Overview
Shri Arasuri Ambaji Shaktipeeth Mandir - Nine sq km of sacramental settlement in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat, Ambaji is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths in India. Visited by millions of devotees every year, Ambaji is chosen as one of the six primary pilgrim places of Gujarat that is governed and undertaken by ``Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board`` by the Gujarat Government.
Ambaji, the seat of Shri Arasuri Ambaji Shaktipeeth, is located on the Rajasthan-Gujarat border in the south-western reaches of Aravalli Range. The temple of Ambaji has located 65 km from Palanpur, 45 km from Mount Abu, and 20 km from Abu Road.
The mythological story of Shaktipeeth is known to everyone among Hindus. During staying (Hindu epoch which saw the birth of Lord Rama), Daksha, the father of Parvathy performed a Yagya (oblation) with aim of seeking revenge from Shankara, Lord of Universe, by not inviting him to his grand sacrificial ceremony. Daksha wanted to satiate his bruised ego against the Lord as his daughter Parvathy married against the wishes of her father. Daksha`s insult infuriated Sati (Parvathy) and she reached the place where the yagna was being performed, even after being dissuaded repeatedly by the Lord. On Sati’s arrival at the venue of yagna, she was treated with great revilement by her father Daksha. Sati couldn’t bear the insult of her husband and gave up her life by jumping into the oblation fire. Shiva, unable to withstand his wife’s loss, broke into a ginormous rage while the site of the yagna was ruined by his ganas (Shiva’s army). Mad with rage, Shiva was provoked to tandava carrying the deceased body of Parvaty on his shoulders. Shiva’s annihilative Tandava started worrying the Gods, thus, the symposium of Gods and Goddesses started looking a way to save the world from destruction in Shiva’s Tandava. As a strategy, Lord Vishnu cut Parvathy’s body with his divine disc (Sudarshan Chakra) into 51 pieces that fell over 51 places in India, thereby giving rise to Shaktipeeths out of the divine body of Sati.
Shri Arasuri Ambaji Shaktipeeth is the place where Parvathy’s heart fell. Mythological narrations state that it was not Sati’s heart rather breast that fell at Ambaji. However, abiding by the belief of the local populace, the mother goddess`s heart fell on the hilltop in Gabbar - 3 km from Amabaji. Also said and believed is that Ram and Lakshman prayed Gabbar when onlook for Seeta. They sought blessings of the Ambe Mata and were given Ajay Baan to kill Ravana. Nand and Yashoda, Lord Krishna`s parents visited Ambe Mata Temple on the tonsuring ritual (Mundan) of Lord Krishna.
As mentioned in the legend and mythology, Ambaji Shaktipeeth antecedes Mahabharata's age and is a pre-Aryan deity incorporated into their goddess and beliefs. Ambaji Temple architecture shares a great alikeness with the temples design and architectures found in Rajasthan and Gujarat border. The architectural splendor promptly attracts attention with carved citadels and a pendant figure of sculpted marble hangs from carved circular ceilings in a huge mandapa, at the heart of it is situated the Ambaji Shrine. On the top of the shrine presides a beautiful Kalash on the Shikhar.
