Ambaji Mata Temple

Ambaji, Banaskantha district, Gujarat (near the Rajasthan border)

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Traditions differ: Most traditional lists, such as the Tantra Chudamani, place the 'heart' Shakti Peeth at Vaidyanath (Deoghar) in Jharkhand, while the Ambaji temple trust, Gujarat Tourism and many devotees hold that Sati's heart fell at Ambaji. Devotees honour both places.

About

Ambaji lies in the Arasur hills at the south-western end of the Aravallis, near the Gujarat-Rajasthan border, and is the best-loved Devi shrine of Gujarat. Many devotees count it among the Shakti Peeths and believe the heart of Devi Sati is honoured here. There is no idol in the sanctum. Worship is offered to a sacred yantra, called the Viso Yantra or Shri Yantra, kept in a niche; it is not looked at directly and may not be photographed. Each day the priests dress it so that from a distance it looks like the Devi herself. The white marble temple has a gold-covered shikhar, and the Devi's original seat is on nearby Gabbar hill.

The story

In the Shakti Peeth tradition, after King Daksha's yagya Shiv ji wandered in grief carrying the body of Devi Sati, and wherever a part of it fell, a Shakti Peeth arose. The temple trust and devotees hold that Sati's heart fell on Gabbar hill, so Gabbar is seen as Maa Amba's first seat. A lamp burns there always, and at night its light can be seen from the temple in the town below. A folk tale tells how the Devi came down from the hill. A king of Danta found the climb hard and begged her to come to his town. She agreed on one condition: he would walk ahead and never look back. The king walked on, listening to her anklets, but when the sound stopped he turned to look. The Devi stayed for ever at that spot, where the town temple stands today. Older stories are linked with these hills too: Shri Ram and Lakshman ji are said to have prayed to the Devi here while searching for Sita ji, and Nand Baba and Yashoda Maiya are believed to have held baby Krishna's mundan (first haircut) at Ambaji. Today the Shri Arasuri Ambaji Mata Devasthan Trust looks after the temple.

Visiting

October to March is pleasant. The Bhadarvi Poonam fair and Navratri bring very large crowds. By temple rule, mobile phones and cameras are not taken inside. Gabbar hill (by steps or ropeway), the Mansarovar kund, the old Kumbhariya Jain temples and Koteshwar Mahadev are nearby, and Mount Abu is about 45 km away.

Festivals

Bhadarvi Poonam fair (Bhadrapad Purnima), when devotees walk here from far away
Sharad Navratri (Ashwin), with garba in the Chachar Chowk
Diwali, when the whole town of Ambaji is lit up
Every Purnima (full moon)

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Sources