Tuljabhavani is an important goddess of Hindus. She is Kulaswamini (family female deity) of all Maharashtrians in India. The main temple of Tuljabhavani is in the Usmanabad district in the Tuljapur Subdistrict of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the three and a half Shakti Peeths (Saadetin Shakti Peeths). The mountain in which it is located is known as Yamunachal.

Tuljapur is about 45 km away from the nearest city, Solapur. Tuljabhavani Temple is a vast temple made up of big black stones. The entry gate is named as Shahaji Maharaj Entry Gate, who was the father of great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. As soon as you enter the temple, on the left-hand side, there is Kalloltirtha and on the right-hand side, there is Gomukh. Before entering the main temple, bathe in the Kalloltirtha and Gomukh. Gomukh is a continuous stream of water falling from the cow’s mouth made of stone. Kalloltirtha is a pond containing holy water. Bathing there is believed to wash out all your sins. At the entrance of the main temple, there is an idol of Lord Ganesha, called Siddhivinayak. After this, you enter the premises of the main temple. On the left-hand side, there is an entrance to the main temple. You must stand in the queue for some time before seeing Tuljabhavani Mata. This time may vary depending on the rush. The rush is at its peak during Navratra and on Tuesdays. Sometimes, it takes three to four hours to see the Tuljabhavani idol.

Shivaji Maharaj was one of the most prominent devotees of Tuljabhavani Mata. It is believed that she helped him to build the Hindu empire in India and free people from the tyranny of Islamic rulers. Once Shivaji Maharaj had a dream in which she became subtle and entered Shivaji’s sword. That sword is called Bhavani Talwar. Some people even say that the sword was given to Shivaji Maharaj by Goddess Tulajabhavani.

Tuljabhavani is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati who killed the demon Mahishasur. Mahishasur was a monster who threatened all the deities and was invincible. His head was that of a male buffalo and was considered the mightiest monster. He had gotten a boon from God that no male would kill him.

Goddes Tuljabhavani is known by many names like Ambabai, Ambika, Adishakti, Koshtambika, Matangi, etc.