Mahalakshmi Receives Golden Mystery Gift

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MUMBAI (Nov. 5, 2003) - A city businessman has, incognito, gifted

gold masks weighing over six kilograms to three deities in the

Mahalaxmi temple [see ABOUT MAHALAKSMI TEMPLE below]. Jewellers

brought to the city from Chennai have crafted the ornaments.

 

The latest adornments for the deities of one of the oldest temples

in the city will be dedicated in a religious ceremony tomorrow.

 

It will be presided over by the Shankaracharya of the Kanchi

Kamakoti Mutt. The cost of the ornaments, estimated to be around Rs

35 lakh will be jointly borne by the temple trust and the Kanchi

Mutt, the temple said.

 

The businessman is gifting the ornaments through the Kanchi Mutt to

mark the 50th anniversary of the present Shankaracharya's tenure as

head of the religious centre. The industrialist, who belongs to

south India, wants to remain unidentified.

 

"Sixty per cent of the cost has been contributed by the temple. The

rest of the money has come from the Kanchi Mutt," said the temple's

general manager.

 

The ornaments are called 'Mukharavind' or 'Mukhavtas.' At present,

the temple's deities, Laxmi, Saraswati and Kali, wear silver masks,

also donated by the same businessman through the Kanchi Math.

 

To prepare for the dedication day, the temple is holding a three-day

religious programme that started yesterday. This includes the 'Chat

Chandi Mahayagna', which is the reading of the holy book on the

goddess for over a hundred times.

 

V. Shankar of the South Indian Education Society (SIES), which is

hosting the Shankaracharya's visit to the city, said most ornaments

that decorate the deities in the temple, including the nearly 25-

foot tall silver-covered flagpole in front of the temple, have been

gifted by the Shankaracharya on different occasions.

 

The temple, worried about theft of the expensive ornaments, said the

masks will adorn the idols only on special days, such as the four

Navratris. For security reasons, details of the storage arrangements

for the ornaments were not disclosed. The temple authorities have

been asked by the police to secure the temple against a possible

terrorist threat.

 

The temple has already installed two metal detectors just above the

flight of stairs that leads to the main temple. Bags and packets

brought into the temple premises are now being checked and footwear

has to be left below the stairs.

 

The temple has also employed a private security agency to augment

the security provided by policemen. A few weeks ago, the bamboo and

metal sheet barricades along the sea rocks, behind the temple, were

replaced by a barbed wire fencing.

 

ABOUT MAHALAKSHMI TEMPLE

 

It is believed that there were 3 temples dedicated to Mahalaxmi,

Mahakali, and Mahasaraswati at the northern end of Malabar Hill.

These were probably destroyed during Muslim rule. It is popularly

believed that the goddesses leapt from the shore into Varli creek

and hid there until after the Portuguese had gifted the islands to

the English. While attempts were being made to bridge the sea to

connect the area of Mahalaxmi to Varli, the work was constantly

destroyed by the thrashing waves.

 

A vision of the goddess was seen by Ramji Shivji, a contractor. She

urged him to rescue her and her two sisters from the waters, and

build a temple for them. In turn, she would remove all obstacles and

the causeway could be completed. The shrine was constructed and

installed with images of Mahalaxmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati. The

two festivals are during Navratri, in the months of Ashwin

(November) and Chaitra (April).

 

Source: Mid Day Magazine, Mumbai (Bombay), India; "Mahalaxmi gets

mystery gift of 6 kg gold" by a Mid Day Correspondent

URL: http://web.mid-day.com/news/city/2003/november/67951.htm