Shree Ashapura Mata Temple

Introduction to the Shree Ashapura Mata Temple

Shree Ashapura Mata Temple is in Mata no Madh village, Kutch, Gujarat. People call it Mata no Madh Temple. It is one of the best temples in Kutch district. This 1200-year-old Temple was damaged many times by earthquakes. Shree Ashapura Mata Temple is now under the management of Shree Ashapura Bandar and Atithigruh Trust.

Legend of the Shree Ashapura Mata Temple

According to an interesting legend of Shree Ashapura Mata Temple, 1500 years ago, Karad Vania from the Marwar region visited this place to sell his wares. He stopped where the present temple stands and decided to spend the nine days of Navratri as he was an ardent devotee of Amba. Karad Vania prayed sincerely to Amba to bless him with a child.

Amba appeared in his dream on the same night and asked him to build her a temple at the spot where he stopped. She told him that on waking up, he would find a coconut and a chundri (a dyed- piece of red cloth). The deity also instructed him that after the temple was built, the doors should be shut for six months for her establishment.

Karad built the temple according to her advice. However, a Vania named Devchand started hearing the sound of celestial music at night for six months. Impatiently, he opened the temple doors to discover the secret behind the music. He found that the part of the deity below her knee was inside the earth. Even though the emergence of the idol is incomplete, she granted Devchand's wish and blessed him with a child.

Even today, devotees have darshan of the deity in this form.

The Architecture of the Shree Ashapura Mata Temple

Two Karad Vanias named Ajo and Anagor, the ministers in the court of the father of Lakho Phulani, built the temple in the 14th century. In 1819, an earthquake affected the temple. Two Brahmakshatriyas named Sundarji Shivji and Mehta Vallabhaji rebuilt it in 1823. The temple was damaged again by an earthquake in 2001 but was repaired. Now, it is more glorious and has better dimensions. Shree Ashapura Mata Temple is an excellent icon of Indian architecture with intricate carvings.

The presiding deity of Shree Ashapura Mata Temple is Ashapura Mata, the family deity (Kuldevi) of the Jadeja rulers of Kutch, Gujarat. The Sindhi community also worships her as their Kuldevi. Ashapura Mata is an incarnation of Annapoorna Devi.

Shree Ashapura Mata Temple is 58 ft. long, 32 ft. wide, and 52 ft. tall. The circumambulatory path of the temple is similar to the temple at Koteshwar. The sanctum of Shree Ashapura Mata Temple houses the idol of Ashapura Mata. It is a red-painted stone six-foot high and broad at the base, narrowing to a point in its shape.

The Rao of Kutch used to sacrifice seven male buffaloes in the Shree Ashapura Mata Temple during every Navratri. Now, this practice has been stopped.

Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of Sindh presented a huge bell at Shree Ashapura Mata Temple. Jamadar Fateh Muhammad, the Kutch state's military leader, gifted a Deep Mala weighing 2 Kg in silver with 41 lamps carved in it. It can be seen in the temple premises.

The uniqueness of the idol is that it has seven pairs of eyes. As the name indicates, she fulfills the wishes and desires of all who have faith in her.

Festivals in Shree Ashapura Mata Temple

Navratri is the most important festival here, and it is celebrated with great enthusiasm for nine days every year between October and November to honor Ashapura Mata. Thousands of devotees from Gujarat state and other states visit the temple during the festival. Durga Ashtami and Chaitra Navratri are also celebrated in the Shree Ashapura Mata Temple with great zeal.