Mausi Maa Temple
Encyclopedia
The Mausi Maa temple is situated the mid-way of the Bada danda (Grand road) of Puri
. It is a small temple dedicated to Goddess Ardhashini.
As per Jagannath
mythology
, once Goddess Lakshmi
Devi left Shri Mandira, and thus Jagannath
and Balabhadra becomes poor and had to go out begging. When Jagannath
and Balabhadra were out during that time, Subhadra
Devi was staying at Mausi Maa (Maternal Aunt).
Mausi Maa is also termed as Ardhashini. It has been mentioned in the Vaisanava Kanda of the Skanda Purana
that Goddess Ardhashini drank half of the sea water that flooded Puri
and saved the abode of Shri Jagannath
. Goddess Ardhashini with Kapalamochana Shiva
, act as the guardians of the Samkha Kshetra
.
During the return journey (Bahuda yatra) of Ratha yatra festival, the chariot of Shri Jagannath
stops at Mausi Maa temple and the deity is offered the favourite Poda Pitha, a kind of baked cake meant for the poor.
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
. It is a small temple dedicated to Goddess Ardhashini.
As per Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, once Goddess Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
Devi left Shri Mandira, and thus Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
and Balabhadra becomes poor and had to go out begging. When Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
and Balabhadra were out during that time, Subhadra
Subhadra
Image:Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra in Radhadesh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=|Subhadra, flanked by her brothers Balarama and Jagannatha . Deities of the Radhadesh temple in Belgium...
Devi was staying at Mausi Maa (Maternal Aunt).
Mausi Maa is also termed as Ardhashini. It has been mentioned in the Vaisanava Kanda of the Skanda Purana
Skanda Purana
The Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text is devoted mainly to the lilas of Kartikeya , a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him...
that Goddess Ardhashini drank half of the sea water that flooded Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
and saved the abode of Shri Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
. Goddess Ardhashini with Kapalamochana Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, act as the guardians of the Samkha Kshetra
Samkha Kshetra
Samkha Khsetra is the religio-geographic name of the most sacred section of the holy city of Puri, the seat of Hindu deity, Shri Jagannath...
.
During the return journey (Bahuda yatra) of Ratha yatra festival, the chariot of Shri Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
stops at Mausi Maa temple and the deity is offered the favourite Poda Pitha, a kind of baked cake meant for the poor.