Mandher Devi Temple, Mandhradevi
Mandher Devi Temple is a Kalubai temple in Mandhradevi near Wai (Satara District, Maharashtra, India).
Located on a hill 4,650 feet above sea level, the temple, some 20 km from Satara, overlooks the picturesque Purandhar fort. Devotees attribute miraculous properties to a grove around the shrine.
Local lore says that the temple is more than 400 years old and was built during Shivaji's Maratha rule. However, no definite date on the temple's construction is known.
The title of the land is in the name of Lord Mandeshwar and Kaleshwari Devi. Most of the year there is little tourist traffic here.
The temple is popular among lower caste Hindus who undertake the annual Kalubai Jatra pilgrimage over a 10-day period every January. The main event is a 24-hour-long festival on the day of the full moon that includes animal sacrifices to the goddess. The religious event usually draws between 150,000 and 200,000 Hindu devotees. The annual fair is in honor of Kaleshwari Devi, fondly called Kalubai by the faithful.
The idol of Kalubai sports two silver masks and silk finery. The masks are carried in a procession by members of the Gurav family, seen as the hereditary custodians of the shrine. Members of this family take turns to conduct rituals.
Source: Wikipedia under GFDL.
