Kasi Annapoorneswari Devi Shakthi Peetam,Kasi

Kasi Annapoorneswari:-

Varanasi is one of the famous pilgrim place in India. In this place you can see Kasi Viswanath Temple. It's one of the Jyothirlingam of Lord Parama Shiva, Annapurna Devi and you can see the goddess Parvathi Sakthi Peeta of Sri Kasi Visalakshi, the goddess sathi devi organ wrist has fell down in this area. People believes that Lord Parama Shiva has lived in this Varanasi. There are nearly 300 ghats in this location. Varanasi (Kashi, Banaras) has also been a great center of learning for ages. The city is very famous for Banaras Sarees. Among the mukthi sthal of Kasi, it is considered the holiest place due to the combination of Lord Parama shiva, Goddesses Annapoorna Devi, Kasi Visalkshi and River Ganga. In Hindu tradition, people strongly believes that whoever give up their life in Kasi attains Moksha.
The word ‘Anna’ means food and grains and ‘Purna’ means full or complete. It is believed that by worshiping this goddess one will never be out of food anytime in life. She is a form (avatar) of the Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva and resides atop of Mount Annapurna. She is depicted with a jewelled vessel containing food in one hand and a spoon in the other to distribute the food to her devotees. Lord Shiva is normally depicted as begging for food to her with his skull begging bowl. Mata Sri Annapurneshwari Devi is the Goddess for the fourth day of Durga Navrathri. Goddess Annapoorna Devi (Bhavani Devi) is also the Supreme Goddess of the city of Kasi (now known as Varanasi), the city where moksha (freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth) could be attained. She is also referred to as ‘the Queen of Varnasi’.
The Birthday of this Goddess is observed as Annapurna Jayanti. This day falls on Margashirsha Purnima, the full moon day which falls in the month of Margashirsh.
Kasi is the place which helps the physical body to manifest consciousness to its highest level. Even Lord Shiva had begged alms from Goddess Annapurna. She is the supreme energy of Lord Shiva for achieving perfection in knowledge and renunciation. Annapurna is another form of Goddess Parvati who grants nourishment. She is the life force of Shiva. He is incomplete without Goddess Annapurna. To attain perfection in wisdom and renunciation, Shiva seeks her nourishment.

Her understanding teaches us that mysticism is about giving. The renunciation she teaches allows us to be in equability in every situations of life. Celestial Mother Annapurna nurtures us each day by giving us food for our bodies as well as sustaining our breathing and our lives in so many ways. We have to thank her for that entire she has given us in the earlier period and persists to do so in the current and will do, if it be her will in the future. It is a gorgeous gift to have the blessings of the mother, so have to thank Divine Mother from our heart.

Mother Annapurna inspires us to nourish others, to give our best, consistent in the wisdom that the greatest joy comes from renunciation. As we can free ourselves from attachment we experience more and more of the bliss of Sankara, the name of Shiva which literally means the cause of peace.


History of Annapoorneswari:-

Shiva and Parvati often played Dice in their conjugal abode on Mount Kailasa . Once to make the game more exciting and interesting, Shiva asked Parvati to bet her Jewels and he betted his trident. If he won, he would get Parvati’s jewels. If Parvati won, she would get Shiva’s trident. But Parvati won the game and Shiva lost his trident to her. Not to give up so easily, Shiva now betted his serpent in the next game. That also he lost to Parvati.

Then in a bid to win the consequent games that followed, he kept wagering all his possessions – his skull bowl, his rudraksha beads, his ash, his drum, his smoking pipe and even his loin cloth – he lost them all to Parvati in the Game of Dice.

Humiliated by his defeat, Shiva went off in seclusion to the Deodar Forest . Seeing his plight, Lord Vishnu offered to help and asked him to play again with Parvati assuring him that this time he would definitely win all the games of Dice, thus regaining back his possessions from Parvati.

So Shiva went back to Parvati and enticed her for another round of games. He won all of them but Parvati felt suspicious of Shiva’s sudden success, calling him a Cheat. Shiva outraged by the accusation, demanded an apology. It led to heated debates and hurling of insults and abuses between the couple.

Seeing their Commotion, Vishnu came to pacify them. He revealed to Parvati the secret of Shiva’s victories. He said that his spirit had entered the dice and that the dice didn’t work according to their moves but as per his wish. So neither Shiva had really won nor had Parvati actually lost. The game was an illusion and their quarrel was a product of their delusion.

On hearing Vishnu, Shiva and Parvati realised that life was like their game of dice – very unpredictable and beyond control.

Shiva told Parvati that the world is an illusion. Nature is an illusion. Matter is just a mirage, here one moment, gone the next. Even Food is just Maya.

Parvati, mother of all material things including food, lost her temper. “If I am just an illusion, let’s see how you and the rest of the world get along without me,” she said and disappeared from the world.

Her disappearance caused havoc in the cosmos. Time stood still, seasons did not change, the earth became barren and there was a terrible drought. There was no food to be found in the three worlds of Akaash, Pataal and Dharti. Gods, demons and humans kept suffering from the pangs of hunger. “Salvation makes no sense to an empty stomach”, cried the sages.

Seeing all the suffering, Parvati’s heart melted and she appeared at Kashi and set up a Kitchen. Hearing about her return, Shiva ran to her with all other hungry mendicants and presented his bowl in alms saying, “Now I realise that the material world, like the spirit, cannot be dismissed as an illusion.”

Parvati smiled and fed Shiva with her own hands.

Legend has it that Shiva made an agreement with Goddess Annapoorna that she look after life before death, ensuring that no one went hungry in the sacred city of Kasi, while he would ensure they received moksha (freedom from the cycle of birth & death). Annapoorna is Kasi's queen. She is known in the Kasi Khanda as Bhavani, the female shakti of Bhava, "Being," one of the names of Shiva. The name Annapoorna means "She of Plenteous Food." She is called the "Mother of the Three Worlds," and she promises to those who come to her what only a mother can give, naturally and freely - food.


Annapurna Devi temple:-

The most well-known temple dedicated to Goddess Annapurna is in Varanasi, U.P., India. Adjacent to the Sanctum of the Goddess is the Kasi Viswanath temple. The two are separated by only a few yards. Annapurna is regarded as the queen of Varanasi alongside her husband Vishweshwar (Shiva), the King of Varanasi.

Idol:-

Annapurna is described as holding a golden ladle adorned with various kinds of jewels in Her right hand and a vessel full of delicious porridge in Her left. She is seated on a throne.

Story:-

Sage Vyasa:-

Once, Sage Vyasa was visiting kashi and he had a difficult time getting alms in that city -he was so hungry that he got angry and put a curse obn the city that kashi will be impoverished for ever- there will be no wealth, knowledge, liberation for generations. but, sage vyasa did not give up... he continued to beg for alms till he reached a house where Shiva and Parvati had taken human form as a married couple. Parvati welcomed sage vyasa and served him a delicious feast. once sage vyasa's hunger was satisfied, he was immensely pleased - he removed the curse and said " kashi is the best place to live because one can get food and liberation at the same time."

>but lord shiva wanted to teach sage vyasa a lesson so he banished the sage from kashi.. permitting him to visit only on the eighth and fourteenth day of the fortnight, which are days reserved for the worshi[ of the Goddess and Shiva. In order tobe near at hand, Vyasa took up residence on the other side of river Ganges,where his temple may still be seen at Ramnagar.

Shankaracharya:-

Sri Annapurna Ashtakam composed by Shankaracharya is chanted by several devout Hindus around the world as a prayer for nourishment, wisdom, and renunciation. Before partaking of any food, Hindus chant the following prayer:

‘Oh Annapurna, who is always full, complete, and perfect. Beloved energy of Lord Shiva, for the attainment of perfection in wisdom and renunciation, give me alms, Parvati.

My mother is Goddess Parvati, my father is the Supreme Lord Maheswara (Shiva). My relatives are the devotees of Lord Shiva, and the three worlds are my Motherland.’

Annapoorna Devi Pooja:-

In the Annapurna stotram there is 1000 names of Annapurna Devi, which are chanted at the time of ‘Annapurna puja', which reverberates with different sounds. At the time of puja overjoyed children install the idol, women full of activity with ‘puja' preparations to men shouting instructions to workers set up pandals. And, the shiny eyes of all replicate the sense of being part of a big incident. It is mainly the puja of the women, because every woman is the ‘annapurna' in their own family. And the divine goddess put her blessings and potential to them as they can carry on their family with full vitality.


Types of Pooja:-

The place of worship is open from 04:00 am to 10:00 p.m Aarties are conducted early morning 12:00 noon & 08:30 & 10:00 p.m ,There is also annadanam daily at the temple premises in the afternoon where devotees can get free food.