Deepak Pandey/Khargone. Maa Ashapuri Mata Temple of Pandava period, located at the foothills of Vindhyachal Mountains in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, is known for its unique traditions. One of them is the tradition here, in which the command of the entire temple is in the hands of children two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday. From cleanliness to puja, aarti, bhog and service to the devotees, the children of the village perform it with full devotion and discipline. Everyone becomes emotional after seeing this scene.
Located in Ashapur village of Maheshwar tehsil, this temple is said to be of Pandava period. But in the last few years its popularity has increased further due to the active role of children. As soon as the sun rises in the morning, the team of children reaches the temple. First of all they clean the entire premises, shining every corner from the stairs to the sanctum sanctorum. After this, the makeup of the goddess is prepared, flower plates are decorated and lamps are prepared. The children do all this with great enthusiasm and responsibility, as if they have got an opportunity to do some great service.
Why did the tradition start?
According to temple committee Trilok Yadav, the purpose of starting this tradition was to develop a sense of service, discipline, leadership abilities and religious values in children. And today this initiative has become an inspiration for the entire region. The age of children is between 8 years to 15 years. Despite their young age, they do every work with such seriousness that even elders are surprised to see them. Many devotees say that during these two days the atmosphere of the temple feels more sacred, disciplined and full of energy.
Why is evening aarti special?
Evening Aarti is considered the most special. Children perform aarti collectively with dholak, bell, conch and manjira. The whole atmosphere becomes devotional with his sweet voice and enthusiasm. After this, the children themselves handle the arrangements for distribution of Prasad to the devotees. His responsibility continues till the doors of the temple are closed. Seeing the children, many families are inspired to include their children in this service.
How old is the temple?
According to the inscriptions in the temple, earlier Mata was seated in the cave here. The temple was first renovated about 800 years ago and was given a grand look in the year 2012. Today, along with Maa Ashapuri, statues of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Saraswati, seven Matrikas, Navagraha, Ganesh, Shiva and Bhairav are also installed in the temple premises. This was the family deity of King Mandhata, whose descendants still come here for worship. Along with this, people of 28 gotras of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan including Prithviraj Chauhan worship Mother Goddess as Kuldevi.
