๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฎ Queen, Devi ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ – Builder and re-builder of ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ช ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐จ, Ahilyabai was a great pioneer and builder of ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ช ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐จ and built hundreds of ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐จ and ๐ฟ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐จ๐๐๐ก๐๐จ throughout the pious land of ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐. Her greatest achievement was to rebuild the #KashiVishwanath ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ in 1776, which was dedicated to lord #Shiva; the presiding deity of the city of #Varanasi, one of the holiest ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ช sites of pilgrimage, that had been plundered, desecrated, demolished & converted into ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ Mosque on the orders of the tyrant Mughal Aurangzeb in 1669.
Maratha Queen, Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar
๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ was known not only for her governance but also for her religiosity, presiding over ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ rebuilding and restoration works. Born in 1725, she ruled for 28 years until her death in 1795. ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ wielded her piety to her advantage โ she was simultaneously the demure widow and the powerful ruler.
All major places of ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ช pilgrimage today, owe something to ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ: from #JagannathTemple in ๐๐ช๐ง๐ to #Dwarka in Gujarat, from #Kedarnath in the north to #Rameshwaram in the south, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ built edifices and contributed to their maintenance. She even used her personal fortune to send #Ganga Jal to ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐จ all over ๐ฝ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ, ingeniously transported in bamboo laths.
๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ was primarily concerned with reviving places of #Shaivite pilgrimage. Her two most famous projects being the #Somnath ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ and the #KashiVishwanath ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ง๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ was in a dilapidated and unused state when ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ ordered it to be rebuilt with a consecrated idol in 1783, according to freedom fighter and VHP co-founder K.M. ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ต๐ถโs book. Her small temple was eventually overshadowed by the rebuilt structure sponsored by Sardar ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฏ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น, and overseen by ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ต๐ถ, in 1950. ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎโs re-construction is credited for keeping the site alive as a place of pilgrimage. The ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ-built temple is now known as โ๐ข๐น๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ตโ or โ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟโ and located around 200 metres away from the main ๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ.
The story of ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถโs impact on ๐๐๐จ๐๐ is similar. She renovated the ๐๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ in 1780, 111 years after it was razed by Aurangzeb. She chose a site to the immediate south of the #Gyanvapi Mosque, and her ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ was ritually consistent with what was described in the Shri #Kashikhand, a part of the #SkandaPurana .
๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ inspired others to donate to the upkeep of sites along important pilgrimage routes. For example, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถโs new temple in ๐๐๐จ๐๐ continued to attract important donors in the 19th century. Bhonslas of ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ง donated silver for the ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ in 1841, and Maharaja #RunjeetSingh of Lahore paid for the โdomeโ and โtowerโ to be gilded with gold leaf. The adjoining ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ precinct also received patronage from Gwaliorโs Scindhia, who sponsored a new colonnade of stone pillars.
๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ refurbished the #Dashashwamedh ๐๐๐๐ฉ, site of the famous ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐, built originally by #NanasahebPeshwa and the #Manikarnika ๐๐๐๐ฉ, the main cremation site in ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐.
๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ contributed to the betterment of facilities at #Dwarka as well. At #Bhimashankar and #Trimbakeshwar, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ constructed bridges and rest areas. With temples and rest areas in #Kedarnath, #Srisailam, #Omkareshwar and #Ujjain, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ contributed to the improvement of facilities at other holy sites hosting #Jyotirlingas too.
Among the imposing ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ structures, constructed by ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ, which survive today is the #Vishnupad ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ in #Gaya. Legend has it that this is the site of Lord #Vishnu crushing the demon ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐จ๐ช๐ง๐, and his footprint is etched in rocks. The ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ is built on these rocks bearing 40 cm long footprint of Lord ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ป๐. ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ, despite being a devout Lord Shiva devotee, got this ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ constructed in 1787.
The ๐๐ผ๐น๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ queen embellished and beautified various sites including ๐๐๐จ๐๐, ๐๐๐ฎ๐, ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐, ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ค๐๐๐ฎ๐, ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ช๐ง๐, ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ง, ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐, ๐ผ๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐, ๐ฟ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐, ๐ฝ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ, ๐๐๐ข๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง and ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ง๐ as recorded by the Bharatiya ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ค๐จ๐.
A Tribute Poem to ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ :
“For thirty years her reign of peace,
The land in blessing did increase;
And she was blessed by every tongue,
By stern and gentle, old and young.
Yea, even the children at their mothers feet
Are taught such homely rhyming to repeat
“In latter days from Brahma came,
To rule our land, a noble Dame,
Kind was her heart, and bright her fame,
And Ahilya was her honoured name.”
โ Joanna Baillie in 1849