Dewas : The height of Chamunda Tekri (hill) is above 300 feet and the historically significant temple is abode of Goddess Chamunda ‘sidol as tall as 9 feet. The temple and the Goddess has been subject of sheer devotion for centuries and made lines in a weekly newspaper of old Dewas ‘Vratt Lahari’s’ on January 3, 1876 edition published from the city. Amche Dewas book does cement it as a famous religious paradise.
Goddess Chamunda and Goddess Tulja bhavani have been considered as core of power. Goddess Tulja Bhavani is known around as Badi Mataji and is the elder sister to Goddess Chamunda. The year of the construction of the temple is not known. The same hill (Tekri) shares a temple of god Bheru, which had been curved in big size stones. Goddess Kalika, Ashtabhuja, and God Hanuman temples are the added stars to the religious heaven.
Some Govind Bua name man constructed a bungalow on the hill worth Rs 2000 at that time.
According the book Amche Dewas, for centuries the Goddess Chamunda had been known as Rakt (bloody) Chamunda due to sacrifice (bali) tradition at the temple. But after government ban on sacrifice the previous name disappeared from the minds of people. The temple was constructed by Tara Raje, who was the sister of erstwhile Gwalior ruler Madhavrao Scindia and married to the Krishnajirao Puar (IInd)of ruler of Dewas senior estate.
According to a book of Swamiji of Narayan Kuti Sanyas Ashram, of Chamunda Tekari, King Bharthari, elder brother of Ujjain King Vikramaditya had performed the ‘Tapsya’ at this hill before the idol of Goddess Chamunda.
The nine-days worship of the Goddess is going to commence from Thursday and the preparations for the upcoming celebrations are in full swing. Krishi Kala (Agriculture Art) and Industrial exhibition will be held at Kushabhau Thakre Stadium as Meena Bazaar. Meena Bazaar is a long legacy of the local royal visiting and former kings Vikran Singh Rao Pawar and Krishnajirao Puar used to purchase stuff from the Bazaar. The Bazaar is one of the strong examples of women empowerment in the history of India. The market used to be reserved only for women for seven days and men were allowed to enter only after 9.
