Pune: Long ago, when hungry and weary Pandavas wandered looking for a place to spend the night, an elderly woman, her eyes soft as lamplight, welcomed and fed them.Delighted by her kindness, they smiled and said, “Ask for whatever you wish, Mother” (Bol, Aai). She came to be known as Bolhai. Legend has it that she later went on to defeat demons.Every Navaratra, Pune’s famous shrines draw large crowds. But two older temples have their own stories of the Goddess and distinctive ways of celebrating the nine nights.In Wadebolhai, around 28km from Pune city, stands the Bolhai Mata temple. “The Pandavas stayed here for a night and established the temple in her name,” said priest Sourabh Ravindra Gadekar, whose family has served the Goddess for generations. The temple is managed collectively by the priests, a trust, the village head and residents. “Everyone takes care of the temple together,” he said.“At the Bolhai Mata temple, each day of Navaratra is associated with a colour. Aarti is held at 6am, noon and 9.30pm. The programme includes kirtan, including one by Nivrutti Maharaj, along with cultural events and a lavani performance,” Gadekar said.“No wish goes unfulfilled here. Devotees who come to the Bolhai Mata temple with ailments recover,” he added.On Taljai Hill, the Taljai Mata is worshipped through a different kind of Navaratra celebration. The temple takes on the atmosphere of a fair, drawing devotees from across Pune district. Bhajan groups arrive in musical processions to help hang the sacred toran, while the grounds fill with games, food stalls and vendors.“The surrounding area comes alive,” said advocate Suraj Thorat, who manages the temple, along with his father. On Ashtami, the eighth day of Navaratra, sacred fire rituals are performed, and the temple is illuminated at night.A local legend traces the temple’s origins to Rao Bahadur Thube, a devotee of Durga.According to the story, the Goddess appeared to him in a vision and instructed him to prepare a seat for her before sunrise, warning that she would otherwise establish herself on the ground. Local tradition holds that he found aniconic Tandala forms associated with Padmavati, Taljai Mata and Tulja Bhavani. They found Taljai Mata’s form in a lake on the hill, giving the Goddess her name. Thube, however, could not prepare the seat in time, and the Goddess established herself on the earth.After Thube’s death, the site fell into neglect until Appasaheb Thorat, Suraj’s grandfather, restored it. He built the sanctum, an assembly hall, a Hanuman shrine and domed shrines for the three Goddesses. Thorat is now the third generation of his family to look after the temple.Another story connects the site to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation in 1674. According to a legend, a palanquin carrying the mother Goddess was being taken from Tuljapur to Raigad Fort, where the coronation was to be held. When the procession reached Taljai, Jijabai sought darshan of the Goddess. The procession halted briefly, and the journey resumed only after she had offered her prayers.Service to the community is also integral to the temple’s tradition. During the severe drought of 1972, when thousands migrated to Pune in search of work and food, Appasaheb began serving meals at the temple for 50 paise.“Alongside our religious activities, the temple also undertakes social welfare initiatives,” Thorat said.“We distribute food-grain kits to people in need, reflecting our commitment to serving the community. During Navaratra, we also organise several free medical camps, especially for women. These include blood donation drives, ENT check-ups and breast cancer screenings,” he added.The temple’s slogan captures its broader message: “A safe world for women is the true blessing of Maa Durga”.
