Prasanna Shree Kolhubai Mata Gad Kolhar, T. Pathardi, t. Ahilyanagar

Located on the Garbhagiri mountain near Kolhar in the Pathardi taluka of Ahilyanagar district, this site is home to Kolhubai, the sister of Mohatadevi and a manifestation of Renuka Devi of Mahur, one of the three-and-a-half Shakti Peethas. This awakened (jagrut) site has existed for about 150 years and is a place of deep faith for thousands of devotees; it is famously known as Kolhubai Mata Gad. The village of Kolhar derives its name from the Goddess. A famous two-day fair is held here starting from the third day of Hanuman Jayanti, during which thousands of devotees gather for the palanquin procession.

The legend of the Goddess states that for hundreds of years, Kolhubai Mata resided in the hollow of a tree on the Garbhagiri mountain, but no one was aware of it. Once, a wealthy man in the village built a multi-story building. After the construction was completed, the Goddess appeared before him. She said, “I am Kolhubai, and I reside on the mountain of this village. I will not tolerate any multi-story construction in this village,” and then she vanished. As soon as the Goddess delivered this message, the building was immediately vacated, and before anyone’s eyes, it collapsed like a house of cards. Since then, to this day, no one builds a two-story structure in this village. Upon learning of this, the villagers searched the Garbhagiri mountain and found the idol of the Goddess under a tree. Since then, this place has become the village deity of Kolhar and a center of faith for thousands of devotees. Later, the villagers built a temple on this site and consecrated the idol of the Goddess.

As one enters the village of Kolhar in Pathardi taluka, a beautiful arch bearing the name of the Goddess welcomes visitors. There is a road from the village leading to the foothills of Kolhubai Gad. Previously, there was only a mountain footpath to reach the fort. Now, a motorable road has been constructed halfway up the hill. A large assembly hall (sabhamandap) has been built here. From there, one can reach the temple by climbing 108 steps. A shed has been installed over this entire flight of stairs for the convenience of devotees. Climbing the steps leads to the top of the fort. There, one first finds the temple of Sakhubai, followed by a newly built spacious assembly hall and the ancient stone temple of Kolhubai Mata.

In this small temple, the gatekeepers (dwarpal) are depicted at the entrance, and the entire temple is painted in a golden hue, making it visible from a great distance. In the sanctum sanctorum, there is a beautiful vermilion-anointed idol of Kolhubai Mata, adorned with a golden crown and a pearl nose ring. She is dressed in rich, ornate garments. Behind the idol, there are two figures on either side of a lion, the mount of the Goddess. There is a circumambulation path (pradakshina marg) around the outside of the temple. There is an open space in front of the temple from which one can see a panoramic view of the surrounding villages. Next to the temple is a large bell weighing 103 kilograms. Villagers claim that when this bell is rung, its sound carries for 5 to 7 kilometers in the surrounding area. In front of the temple, there are beautiful sculptures of a cow and a calf.

Regarding the Sakhubai temple near Kolhubai Mata’s temple, it is said that a married woman named Sakhubai was a devout follower of the Goddess. She used to come to this fort every day to seek the Goddess’s blessings, but her family members opposed her visits. Sakhubai had immense faith in the Goddess, so she would go to the fort for darshan at night, ensuring everyone was asleep. After some days, her family discovered this and followed her. Just as Sakhubai was about to reach the fort, her husband called out to her. Fearing further harassment from her in-laws, she tried to end her life by jumping from the fort; but at that moment, Kolhubai appeared, granted Sakhubai a vision, and absorbed her into herself at that very spot. In the morning, a search was conducted everywhere for Sakhubai, but she could not be found. At that time, the priestess Gangubai, who was present there, told the villagers about everything that had happened during the night and explained that because of Sakhubai’s supreme devotion, the Goddess had granted her samadhi and absorbed her. While granting samadhi, the Goddess promised Sakhubai that any devotee who sought her blessings before visiting the Goddess would have all their wishes fulfilled. The villagers built a temple for Sakhubai here. Since then, the tradition is to first seek the blessings of Sakhubai and then visit the Goddess.

The Goddess’s fair is held here for two days starting from the third day of Hanuman Jayanti. Thousands of devotees from the surrounding five villages participate in the palanquin procession on the first day. Mahaprasad is distributed on this day. The wrestling competitions held on the second day of the fair are also famous. Wrestlers from the Ahilyanagar district as well as Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), and Nashik participate in these competitions. The wrestling tournament marks the conclusion of the fair. Devotees can have darshan of the Goddess in the temple daily from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery