Shakambhari Mata (Banashankari) Temple

Shakambhari Mata (Banashankari) Temple

Shakambhari Mata temple is at Sambhar town in Rajasthan. Shakambhari is considered an incarnation of Durga and also known by names Banashankari or Vanashankari. Shakambhari Mata has three Shaktipeeths across the country. It is believed that the oldest of these Shaktipeeth is located in Sambhar town. The temple situated here is said to be about 2500 years old. Although there are many temples of this form of Durga ji across the country, but this temple is considered very special and famous.

It is believed that this temple was established by Vasudev, the ruler of the Chauhan dynasty, in the lake and Sambhar Nagar in the 7th century. The deity installed in the Shakambhari Mata Temple of Sambhar is said to be a self-manifested one. Maa Shakambhari is also considered the Kuldevi of the Chauhan dynasty. Any worship done in Sambhar is not done without the blessings of the mother.

Mata Shakambhari is mentioned in religious texts like Mahabharata, Shiva Purana and Markandeya Purana Sambhar also got its name because of the tenacity of Maa Shakambhari.

Banshankari or Vanashankari is made up of two  Sanskrit  words:  vana  (“forest”) and Shankari (“the consort of Shiva, Parvati”).  The other popular name given is Shakambhari, which means the “Vegetable Goddess”. It is formed by joining of two words  Shaka  and Ambari. In  Sanskrit, Shaka means vegetables or vegan food and  Ambari  means “one who wears or bears to the hungry”. A further elaboration is that “Shakambhari” comes from Shakam joined with the root Bhri (Shaka = vegetables or food and root bhri = to nourish).

According to the Devi Bhagwat Purana, once there was a famine on the earth due to the evil effects of demons. After which all the gods and humans worshiped Adishakti and after that mother accepted everyone’s prayer. Mother took a new form and looked at the earth and with her divine light and grass & vegetables were produced even in the barren land. Everyone satisfied their hunger by eating these vegetables (shak). This is the reason why the mother’s name was Shakambhari.