part of Goddess Sati. Here Shakti is Kamakhya Devi and Bhairav Umanand.
18) Jugadya Shaktipeeth : This Shaktipeeth is located at Kheergram in the Bardhaman district of West Bengal. In this Shaktipeeth, the big toe of the right foot of Goddess Sati has fallen. Shakti Jugadya and Bhairav Ksheer Khandak are seated here.
19) Kalika : Kalika Shaktipeeth is situated at Kalighat in Kolkata. Mother Sati’s left toe had fallen at this place. Here is Shakti Kalika and Nakulish Bhairav.
20) Prayag Shaktipeeth : Prayag Shaktipeeth is situated on the banks of Sangam located in Allahabad city of Uttar Pradesh. The finger of the hand of Goddess Sati had fallen here. In this Shaktipeeth, Shakti is called Lalita, and Bhairav is called Bhava Bhairav.
21) Jayanti Shaktipeeth :Jayanti Shaktipeeth is located on Khasi mountain in Bhorbhog village of Bangladesh. The left thigh of Goddess Sati had fallen here. Here Shakti Jayanti and Bhairav Kramadeeshwar are there.
22) Kirit Vimla Shaktipeeth : Kirit Vimla Shaktipeeth is located in Kiritkon village of Murshidabad district of West Bengal. The crown of Goddess Sati had fallen at this place. Here Shakti is called Vimla and Bhairav is called Samvarta.
23) Vishalakshi and Manikarni : Vishalakshi Shaktipeeth is located near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. This jeweled coil of Mata Sati had fallen. In this Shaktipeeth, power and Shilashakshi and Kaal Bhairav are seated.
24) Shravani Shaktipeeth : Shravani Shaktipeeth is located in Kanyashram, Tamil Nadu. Goddess Sati’s back had fallen here. Here Shakti is Shravani and Bhairav is Nimish.
25) Savitri : Savitri Shaktipeeth is located in Kurukshetra, Haryana. Here Mata Sati had fallen on her right knee. Here Shakti Savitri and Bhairav Sthanu are there.
26) Manibandh Shaktipeeth : Manibandh Shaktipeeth is located near Gayatri Pahad at a distance of about 5 km from the famous Pushkar of Rajasthan. The wrist of Goddess Sati’s hand had fallen here. At this holy place, Shakti is called Gayatri, and Bhairav is called Sarvananda.
27) Shrishail Shaktipeeth : Shrishail Shaktipeeth is located 3 km north-east of Jainpur village in Bangladesh. The neck (Greeva) of Goddess Sati had fallen at this place. Shakti Maa Mahalakshmi and Bhairav Shambaranand are seated here.
28) Devgarbha Shaktipeeth : Devgarbha Shaktipeeth is situated on the banks of the Kopai River in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. The bone of Goddess Sati had fallen here. In this Shaktipeeth, Shakti is Devgarbha and Bhairav is Ruru.
29) Kalamadhav Shaktipeeth : Kalamadhav Shaktipeeth is situated on the banks of Shone River in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh. The left buttock of Mata Sati had fallen in this Shaktipeeth. Here Shakti is Kali and Bhairav is Asitanga.
30) Shonakshi Shaktipeeth : Shonakshi Shaktipeeth is located at the origin of Narmada in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh. This was the right buttock of Goddess Mata. Shakti Narmada and Bhairav Bhadrasen are seated here.
31) Ramgiri Shaktipeeth : Ramgiri Shaktipeeth is located on the Jhansi-Manikpur railway line in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh. The right chest (breast) of Mother Goddess had fallen here. Shivani and Bhairav Chand are in the form of Shakti at this place.
32) Uma Shaktipeeth :Uma Shaktipeeth is located in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. A bunch of hair / Chudamani had fallen here. In this Shaktipeeth, there is Uma Shakti Swaroop and Bhairav Bhutesh.
33)Shuchi-NarayaniShaktipeeth :Shuchi-Narayani Shaktipeeth is situated on the Kanyakumari-Thiruvananthapuram road in Tamil Nadu. This was the upper molar of Mata Sati. Here Shakti Narayani and Bhairav are slaughtered.
34) Punch Sagar : Panch Sagar Shaktipeeth is Varahi Maa Varahi of Uttar Pradesh. The lower molar of Mata Sati had fallen here. At this place, there is Shakti Varahi and Bhairav Maharudra.
35) Aparna Shaktipeeth : Aparna Shaktipeeth Shaktipeeth is located on the banks of the Sadanira River, 28 km from Bhawanipur village in Bangladesh. The left anklet of Goddess Sati had fallen here. Here Shakti Arpan and Bhairav Vaman are there.
36) Shri Sundari Shaktipeeth : Sri Sundari Shaktipeeth is located in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. (Other belief: Shri Parvat, Ladakh, Kashmir) The right anklet of Goddess Sati had fallen here. Here Shakti is Sri Sundari and Bhairav Sundaranand.
37) Vibhash Shaktipeeth : Vibhash Shaktipeeth is located at Tamluk in the East Medinipur district of West Bengal. Devi Mata’s left heel had fallen here. Here Shakti is called Kapalini and Bhairav Sivananda.
38) Chandrabhaga Shaktipeeth : Chandrabhaga Shakti Peeth is located near Veraval Somnath Temple in the Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. Mother Sati’s stomach had fallen here. Here Chandrabhaga and Bhairav Vakratunda are in the form of Shakti.
39) Avanti Shaktipeeth : Avanti Shaktipeeth is located in Bhairav Parvat on the banks of the Kshipra River located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The upper lip of Goddess Sati had fallen here. Here Shakti is Avanti and Bhairav is Lambkarna.
40) Janasthan Shaktipeeth : Janasthan Shaktipeeth is located on the banks of the Godavari River in Nashik, Maharashtra. Mother Sati’s chin had fallen here. Here there is Bhramari in the form of Shakti and Virataksha in the form of Bhairav.
41) Sarveshell Shaktipeeth : Sarveshel Shaktipeeth is located at Rajamahendri Godavari river bank of Andhra Pradesh. Devi Sati’s throat had fallen here. Here Shakti is Visveshwari and Bhairav is Dandapani.
42) Ambika Shaktipeeth : Ambika Shaktipeeth is located near Bharatpur, Rajasthan. The left toe of Mata Sati had fallen here.
43) Ratnavali Shaktipeeth : Ratnavali Shaktipeeth is located on the banks of the Ratnakar River in the Guhli district of West Bengal. The right shoulder of Goddess Sati had fallen here. Here is Shakti Kumari and Bhairav Shiva.
44) Mithila : Mithila Shaktipeeth is located in Mithila on the Indo-Nepal border. The left shoulder of Mata Sati had fallen at this place. Here Shakti is called Uma and Bhairav is called Mahodar.
45) Kalika Shaktipeeth : Kalika Shaktipeeth is located at Nalhati in Birbhum district of West Bengal. The leg bone of Goddess Sati had fallen at this place. Here Shakti is called Kalika Devi and Bhairav is called Yogesh.
46) Jaydurga : It is located in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh. Here both the ears of Mother Goddess had fallen. Here Shakti is Jayadurga and Abhiru Bhairav.
47) Mahishmardini Shaktipeeth : Mahishmardini Shaktipeeth is located at Vakreshwar in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. Mother’s brow (mind) had fallen at this place. Here Shakti is called Mahishmardini and Bhairav is called Vakranath.
48) Yashoreshwari : Yashoreshwari Shaktipeeth is located in Ishwaripur, Khulna district of Bangladesh. Mother Sati’s hands and feet had fallen at this place. Here Shakti is Yashoreshwari and Bhairav Chandra.
49) Attahas Shaktipeeth : Attahas Shaktipeeth is located at Attahas in the Birbhum district of West Bengal and here the lips of Goddess Mata had fallen. Here Shakti is called Fullara and Bhairav is called Vishwesh.
50) Nandipur Shaktipeeth :
51) Indrakshi Shaktipeeth : Indrakshi Shaktipeeth Sh.Located in Sri Lanka (location unknown). The anklet of Goddess Sati had fallen here. Here Shakti is called Indrakshi and Bhairav is called Raksheshwar.
And thus at Gabbar Hill ,it is believed that the heart of Sati mata fell here. The temple is thus dedicated to Goddess Amba or Arasuri Ambaji, a form of the divine feminine energy.The Ambaji Temple has been a center of pilgrimage for centuries, attracting devotees from various regions of India. The worship of Goddess Amba at this site has been a traditional practice passed down through generations.
Renovations and Rebuilding: Throughout its history, the temple has undergone renovations and rebuilding efforts. Over time, different rulers and communities have contributed to the upkeep and enhancement of the temple complex.
Some interesting facts and points about Ambaji Temple:
1.Goddess Amba:The temple is dedicated to Goddess Amba, also known as Ambika or Arasuri Ambaji. She is considered a form of the Goddess Durga and is highly revered by devotees.
2.Ancient Origins:The exact origin of the temple is not known, but it is believed to be one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, where the heart of Sati (Goddess Parvati) is said to have fallen.
3.Jyotirlinga Connection:According to some legends, Ambaji is believed to be the original source of the River Saraswati and is closely associated with the ancient Danta Shikar.
4.Nirvana of Arasuri Ambaji Mata:The temple is often referred to as the "Nirvana of Arasuri Ambaji Mata," emphasizing its importance as a place of spiritual significance.
5.No Idol:Unlike many Hindu temples, Ambaji Temple does not have an idol in the sanctum sanctorum. Instead, a triangular Vishwa Yantra, representing the cosmic energy, is worshipped.
6.Gabbar Hill:The temple is situated on the Arasur Hill, also known as Gabbar Hill, which adds to the scenic beauty and spiritual atmosphere of the pilgrimage site.
7.Festivals:The temple witnesses a grand celebration during the Navaratri festival when thousands of pilgrims visit to seek the blessings of Goddess Amba. The Ambaji fair during Bhadarvi Purnima is also famous.
8.Aarti:The daily rituals at the temple include the performing of Aarti, which is a devotional song accompanied by the waving of lamps, incense, and other ceremonial items.
9.Pilgrimage Destination:Ambaji attracts pilgrims not only from Gujarat but also from various parts of India. It holds cultural and religious significance for devotees seeking divine blessings.
10.Achalgarh Fort:Ambaji is in close proximity to the Achalgarh Fort, which is another historical site in the region. Pilgrims often include a visit to the fort as part of their spiritual journey.
Ambaji Temple remains an important religious and cultural landmark in
Gujarat, drawing devotees and tourists alike with its rich history and
spiritual ambiance.Over the years, the temple has remained a symbol of devotion
and faith. Devotees continue to visit Ambaji to express their reverence for
Goddess Amba and to participate in the rituals and festivals associated with
the temple.
While the historical details may not be extensively documented, the
Ambaji Temple stands as a testament to the enduring religious and cultural
heritage of the region, drawing devotees seeking spiritual solace and blessings
from the divine goddess.
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