Worship of Lord Brahma, Part 87

BY: SUN STAFF

Lord Brahma, Mangalwedha

May 8, 2018, CANADA (SUN) — A serial exploration of places of Lord Brahma's worship.

Lord Brahma in Mangalwedha

Today we visit the first of a number of Brahma sites in Maharashtra, situated in the town of Mangalwedha in Solapur district. Mangalwedha is approximately 50 km. southwest of the city of Solapur, and 25 km southeast of Pandharpur. Known for being the birthplace of Sri Jayatirtha, the great Dvaita saint and commentator on Sri Madhvacarya's works, Mangalwedha is also home to an ancient Brahma Temple.

Mangalwedha is mentioned as 'Metulingpuri' in the Bhima Mahatmya of Skanda Purana, but some historians question that identification. There are many monumental stone ruins from the Chalukya kings of Kalyani found around Mangalwedha, indicating that it was an important center during the 9th to 11th centuries. Numerous inscriptions give evidence that the town was under the rule of the Chalukyas of Kalyani, later becoming the seat of the Kalachuryas.

Mangalwedha Temple

The Kalachuris migrated to the south from an area that is now known as Hyderabad, and made Mangalwedha (Magaliveda, Mangalavedhe or Mangalavada) their capital. They called themselves Kalanjarapuravaradhisvara, which indicates their origin in central Indian. Beginning as modest feudatories of the Chalukyas of Kalyani, they overthrew the Chalukyas and ruled for a brief period, during the 12th century under the emblem of Suvarna Vrishabha, the golden bull.

According to an inscription referring to the year 1174, the founder of the Kalachuris was Soma, who was a disciple of Ashwathama, of Mahabharata fame. He is said to have grown a beard and moustache to conceal his identify, in order to escape the wrath of Parasurama. Thereafter Soma's family and heirs came to be known as Kalachuris ('kalli' means a long moustache and 'churi' means a sharp knife).

Later records of the Kalachuri dynasty claim that the line descended directly from Lord Brahma, so it is not surprising that we find a temple here dedicated to Lord Brahma.

Mangalwedha Temple

There are a number of other interesting temples located in Mangalwedha, and many shrines scattered throughout the more than seventy villages in the outlying areas. The town's most frequented temples include those dedicated to local saints, Damaji, Chokha, as well as the temples of Vishveshwar Mahadeo.

Mangalwedha

The temple dedicated to the god Vishveshwar Mahadeo is said to have been constructed in 800 A.D. It is a Hemadpanti structure and was renovated in the year 1572 A.D. This temple bears an inscription in Marathi. In the month of Magna, a Mahashivaratri festival is celebrated here, drawing large crowds of devotees.

Vishveshwar Mahadeo Temple

The fort of Mangalvedha was built using materials the leaders took from old Jain temples they demolished, around 1500 A.D.

Mangalwedha Monuments

SERIES INDEX:

Part 1 - Brahma-Karmali in Carambolim, Valpoi, Goa
Part 2 - Pushkar, Rajasthan
Part 3 - Chinch & Asotra, Rajasthan
Part 4 - Eklingji, Udaipur, Rajasthan)
Part 5 - Vasantgarh, Rajasthan)
Part 6 (Rajasthan: Bijoila, Mewar; Chandravati, Sirohi; Kiradu & Sevadi, Jodphur)
Part 7 (Khokhan, Himachal Pradesh)
Part 8 (Tihri-Uttarsal, Himachal Pradesh)
Part 9 (Una, Himachal Pradesh)
Part 10 (Dudhahi, Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh)
Part 11 (Gaya, Bihar)
Part 12 (Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh)
Part 13 (Alampur, Andhra Pradesh)
Part 14 (Kaleshwar, Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh)
Part 15 (Sampradaya Acarya - Lingampally, Andhra Pradesh)
Part 16 (Manthani, Andhra Pradesh)
Part 17 (Gurramguda Village, Andhra Pradesh)
Part 18 (Tirusulam, Tamil Nadu)
Part 19 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 20 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 21 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 22 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 23 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 24 (Syncretistic Forms of Lord Brahma)
Part 25 (Thirupachur, Tamil Nadu)
Part 26 (Pancheshti/Pancheti, Tamil Nadu)
Part 27 (Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 28 (Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu)
Part 29 (Mandagappattu, Tamil Nadu)
Part 30 (Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 31 (Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 32 (Thirumukkoodal, Tamil Nadu)
Part 33 (Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu)
Part 34 (Thirunaraiyur, Tamil Nadu)
Part 35 (Thirunaraiyur, Tamil Nadu)
Part 36 (Thiruvengadu, Tamil Nadu)
Part 37 (Thiruvelliyankudi, Tamil Nadu)
Part 38 (Kuthanoor, Tamil Nadu)
Part 39 (Lalgudi, Tamil Nadu)
Part 40 (Kulithalai, Tamil Nadu)
Part 41 (Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu)
Part 42 (Thirupattur, Tamil Nadu)
Part 43 (Pullamangai, Tamil Nadu)
Part 44 (Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu)
Part 45 (Sri Rangam, Tamil Nadu)
Part 46 (Tanjore, Tamil Nadu)
Part 47 (Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu)
Part 48 (Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu)
Part 49 (Darasuram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 50 (Thirukkannapuram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 51 (Malayadipatti, Tamil Nadu)
Part 52 (Thiruvadi, Tamil Nadu)
Part 53 (Thirukandiyur, Tamil Nadu)
Part 54 (Thiruparangundram, Tamil Nadu)
Part 55 (Kodumudi, Tamil Nadu)
Part 56 (Thottiyam, Tamil Nadu)
Part 57 (Nallur, Tamil Nadu)
Part 58 (Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu)
Part 59 (Purusha Sukta - The Hymn of Creation)
Part 60 (Kottakkal, Kerala)
Part 61 (Thirunavaya, Kerala)
Part 62 (Triprayar, Kerala)
Part 63 (Kodakkal, Kerala)
Part 64 (Chottanikkara, Kerala)
Part 65 (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala)
Part 66 (Thiruvallam, Kerala)
Part 67 (Tulunadu to Ur - Proliferation of Brahma Cult)
Part 68 (Lord Brahma and Abrahamic Cult)
Part 69 (Kolar, Karnataka)
Part 70 (Mullur, Karnataka)
Part 71 (Somnathapur, Halebid & Belur, Karnataka)
Part 72 (Sringeri, Karnataka)
Part 73 (Palli, Udupi, Karnataka)
Part 74 (Brahmalingeswara - Kanajaru, Karnataka)
Part 75 (Brahmalingeshwara - Maranakatte, Karnataka)
Part 76 (Brahmalingesvara Temples, Karnataka)
Part 77 (Brahmalingesvara Temples, Karnataka)
Part 78 (Aihole & Badami, Karnataka)
Part 79 (Lakkundi, Karnataka)
Part 80 (Sravanabelgola, Karnataka)
Part 81 (Kambadahalli, Karnataka)
Part 82 (Jain Brahma Yaksha Temples, Karnataka)
Part 83 (Savadi, Karnataka)
Part 84 (Shimoga and Megunda, Karnataka)
Part 85 (Lord Brahma in Buddhism, Karnataka)
Part 86 (Brahma's Prayers for Creative Energy)
Part 87 (Mangalwedha, Maharashtra)

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