An insight into evolution of Chamundeshwari

One should not analyse the origin of the rishis (sages), nadhis (rivers) and stree (women), according to an old adage. However, there is no such restraint on analysing the origin of Gods. For the believers, even though they worship various Gods, there is only one God. Some call it the supreme spirit. So, it is deemed that all Gods trace their origin to the same spirit. However, various legends are associated with various forms of Gods for glorification purpose.

Like nature, human life and everything else, Gods are dynamic and are evolving. Even as the vardhanthi of Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru, is being celebrated on Sunday, Shalva Pille Iyengar, a religious and spiritual researcher, raises a basic point.

“While an incarnation of Saraswathi kills demons Sumbha and Nisumbha, a similar incarnation of Parvathi kills Chanda and Munda, and Lakshmi kills Mahishasura, as per the Puranas. So, while Parvathi came to be known as Chamundi, Lakshmi was addressed as Mahishasura Mardini. However, in Mysuru, somehow, Chamundi is being associated with the execution of Mahishasura. This seems to be a deliberate effort to give some puranic connection to the deity atop the Chamundi Hill, which is known as Chamundeshwari,” he said.

Iyengar says, in most of the temples, the devotees are allowed to witness the abhisheka, but, in Chamundeshwari temple, only the priests take part in the abhisheka. “Thus, no devotee has seen the original idol. All that a devotee gets to see the idol is its face. So, Jain scholars claim that the idol is originally that of a Yakshi, which has been hijacked by the Hindus. As per Jain legends, the deity of Vasanthika Devi was installed by a Jain king Chavundaraya and hence, it was called Chavunda Yakshi. Over the years, with the rise of Hinduism again, it would have become Chamundi, looking for some association with the Puranas,” he said.

“In the Chamundeshwari temple, some rituals are not Vedic or as per Agama Shastra, even though the present priests are Brahmins. Some rituals like Kannakannadi Utsav are related to Shivarchaka style, who are said to be the earlier priests. Till the temple was taken over by the present priests, Tamil Iyers (Smarthas), who trace their origin to Kancheepuram, animal sacrifice was a norm. Even now, animal sacrifice is offered to the deity at the foot of the hill and the devotees savour non-vegetarian food as prasada,” Iyengar points out.

“After regaining the control over the Mysuru state, the Wadiyars, with Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar as king, became sophisticated. They sought the advise of Kanchi peeta seer and brought the priests from Kancheepuram. In a bid to pacify the Shivarachakas who rebelled, the Jwalamukhi temple at Uttanahalli, at the foot of the hill, was renovated and handed over to them,” he said.