Mata Rupa Bhawani (c. 1621 – c. 1721 birth name: Alakheswari ) was a

Kashmiri Kashmiri may refer to: * People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir * Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley * Kashmiri language, their language People with the name * Kashmiri Saikia Baruah ...

poet. Bhawani was a 17th-century Hindu saint who lived in present-day

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

Early life

She was the daughter of Pandit Madhav Joo Dhar, a resident of Khankah-i-Shokta, Nawakadal (now

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...

), in the early 17th century. He introduced her to the practices of yoga. Oral and written legend has it that Madhav Joo Dhar was an ardent devotee of Mata Sharika (

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...

). He visited her temple daily at Hari Parvat to pray and asked for a daughter. Bhawani was born to Joo's wife on Poornamashi in the month of Zyeth (

Jyeshta Jyeshtha or Jyēṣṭha ( sa, ज्येष्ठ; ne, जेठ ''jēṭ''; as, জেঠ ''zeth''; or, ଜ୍ୟେଷ୍ଠ ''Jyeṣṭha'') is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third mon ...

) in 1621. The exact year of her birth varies in a different account between 1620 and 1624. Bhawani followed her father in pursuit of God and spirituality.

Career

Even after her marriage at an early age, she often visited Hari Parvat to perform her Sadhana at midnight. This raised questions about her, as a woman out on her own. Her mother-in-law and husband mistreated her. Ultimately, she left her in-law's house in the pursuit of God. Bhawani performed her Sadhana in solitude at Chashme Shahbi, Manigam, at Ganderbal district in J&K Lar and Vaskura. These places, including her birthplace at Safa Kadal, are now famous as Ropa Bhawani Asthapanas. Mata Rupa Bhawani died on maag gat’tu pachh satam in 1721 AD. This day became known as Sahib Saptami and is observed by Hindus in Kashmir.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhawani, Rupa 1620 births 1720 deaths Kashmiri poets Mystic poets Indian women poets 17th-century Indian poets 18th-century Indian poets 18th-century Indian women writers Kashmiri Hindus Kashmiri Brahmins