Headed to fight his enemies, the Mughals, Chattrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle sought the blessings of his Kula-Devi, Tulja Bhavani, a form of goddess Durga or Parvati. Devi gave him her blessings, and along with that, the sword Chandrahas which assisted him in his victories on the battlefield. Not just the Bhonsles but several other warrior clans in Maharashtra give Tulja Bhavani the credit for their conquests and prosperity.
On the spot where goddess Tulja blessed Shivaji stands a temple, which is one of the 51 shakti-pithas, revered pilgrimage sites for worshippers of Devi.
The brass Tulja Bhavani statue here shows the Devi comfortably seated, wrapped in the traditional Paithani sari, patterned with dotted designs. On her head is the conical mukuta or crown, in her nose, she wears the Marathi Brahmi Nath. The beloved Tulja Bhavani of all the Marathi populace is bedecked in a quintessentially Marathi Rani Haar, a layered necklace of pearl strings with jewelled pendants in between. Her toes are decorated with silver toe rings known as todvi in Maharashtra, an auspicious attribute of married women across India. The metal statue is compact and the golden colour of brass gives the Devi a divine aura.
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