Significant Temples Dedicated To Goddess Mahalakshmi

Check out some of the significant temples dedicated to Goddess Mahalakshmi.

By Gayathri.s

Thursday, August 3, 2017, 10:19

Goddess Mahalakshmi as everyone is aware of is the supreme Goddess of wealth and bounties. The Goddess is not famous for just showering Her wealth. She is the epitome of grace and benevolence.

It is believed that Lord Vishnu does not grant the wishes of his devotees so easily. But when the same devotee is recommended by the Mother, Lord Vishnu immediately grants all wishes. Such is the merciful heart of Goddess Mahalakshmi.

Her devotees are Her children and no mother can see Her child suffer. It is but the truth in our mortal lives too that if the child does not get what he wants from the father, he cries and gets the same done through his mother.

Temples in India dedicated to Her are exclusive and worth a visit once in a lifetime. It is fulfilling and a dream come true. The Varamahalakshmi Vrata does make one feel so close to the Mother that a visit to Her abode is a compulsion to complete the full circle of celebrating the auspicious festival.

Temples dedicated to Goddess Mahalakshmi are examined in this article.

Lakshmi Devi Temple – Hassan - Doddagoddavalli

The Lakshmi Devi Temple - Hassan was built by King Vishnu Vardhana in 11th century A.D. Built in the Hoysala style of architecture the temple has four shrines and four temples also known as the chathushkuta style. The four deities in the temple are Mahalakshmi, Vishnu, Bhoothnath and Mahakali. The Lakshmi Devi Temple is located 16 km from the district of Hassan and is situated on the Hasan-Belur Highway.

Laxminarayan Temple Or Birla Mandir – New Delhi

The temple is spread over seven and a half acres of widespread land. It is adorned with beautiful landscaped gardens and fountains. The sanctum sanctorum houses Lord Laxmi Narayan or Vishnu along with His consort, Goddess Mahalakshmi. The Temple has also dedicated smaller shrines to Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Buddha. The Temple is also sought after because Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated this temple. Laxminarayan Temple was built by Baldeo Birla and his sons from 1933 to 1939.

Mahalakshmi Temple - Kohlapur

The Mahalakshmi Temple at Kohlapur - Maharashtra is the pride of heritage India. Not only is it a masterpiece of fine architecture but also has a special place of religious significance. The Temple was built by the Chalukyas in the 17th century and is one of the Shakthi Peetas listed in the puranas.

The image of the Goddess Mahalakshmi is mounted on a stone platform, weighing about 40 kg and is carved on a black stone and is 3 ft height. The Goddess image also has four arms. The stone lion, or simha vahana stands behind the Goddess. The Seshnag or the sacred serpent of Lord Vishnu adorns the crown.

The four hands are seen with the following sculpted images
The lower right hand, a citrusfruit - Mhalunga
The upper right, a largemace with its head touching the ground - Kaumodaki
The upper left, ashield- Khetaka and
The lower left, a bowl - Panpatra.

Unlike mostHindusacred images, which face north or east, the image of this deity looks west (Pashchim). There is a small open window on the western wall, through which the light of the setting sun falls on the face of the image for three days around the 21st of each March and September.

Shree Mahalakshmi Temple Mumbai

Shree Mahalakshmi Temple in Mumbai is situated at Bhulabhai Desai Road. The temple consists of three deities - Shree Mahalakshmi, Saraswati and Maha Shakthi. It is believed that the three idols were drowned in the sea near Worli creek to save the idols from Muslim invasion.

The advent of the British saw changes and it was decided to connect Worli and Malabar creek. This work was entrusted to Shri Ramji Shivji Prabhu a Governement Engineer. But the work was not completed since the wall of the bridge would collapse each time it was constructed.

It is believed that Goddess Mahalakshmi appeared in the dream of Lord Hornby - the British bureaucrat in charge, and instructed him to retrieve the idols from the creek and install them atop the hillock. As soon as the instructions were followed, the connecting bridge wall stood firm and did not collapse while the work was completed. The temple was constructed between 1761 AD and 1771 AD.

Ashta Lakshmi Temple - Chennai

The Ashta Lakshmi Temple or Kovil in the vernacular Tamil is situated on the shores of the Elliots Beach - Chennai. The Temple is dedicated to the eight primary forms of Goddess Mahalakshmi - Ashtalakshmi - the giver of all eight forms of wealth, namely, offspring, success, prosperity, wealth, courage, bravery, food and knowledge.

This temple was constructed under the aegis of Sri Chandrashekerendra Swamigal of Kanchi Mutt. The temple is a multi-tier structure and constructed in such a manner that the devotees may visit all the eight shrines without stepping over any of the sanctum sanctorums. The temple construction commenced in 1974 and was opened to the public in 1976.

Sripuram Golden Temple, Vellore

The Sripuram Koil is situated at Thirumalaikodi in Vellore. The temple situated at the foot of the hills is a sight to behold. The Temple is dedicated to Goddess Mahalakshmi and the temple tower is gilded in pure gold worth 1500 kg. The temple has a star-shaped path representing the Shri Chakra, with a length of 1.8 km. As one walks towards the sanctum sanctorum, one can read spiritual messages from the vedas encrypted along the path.