Situated in a quiet corner of the Karelibaug area of the city, the Bahucharaji Temple has been the center of faith for the city’s people for more than a 150 years now. The temple is the house of goddess Bahuchar maa, an incarnation of the mother aspect of Shakti. Other than the main temple, the precinct consists of many small deras and an octagonal tank a well and a now derelict Dharamshala. One thing that never changes about the temple is that it is the home to several “Kukda”(chickens). These kukdas loiter the temple premises at all times and are considered to be holy.
According to folklore, the idol of the goddess was discovered from the octagonal tank, which is now part of the temple’s campus. The earliest temple was just a small room, built around this idol. After this a devotee, Jagpurushottam Panchal commissioned a bigger temple in 1789. It was this devotee who commissioned the well and the Dharamshala for the first time. After this, some major works were carried out in the temple in the 1820s during the reign of Sayajirao Gaekwad I. Then again the Dharamshala was renovated in 1930.
A pandit and a Tazia:
Every year the temple becomes a part of a decades-old ritual that bears testimony to the communal harmony of the citizens. During the Mohharam celebration, the Tazia of Hakimwada, of the Nagarwada area is brought to this temple. During the ritual, the high priest of the Bahucharaji Temple sprinkles holy water on the Tazia to “cool it down”. Even a nariyal (coconut) is offered as the “bhog”. The tradition is said to have started during the reign of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III.
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A Fair:
The temple becomes most active during the Navratri celebrations. During this, it is cladded in lighting and filled with people from every age group seeking the goddess’s blessing. The temple surroundings get packed with stalls selling the offerings, like the packets of sugar candies, garlands coconuts and the most important, “red chunaris”. The place almost resembles a small mela (fair) buzzing with energy.
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