Manglya Gowri Devi
(16th Shakti Peeth)
Sarva mangala maangalyaa
Gayaa mangalya gaurikaa
Ardhadaa mokshadaadevi
Akshayya phalapradaayini
Story behind Astadasa 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 Daksha got angry and withdrawn marriage of Sati with Siva.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 Trincomalee 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.
Gaya Manglya Gowri Shakti Peetham
The Bust part of Sati said to be fallen in the holy place of Gaya in Bihar State and it became famous and the 16th Sakthi Peet as Mangala Gowri. The famous poet Srinadha in Bheemeswara Purana third chapter stated that Varanasi (Banaras), Kedaram (Kedarnath), Kumbhakonam and {Pithapuram} Kukkuteswara Kshetram are the four holy places give Moksha. Sage Vyasa narrated about the holy place in the 3rd Khanda of Skanda Purana, one among the Eighteen Puranas. The holy place, one among the three Gaya Kshetrams, in which the body parts of Sati, fell famous as Shiro Gaya Kshetram. This is one among the ancient holy Vishnu Kehteram. Pilgrims will be getting free from all their sins and worries, gives Mukthi to ancestors and fulfill all their desires with darshan of this holy place.
Gayasura, a good demon by nature made severe yoga and Vishnu appeared before him. Gayasura asked boon to consider his body as most cleansed than the rivers and obtained the boon. The human beings and other creatures used to release from their sins with the air spread and from the darshan of Gayasura. Gayasura performed Asvamedha and so may Yagnas. He has conducted hundred Yagnas and entitled to be king of Swarga. Gayasura occupies the throne of Indra and throw away Indra from his throne. Indra made severe yoga about Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and prayed for boon to kill Gayasura, stating that people facing difficulties from his followers due to which they could not perform Yagas. The Gods could not get the offerings and becoming weak.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva decide to kill Gayasura in any manner and came to Gayasura in the form of Brahmins. They informed to Gayasura that they are performing Yaga for seven days, they require site to perform the Yaga, and the earth could not bear the Yaga and requested the body of Gayasura as platform for their Yaga, as his body blessed to be the most powerful on earth as blessed by Lord Vishnu. They requested the body of Gayasura for seven days with a condition that he could not move his body till completion of the Yaga failing which they kill him. Gayasura agreed to the condition. He has prayed to start their Yaga and expand his body putting his head in Gaya of Bihar State, Naval in Jajpur of Orissa State and Feet in Pithapuram of Andhra Pradesh. Lord Vishnu at Head, Brahma at Naval and Shiva at Feet started the Yaga. Gayasura has not moved his body with his Yoga and calculated the number of days with exclamation of fowl. After completion of 6 days, Indra again prayed Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. On the seventh day, in the midnight, Shiva made noise of exclamation of fowl. Gayasura felt the period was completed and moved his body. Brahma, Vishnu and Siva informed that he has moved without completion of their Yaga and they will kill him. Gayasura with his divine vision found everything happened and requested to kill him. Trimurthi asked his last wish to fulfil as boon. Gayasura prayed that the three parts of his body in Gaya, Jajpur and Pithapuram have to become famous as Three Gaya Kshetrams after his death, that Brahma Vishnu and Siva should live in the three Kshetras, that the three and Kshetrams have to be identified as Sakthi Peet, Funeral function and Pitrukarma performed in these Kshetrams gives the soul Moksha. Mangala Gowri and Vishnu Padams in Shiro Gaya of Bihar State, Girija Devi Sakthi Peeth and Brahma in Nabhi Gaya in Jajpur of Orissa State and Puruhoothika Sakthi Peeth with Kukkuteswara Swamy in Pada Gayya of Pithpuram in East Godavari District are famous as Three Gaya (Thrigaya) Kshetrams. The five namely Siro Gaya (Bihar), Nabhi Gaya (Orissa), Pada Gaya (Andhra Pradesh), Mathru Gaya (Siddhapur, Gujarat) and Brahmakapal (Badarinath, Uttarakhand) are the five Mukthi Kshetra to our ancestors.
The Brest portion of Sathi fallen in Gaya. The Goddess is Mangala Gowri. Devotees worship idol in the shape of breast. The temple of Mangala Gowri built facing east on the hill. There is road and steps to go to the temple on the hill. There is small portico in front of the temple. Two small idols of Shiva, Mahisasura Mardhani, Durga and Dakshana Kali photos in the temple. There are Maha Kali, Vigneswar, Hanuman and Shiva temples in the Temple Complex. Legend says that the place where Head part of Gayasura is also known as Shiro Gaya. The Kshetram is in the banks of Palguna River. The custom is that to take bath in the river and to leave the materials of Pinda Pradhan in the river. This is also Vaishnava Kshetram. Devotees presume that Mangala Gowri is the sister of Lord Vishnu.
Mangalagauri Devi Temple Timings
The Temple kept open from 6-00AM to 8-00PM. There are Guest Houses and Hotels near the temple. The particulars of Food and Accommodation along with Priests information to perform Pinda Pradhan are given in separate statement.
