Shre. Yogeshwari Devi, Ambejogai

Shri Devi Yogeshwari is basically the form that Shri Durgadevi took to destroy unrighteous demons. There are two legends about Shri Devi Yogeshwari, who is situated in Ambajogai.  

To defeat a demon named Dantasure, devotees from Marathwada came to Konkan to invite Shri Durgadevi. Dantasure had received a boon that only a woman could kill him. To be able to kill this mighty demon, Shri Durgadevi appeared here, killed Dantasure, and then rested under a mango tree. Since then, this place became known as Ambai of Jogai or Yogai.

Another legend is that when Goddess Durga Devi was on her way to Parli Vaijnath to marry Lord Bholenath, she was delayed for some reason. By the time she reached Ambejogai, it was night, and the Gauraj Muhurat time had passed, which angered Lord Bholenath, and he left for Kailash. When she learned about this, she came here and settled under a mango tree. Because of this, the village came to be known as Jogai's mango or Ambejogai. Therefore, the Goddess Yogeshwari of Ambejogai is associated with being a virgin goddess.  

This Ambejogai temple, located on the banks of the Jayanti River, is very ancient and is an excellent example of architecture. Entering the temple through the busy marketplace, one first sees a grand lamp tower, facing the eastern main gate. Similarly, there is another large lamp tower facing the northern main gate. During festivals, on Tripuri Purnima, both lamp towers are decorated with lamps.

The annual festival of this temple is celebrated from Ashwin Shuddha Pratipada to Dashami (Navratri) and also from Margashirsha Shuddha Saptami to Purnima. During this festival, for nine days there are programs like bhajans, kirtans, discourses, and singing. The deity is not worshiped through idol worship here, but through Padya Puja (washing of the feet).

During this time, a Shatachandi Path havan is performed, and the daily worship is conducted by the priests as per tradition. The Brahmins also perform abhishek (ritual bathing) on the deity's feet. Apart from the priests, no one else touches the goddess. Generally, most of the worship ceremonies by the visiting Chitpavan Brahmin families include abhishek, naivedya (food offering), Oti filling, kunkumarchan rituals, savashna, Brahmin and Kumari food offerings, and prasad distribution.

Every day, the goddess is offered puranpoli as naivedya. There is a devotee residence in Ambajogai, and arrangements for staying and meals are available in the town. The arrangements for mahaprasad or naivedya are managed by Shri. Pathak Guruji from Guruvar Peth, Mandir Road.

The temple built in this Hemadpanti style has a spire that is different from other temples. This spire has five levels, with sculptures depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata on the first level. The second level features sculptures of the incarnations of Shri Yogeshwari Devi. The third level shows the ten incarnations of Shri Vishnu. The fourth level has the Navagraha, while the fifth level displays the Saptarishi.

Among the twelve incarnations of Shri Yogeshwari, there is a unique sculpture of Shri Matru-Roop Yogini-Ganesh. This female-form Ganesh idol has eighteen arms, a maternal form of Ganesh that cannot be seen anywhere else.

The original clan deity of the Chitpavan community is Durgadevi. However, due to the attacks by the Habshis and the Portuguese along the coast and the resulting destruction of temples, the Durga temples in Kolthare, Murud, and Guhagar were destroyed multiple times. As a result, many Chitpavan families that migrated during that period considered Shri Yogeshwari as a form of Durgadevi and adopted her as their clan deity.

Courtesy - Kuldaivat: Ajit Patwardhan