Tuljapur

Tuljapur is a town with a municipal council in Osmanabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative seat of Tuljapur taluka.Tuljapur is the location of the annual Tulja Bhavani fair during Navaratri (September–October). The town is home to the Tulja Bhavani Temple.GeographyIt has an elevation of 648 metres (2125 feet).DemographicsIndia census, Tuljapur had a population of 31,714. Males constituted 52% of the population and females 48%. Tuljapur had an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 76%, and female literacy was 60%. In 2001 in Tuljapur, 14% of the population was under 6 years of age., Marathi and Kannada spoken here.CultureThe well-known temple, Tulja Bhavani Temple, is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Bhavani. The town has received much notice during past centuries, since the temple has always enjoyed a special association with the Bhonsale clan to which Chhatrapati Shivaji belonged. Goddess Bhavani was the family deity of the Bhonsale clan. As the Goddess Bhavani is the deity of many people from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, they come walking in during the Dasera Festival to worship the Goddess Bhavani. Every year after Navaratri, on the eve of Kojagiri pournima, many devotees cover long distances to reach the city. Huge crowds are drawn to the temple for worshipping the goddess Bhavani.