Devotion with a difference

Followers of Goddess Chowdeshwari Devi in Gokak offer coconuts, liquor and ganja; return blessed
Coconuts wrapped in a cloth tied around the tree behind Chowdeshwari Devi temple at Gokak
Coconuts wrapped in a cloth tied around the tree behind Chowdeshwari Devi temple at Gokak

GOKAK: This is no conventional temple. Instead of puja with flowers and fruit, devotees here offer liquor, cigarettes and ganja to please Goddess Chowdeshwari Devi, at her temple in Gokak. Presiding over the puja and rituals is Satish Ramanna Talwar, a transgender.

It is a sacred place that can shock the uninformed devotee. Yet, the goddess has drawn thousands of faithful followers from across the country for decades, bringing her these unconventional gifts often dismissed as vices by the ordinary world. Several devotees have sworn that they have been blessed here, and their wishes granted.

The idol of Chowdeshwari
Devi at Gokak

The origin of the Chowdeshwari Devi Temple is as interesting. Talwar, the pujari and administrator of the temple, said that he and his family members were unaware of the temple and its miracles on the land they owned. He recalled that about 40 years ago, Goddess Chowdeshwari Devi appeared in his dreams and informed him that she had lived on this land, and also initiated him into performing her puja and how it should be done. It was only after this strange experience that Talwar traced the idol of the goddess on his land and started performing puja.

Talwar said that passersby on the road beside their land watched him do the puja and started doing it too. Several devotees believed they were blessed by the goddess and gradually, Chowdeshwari Devi temple turned famous. There is a huge crowd of devotees at the temple, especially so on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Talwar said the puja rituals here are different. Devotees bring along coconuts and saris to offer the goddess. They tie the coconut in a piece of cloth and hang it on a tree behind the temple, and make a wish. The sari is burnt along with wood to heat water, which is then used to bathe the idol, he informed.
The devotees of Chowdeshwari Devi strongly believe that a wish made with a pure heart, after following these procedures, comes true with the blessings of the goddess, and also Talwar, who plays a vital role in making their wish come true.

Chance visit for Mumbai man

Akash Dighe, an ardent devotee from Mumbai, said that his life changed completely after he visited the temple. A few years ago, he felt that nothing could go right in his life. He suffered heavy business losses, and was frustrated by family disputes, which finally sent him into depression. Dighe’s friends planned to take him on a picnic for a change of scene. Dighe declined, but his friends forced him to join them and that is how he reached Gokak.

Dighe said he was just walking around with his friends when he spotted the temple, and the huge number of devotees around it. He doesn’t know why, but he too went to the temple and prayed to the goddess to help him out of his problems. He followed Talwar’s instructions, and performed the rituals. “That night, I slept well after many months. I started coming out of the depression and the problems in my life started disappearing. It was Goddess Chowdeshwari who blessed me,” he said.

Talwar said that there are several people, especially youngsters addicted to alcohol or drugs, who approach the temple and pray to the deity to help them out of their addictions. And most of them have returned to thank the goddess. “They also thank me, but I only tell them that it is the blessing of Chowdeshwari Devi,” he said.

Chowdeshwari Devi Temple, located on three acres of land, is being developed. Structures like a resthouse and other facilities are being put up for the convenience of devotees. Talwar said that he has not estimated the cost of the construction, but as and when required, devotees are donating the required amount. Talwar said that devotees have even donated lands in Pune, Mumbai and Bagalkot. With the blessings of Chowdeshwari Devi, managing funds for the work going on will not be a problem, he smiled.

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The New Indian Express
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