Jejuri Temple

Khandoba is a regional Hindu deity, worshipped by all communities including Muslims, exhaulted as Mrtanda Bhairava, an incarnation of Shiva, having linkages with Vaishanva and Jain traditions. He is the most popular family deity in Maharashtra, the patron deity of farming and herding castes, the hunters and gatherers, of the hills and forests (like Mallanna in Andhra Pradesh and Mallaya in Karnataka) of western Deccan. The worship of Khandoba developed during the 9th/10th centuries from a folk deity into a composite god pocessing the attributes ofShiva , Bhairava, Surya and Karttikeya (Skanda).He is depicted either in the form of a Lingam, or as an image riding on a bull or a horse.

Malhari Mahatmya

Malhari Mahatmya, a book in Marathi, tells the legend of Martanda-Bhairava or Khandoba. It says that Lord Shiva took the Avatar of Khandoba to kill demons Malla amd Mani (in some accounts a giant called Manimalla). It says that two shivlingas appeared at Prempuri, the place where Khandoba killed the demons. It has 22 chapters.

A religious book on Khandoba containing 22 chapters.

1. Auspicious start, description of cottages of seven Rishi on Manichurna hill, destruction of all this cottages from demon/Asura Malhasur, All the sages/Rishi goes to Amrawati with their grievance.
2. Description of court of Indra. Indra wellcomes all Rishi but declares his inability to defeat the demons and advised Rishi to go to Vaikuntha (God Vishnu's home)
3. Description of Vishnu temple, Rishi praise god Vishnu – Vishnu leaves with them for Kailasa (Home of god Shankar)
4. By seeing the decoration of Kailas hill The god Vishnu and Rishi becomes happy.
5. Description of Shiv Temple.
6. Description of divine beauty of Shankar- Parvati.
7. Rishi praise god Shankar , Shankar saves them and gives a boon , birth of female demon Dhrutmari .
8. Shree Shiv takes the avatara of Martandbhairava. Description of army of gods and dispatch for war.
9. Mallasur is informed by his ambassadors about the arrival of army of gods. They laugh at Shiva. Army of demons prepare for war.
10. Description of the terrible war.
11. War of Kartikswami (Murugan) and Khadangdanshtra. The defeat of demons (Daitya)
12. War of Shree Gajanan (Ganpati) and Ulkamukh , victory of Ganesh, war of Nandi and Kutiloma. Victory of Nandi.
13. War of demon Mani and Martandbhairav, assationitaion of Mani.
14. Vishnu goes to Mallasur for diplomacy. But Mallasur doesn't listen to his guidance and decides to war.
15. War between Dhrutmari and Mallasur, Dhrutmari's defeat.
16. Terrible war between Mallasur and Martandbhaira , Mallasur's defeat.
17. Mallasur praise shree Martandbhairav! God Shankar gives him a boon!
18. Two Shivlinga (Lingam) appears at murder place of Manimalla according the Rishi request and at that place Prempuri all gods come for pilgrimage.
19. Importance of Prempuri pilgrimage.
20. Description of Prempuri and pilgrim place.
21. mportance of Malhari Martand puja and faith.
22. Fruits of reading Malhari Mahatmya book.

Khandoba is a much-married god with wives from many communities, who serve as culMhalsa Avtartural links to the communities. His first wife Mhalsa is from the Lingavat merchant caste; his second wife Banai is a Dhangar (shepherd caste); the third wife Rambhai is from Terror caste; fourth wife Phulai is a gardender and fifth caste Candai is a Muslim or described as a Telin (oil presser caste). The Malhari Mahatmya also gives an account of the two wives of Khandoba, Mhalsa and Banai. Mhalsa is believed to be a combined avatara of Mohini and Parvati. Mhalsa was born as the daughter of a rich merchant in Newase called Timshet. On the dinine orders of Khandoba in a dream to Timshet, she was married to Khandoba on Pausha Pournima(the full moon day of Hindu calender month of Paush) in Pali (Pembar). Two shivlingas appeared on this occasion. An annual festival marking this event is celebrated in Pali every Paush Pournima. Banai is believed to the daughter of Indra, the king of the gods. Banai was found by Dhangar shepherd, when she was abandoned on earth by an angry Indra. When Banai grew up, it was predicted that she would get her match at Jejuri. There, she felt in love with God Khandoba. Khandoba also felt in her love. Khandoba accepted a self-exile for 12 years by intentionally losing a game of chess (Saripat) to his wife Mhalsa. He took disguise of shepherd and started serving Banai's father. One day, Khandoba killed all the sheep and goats of Banai' father and promised to make them alive again if he was married to Banai. The reluctant Banai was married to Khandoba, the shepherd in disguise at Naldurg. Khandoba revealed his real form to Banai on their way back to Jejuri. On reaching Jejuri, Khandoba was greeted by Mhalsa's fury and her strong protest of his second marriage. To avoid the quarrels of his wives, Khandoba gave the upper half of the hill to Mhalsa and the lower half to Banai. The idol of Mhalsa is placed with Khandoba in the main shrine at top of the hill at Jejuri. A separate shrine to Banai is situated halfway down the hill.

Story of the birth of Hridrachurna (Turmeric powder) alias Bhandara :

The Yognidra (Yoga sleep or Devine sleep) of God Vishnu left him because of fear of demon Mani and Malla and hide herself in a rock in Patala. To search her gods 1) Vishnu, 2) Shankar and 3) Bhramha took the disguise appearance (Rupa) as trees as follows 1) Pimple, 2) Wad (Ficus bengalensis ), and 3) Palas (Butea Monosperma) and began to meditate (Tapa). They meditated the Tripur mantra for one hundred thousand times, and an incident was happened. A terrible sound happened underneath the seat of god Vishnu and he ran because off fear. He told Bhramha that the sound was happened. God Bhramha went to seat of God Vishnu and he saw a yellow germ. When god Bhramha saw the germ, he told the story to god Shankar. When god Shankar saw the germ he told to worship it or make Puja with sixteen rituals (Sanskara) along with Shreesukta mantra and when prayer, the goddess Tripuradevi will be pleased. After a long prayer goddess Tripuradevi said from beneath the rock, “Break the rock and extract the knot from bottom. Wash the knot with pure water and worship it with goddess Tripuradevi’s mantra and 108 times in the name of Martandbhairava, and make powder it and use to body. After then meditate (Japa) my name for 100 thousand times, so the enemies will destroy.” After then god Bhramha asked the goddess for her name, she answered “god Vishnu who destroyed the time (Kal) I made him ran, so my name is Hridra.” (Haridra-Haris – she who make run) Nowadays it is called as turmeric.