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Bhuvaneshvari (
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: भुवनेश्वरी,
IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
: ''Bhuvaneśvarī'') is a
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
goddess. She is the fourth amongst the ten
Mahavidya The ''Mahavidya'' ( sa, महाविद्या, , lit. ''Great Wisdoms'') are a group of ten Hinduism, Hindu Tantra, Tantric Devi, goddesses. The 10 Mahavidyas are usually named in the following sequence: Kali, Tara (Devi), Tara, Tripura Su ...
goddesses in
Shaktism Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti ( Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, al ...
, and one of the highest aspects of ''
Mahadevi Mahadevi ( sa, महादेवी, ), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti, is the supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. According to this tradition, all Hindu goddesses are considered to be manifesta ...
''. She is identified as Adi Parashakti in the Devi Bhagavatam.


Etymology

The word Bhuvaneshvari is a
compound Compound may refer to: Architecture and built environments * Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall ** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struct ...
of the words ''Bhuvana Iśwari'', meaning "Goddess of the world" or "Queen of the universe", where the worlds are the ''tri-bhuvana'' or three regions of ''bhūḥ'' (
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
), ''bhuvaḥ'' (
atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...
) and ''svaḥ'' (Heavens).


Forms

According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana, the goddess offers the five manifestations of the Pancha Prakriti: #
Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around co ...
#
Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
#
Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a go ...
#
Gayatri Gayatri (Sanskrit: गायत्री, IAST:Gāyatrī) is the personified form of the Gayatri Mantra, a popular hymn from Vedic texts. She is also known as Savitri, and bears the epithet of ''Vedamata'' (mother of the Vedas). Gayatri is ofte ...
#
Radha Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...


Temples

There are several temples dedicated to Bhuvaneshvari across India. In South India most of the
Srividhya Shri Vidya (ISO: '; ; sometimes also spelled Sri Vidya or Shree Vidya) is a Hindu Tantric religious system devoted to the Goddess as Lalitā Tripurasundarī (''Beautiful Goddess of the Three worlds''), Bhuvaneshvari, Maha Lakshmi, etc. A thousa ...
tradition upasaka worship her. In
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
she is also popular among
Shakta Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti (Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, all ...
s. * Sacred Adishakti Bhuvaneswari Devi Shakti Peetha temple in Bilkhet near Satpuli, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. This Temple is the most sacred destination of Uttarakhand for the mass of devotees. On the occasion of Navratri, a big fair is organized by the temple authority. *
Lord Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes/ref> Ind ...
worshipped Sri Bhuvaneshvari to atone for his sins, after being cursed with vulvas all over his body. Sri Bhuvaneshvari turned the vulvas into eyes and is called Indrakshi ("Indra-eyed") after this incident. Also her
Shakti Peetha The Shakti Pitha or the Shakti Peethas ( sa, शक्ति पीठ, , ''seat of Shakti'') are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-centric denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various fo ...
is located in Nainativu (Manipallavam) in the Nainai Sri Nagapoosani Ambal Temple– off the shore of the Jaffna Peninsula in Northern
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. Shakti's anklets are believed to have fallen here. * She is worshipped as the patron goddess of
Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is ...
and by
Utkala Brahmins Utkala Brahmins, also known as Utkal Brahmins, are a Brahmin community who belong to the state of Odisha, India. Utkala Brahmins are the historical caretakers of the Jagannath Temple in Puri. The Utkala Brahmins are one of the five Pancha Gouda B ...
of
Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
. *There is a temple dedicated to Bhuvaneshvari in Coimbatore at Nanvur Piruvu, Vadavalli, CoimbatoreA Natmandir dedicated to the goddess can be found in Hatkhola
Chandannagar Chandannagar french: Chandernagor ), also known by its former name Chandernagore and French name Chandernagor, is a city in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is headquarter of the Chandannagore subdivision and is part ...
where the goddess is worshipped annually for a month in the month of
Sravan Śrāvaṇa ( sa, श्रावण) is the fifth month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Śrāvaṇa is the fifth month of the year, beginning on July 23 and ending on August 22. In the Tamil calendar, it is known ...
. Here the image of the goddess is built in traditional Bengali style flanked by
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
and other gods. * Another temple dedicated to Bhuvaneshvari is located in
Pudukkottai Pudukkottai is the administrative headquarters of Pudukkottai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a large city located on the banks of the Vellar River. It has been ruled, at different times, by the mutharaiyar dynasty , Cholas, ...
, Tamil Nadu. * A small shrine is also dedicated to her inside
Jagannath Temple, Puri The Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu - one of the Trimurti, trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism. Puri is in the state of Odisha, on the eastern coast of India. The present temple was ...
and Devi
Subhadra Subhadra ( sa, सुभद्रा, Subhadrā) is a Hindu goddess mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. She is described as the favourite child of Vasudeva and the younger sister of de ...
is worshipped as Bhuvaneshvari. * The
Samaleswari Maa Samleswari is the presiding deity of Sambalpur. History On the bank of river Mahanadi, goddess Samaleswari is worshipped from ancient times as ''Jagatjanani'', ''Adishakti'', ''Mahalaxmi'' and ''Mahasaraswati''. The region in which the te ...
shrine and
Cuttack Chandi Temple The Kataka Chandi Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to the Goddess Chandi, the presiding deity of Cuttack, Odisha, India. The temple is located nearby the banks of the Mahanadi River. It is famous for the annual Durga Puja and Kali Puja fest ...
in
Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
two are dedicated to her. * The oldest temple of Bhuvaneshvari devi is located at Gunja, ta: visnagar, dist: mehsana, north Gujarat . Where the function of Mataji's palli held on the auspicious occasion ( Aatham of Navratri). * A dedicated temple of Bhuvaneshvari Devi is located at Gondal in
Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
which was established in 1946. *Nochipra Bhagavathy-Kshetram temple located at Westhill, Calicut in Kerala is a 950+ years old temple where the main deity is ''Bhuvaneshwari Amma'', the supreme mother. * The
Kamakhya Temple The Kamakhya Temple at Nilachal hills in Guwahati, Assam is one of the oldest and most revered centres of Tantra, Tantric practices. The temple is the center of the ''Kulachara Tantra Marga'' and the site of the Ambubachi Mela, an annual fes ...
houses a Bhuvaneshwari shrine. * Bhuvaneshvari is also known to be the goddess of
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
or Mother Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಮಾತೆ) and the Bhuvaneshvari Temple at the historical city of
Badami Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from CE 540 to 757. It is famous for its rock cut monumen ...
is one of the oldest temples. * There is a temple dedicated to Bhuvaneshvari Devi, situated in the small town of Jamshedpur, at a place called Telco. Locals believe the temple to be quite powerful, and the temple sees devotees making promises of sarees to the Goddess, in return for granting their prayers. A powerful temple of Bhuvaneshvari is situated in choorakkodu, Adoor near Vellakulangara. * There is a temple dedicated to Bhuvaneshvari Devi, situated at the bank of the river Krishna at
Bhilawadi Bhilawadi is a town (Neighbourhood) of Sangli City which is 27 km away from the heart of City Sangli in Sangli district, Maharashtra state, located on the bank of Krishna River. This town is one of the prominent producers of Grapes and Su ...
in
Sangli Sangli () is a city and the district headquarters of Sangli District in the state of Maharashtra, in western India. It is known as the Turmeric City of Maharashtra due to its production and trade of the spice. Sangli is situated on the banks o ...
district of
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
. * In Northern India, Mathura the city of Krishna also has a centuries-old "Bhuvaneshvari Mahavidya" temple just opposite to Krishna Janmbhoomi. * One more Temple in Maharashtra, Shri shetra Audumber, Sangli district. * In Bekhli village,
Kullu Kullu is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Va ...
district,
Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
, there is a dedicated temple to Devi Bhuvneshvari where she is known as Mata Bhuvneshvari Jagannathi. The temple is constructed of wood with carvings on the exterior. Fairs are held there in respect to the deity twice a year. * At Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, there is a small temple dedicated to Maa Bhuvaneshvari. * In North America, Bhuvaneshvari is worshipped at Parashakthi Temple in Pontiac, Michigan. * In Sydney, Australia, Bhuvaneshvari is worshipped a
Shri Shiva Mandir
in Minto, NSW.


See also

* ''
Devi Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism. The conce ...
'' *
Mahavidya The ''Mahavidya'' ( sa, महाविद्या, , lit. ''Great Wisdoms'') are a group of ten Hinduism, Hindu Tantra, Tantric Devi, goddesses. The 10 Mahavidyas are usually named in the following sequence: Kali, Tara (Devi), Tara, Tripura Su ...
*
Pattambalam Kurattikadu Pattambalam Devi Kshethram is a Devi Temple in Mannar, Kerala, India. The main ritual of the temple is the Anpoli Vazhipadu during Anpoli Areeppara, the most important event at the temple, an annual 18-day festival from Medam 10th to ...
*
Lingaraj Temple Lingaraja Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha, India. The temple is the most prominent landmark of Bhubaneswar city and one of the major tourist ...
* Bhuvaneshwari Temple Siddapur, Uttarakannada


References


Further reading

* ''Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses'' by David Frawley *''Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions'' () by David Kinsley {{Authority control Hindu goddesses Forms of Parvati Lakshmi Creator goddesses Mahavidyas