Khandoba is a very popular deity in the Maharashtra and Karnataka regions of India. He is the family deity of many people in these regions. There is a magnificent temple of Lord Khandoba on the Jejuri fort, popularly known as the Jejuri temple. Khandoba is an incarnation of Lord Shiva and is a mighty god. Even the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had to flee for his life when he tried to destroy this magnificent Hindu temple.
Lord Khandoba made Aurangzeb Flee for his Life:
Invasion of Aurangzeb on Maharashtra:
After the death of the great king Shivaji, Aurangzeb sensed that that was the right time to invade and defeat the Marathas. So he came to Maharashtra with a humongous army. Sambhaji Maharaj put up a tough fight for about nine years but was brutally murdered by Aurangzeb because of treachery by a Maratha knight.
After this, he continued his impious activities of desecrating Hindu temples. Once, he attacked a fort named Jejuri near Saswad. The fort governor put up a good fight but could not do much before the large army of Aurangzeb. He was captured and killed by the Mughals.
Aurangzeb Decides to Destroy the Jejuri Temple:
After winning the fort, Aurangzeb had his eyes on the temple of Khandoba. He wanted to eradicate it, so he ordered his soldiers to blow the temple using dynamite.
Coming to know about Aurangzeb’s ill intentions, the temple priest advised him against it. He told him that Lord Khandoba was a potent deity, which would be catastrophic for his army. But the arrogant Mughal did not take his advice seriously and ordered his soldiers to continue their work. (This could be because he had devastated many Hindu temples before without any problem.)
The Wrath of Khandoba:
The Mughal soldiers started digging the holes beneath the temple’s compound to fill them with gunpowder. When they finished their work and were about to ignite the fire, a swarm of black bumblebees suddenly came out of a hole at the right side of the entrance. The bumblebees started stinging Aurangzeb’s men badly, and they had to flee.
Aurangzeb Realizes his Mistake:
After fleeing the place, Aurangzeb realized his mistake and wanted the insect attack to seize. He consulted the priest and asked him to suggest a remedy. The priest suggested he beg for mercy to Khandoba and offer a golden bumblebee statue at the Lord’s feet.
Aurangzeb Offers a 2.5 kg Golden Statue but Changes the Name of Khandoba:
Now Aurangzeb was in a dilemma because he was a staunch Muslim, and it was haram in Islam to pray to a god of another religion, forget about offering something. Also, he must have feared the consequences of what would happen when the Muslim clerics in Delhi and his relatives heard about him praying to a Hindu god. It would have shattered his image of the protector of Islam. Therefore, he changed the name of Khandoba to Mallu Khan and then did what the priest had advised him to do. Immediately after, the bee attack stopped.
Such is the miracle of great god Khandoba who killed the mighty Asuras Mani and Malla. Many Muslims also visit the temple yearly to pray to god. If you go to Jejuri, you would find a bee statue on the right side of the main entrance, where devotees offer their prayers before entering the temple.
Image Credit: Anant Rohankar