Ekveera Devi
(8th Shaktipeeth)
Ekaveera mahasakthi
Maajoograama guhasthitaah
Purushardha pradamaataa
Sampoornaamrutha varshini
Story behind the Ashtadasha Shakti Peethas
Brahma performed Yaga to please Sakthi and Siva to request Sakthi in creation of Universe. Sakthi separated from Shiva emerge in the form of Sati and helped Brahma in creation of universe. Brahma sought to give back Sati to Siva. Daksha, son of Brahma performed Yagna with an intention to get Sati as his daughter. Sati born to Daksha and in due course she wanted to marry Shiva. At that time Brahma saw Prudhvi with bad intention and Shiva cut the fifth head of Brahma with his trident. Daksha got angry and withdrawn marriage of Sati with Siva. But Sati attracted with Shiva and married him. Daksha got hatred on Shiva.
Daksha intended to perform Nireeswara Yaga and invited all the Gods except Siva and Sathi in Kailas. Shiva warned Sati not to participate in the Yaga in the absence of invitation. Sati has gone to Yaga with Nandi and other followers. Sati started yoga which is not possible to the Yogis moving her five elements from their origin. Fire erupted from her grave status of body and she self immolated in the fire.
Enraged to the death and insult of Sati, Shiva in meditation got angry and performed Tandava Nruthya. Shiva has cut some hair from his head in Tandava and thrown on earth. The piece of hair burned and Veerabhadra born with thousand hands, and black body. Veerabhadra is so horrible with three angry eyes, Trident and other weapons in the hands along with skulls in the neck. Siva ordered to destroy the Yaga. Veerabhadra with skulls in his neck destroyed the Yaga and Lord Vishnu opposes him using Sudarsana Chakra. But Veerabhadra swallowed the Chakra and Vishnu given way to take revenge on Daksha. Veerabhadra killed Daksha and returned to Kailash. Daksha was given re-birth after affixing the head of a male goat to the body of Daksha.
Shiva could not bear the separation grief with Sati and left the duty to safe guard the universe. The Gods praised Lord Vishnu and at the request of the Gods, Lord Vishnu used Sudarshana chakra and cut the corpse in to pieces to release Shiva from the worry of the death of Sati. The body parts of Sati fell at several places of the Indian subcontinent and Groin in Trinchomali of Srilanka. The holy places formed are known as Shakti Peet. There is discrepancy in the number of Sakthi Peet as 108, 51and 52 but the 18 Sakthi Peet are familiar as Astadasa SakthiPeeth. The Goddess Dakshayani accompanies with her consort, Lord Bhairava (Shiva) a manifestation of Lord Shiva in all the Shakti Peeth.
Ekveera Devi Sakthi Peeth
The Right hand of Sathi fallen in Mahur and the holy place considered as Ekaveera, the 8th Sakthi Peet among the Astadasa Sakthi Peetas. Ekaveera Devi temple is at Mahur near Naded of Maharastra. It is believed that the holy place is the birth place of Dattatreya. There are three hills in the holly place. The idols of Sage Atri and his wife Anasuya Devi were enshrined on one hill. Dattatreya temple is on another hill. Renuka Devi is on the third hill. Devotees from other states feel that Renuka Devi and Ekaveeraa are the same. But Ekaveeraa Temple is at a distance of 15 km from Mahur with a large statue of Ekaveeraa up to only head part nearly touching the roof. The local people worshipped the Goddess being as Ekaveeraa. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva learned that there is no chaste wife other than Anasuya. They arrived to the hermitage of Sage Atri and asked Anasuya for Feed. Anasuya get food for them and they desired to serve nude. Anasuya them changed them in a three headed child and feed to the child. The child became famous as Dattatreya.
There are three mountains in Mahur. The temple of Renuka Matha, mother of Parasu Rama is the first mountain. The remaining two mountains are famous in the name of Datta and Atri Anasuya. The Sakthi Peeth Renuka Maatha Temple is in Mahaoor of Maharashtra. A Big Fair will be conducted in Vijaya Dasami every year. There is another Legend that there is a king Sahastrajun of Mahismath, the region of Maheswar of Madhya Pradesh State. The word Sahasra virtually means a thousand. For many it means the dominance of emperor Arjun over the evil. He came to the residence of Jamadagni and Renuka Devi and asked the Cow in the Ashram. Renuka Devi told that the cow has to be given with intention but not by force of the guest. Sahastrajun forcibly had taken away the cow and wounded Renuka. She has expired with wounds. By learning the assault of Sahastrajun, Parasu Rama, son of Jamadagni and Renuka turned into Yodha and killed Kshatriyas. The other Sages calm down Parasu Rama and requested to perform funerals of Renuka on the Peak of Mahur Mountain under the guidance of Dattatreya. Dattatreya given boon to Viswamitra that Renuka Mata will appear on the first Mountain. Renuka Temple thus came into prominence. The holy place where the funerals of Renuka performed is“Matru Teerdh” or “Antyeshti Sthan”. The idol in this temple treated as one among the Sakthi Peeth and as per Legend the temple is famous as Sakthi Stal. There is another legend that Parasu Rama cut the head of Renuka his mother and wife of Sage Jamadagni. Jamadagni given boon to Parasu Rama giving re-birth to Renuka Mata. The right hand of Sathi fallen here at Mahur and became famous as Renuka Devi Sakthi Peet. There is also Kalabhairava along with Sakthi here.
The Ekaveera Temple kept open on all days from 5-00AM to 12-00PM and from 4-00PM to 9-00PM. There are hotels in Mahur for accommodation.
