Tulja Bhavani

About Tulja Bhavani

Tulja Bhavani is the warrior-mother enshrined at Tuljapur in Maharashtra, whose hill-top temple of black stone is counted among the 51 Shakti Peethas. Her name comes from 'Tvarita,' the swift one, after she rushed to save sage Kardama's wife from a demon. Legend remembers her as the slayer of the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. She is the kuladevi (family deity) of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who is said to have received the Bhavani Talwar — his sword — from her hand. Vasudevananda Saraswati's eight-verse stotram petitions her plainly: defeat my enemies, grant victory, remove fear and disease. Devotees throng her shrine through the nine nights of Navaratri.