KALI KHOH, Mirzapur: Ashtabhuja: MANDIR

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Not a cave at all (khoh = cave) but a building, a man-made sacred structure. SITUATION (compare: Kali Khoh Gufa): About 10 km west of Mirzapur (N25°09': E082°35') lies Kalikhoh / Kali Koh at the bottom (south) corner of the triangular Bindhachal Kshetra (note 1), the sacred territory dedicated to Vindhyeshwara (HUMES 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 edited 1998) and cornered at Bindhachal town by the Bindhabasini Mandir (note 2) and, 6 km further west, by the Ashtabhuja Devi Mandir (note 3). According to Tantric literature (17th century AD onwards) stands the site at the point of a triangle symbolizing the yoni. The three sites are visited in the course of a pilgrimage (note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY: Bindhabasini is suspected to have been a pre-Hindu local goddess (her name is lost) who received blood sacrifices (both animal and human) from the aboriginal Khond and Bhil people (note 5). In the middle ages (6th century C.E.), when this goddess was assimilated in Hinduism, she became identified wth Chandika (note 6), the Goddess (note 7) or Durga (note 8) and the site developed into a favourite meeting place of the Aghori / Aghoripantha sect (HEINE GELDERN 1917: 55, 56). In the 18th century Kalikhoh was the central temple of the so-called -thugs- (deceivers) who supposedly for centuries murdered naive travellers and subsequently dedicated a portion of their loot to Kali at Bindhachal (note 9). Till today the attractive / repulsive story of a -bloodthirsty- Hindu goddess (note 10) is effectively sold to the merciless -enlighted- public in popular novels (note 11) and profitable movie adaptations (note 12). NOT SEEN: BHATTACHARYA (1896: 391-393); CROOKE (1894: 36; 1896, 1: 28); DOWSON (1879: 87); HIRA LAL (1921); WARD (1799: 89-96).Not a cave at all (khoh = cave) but a building, a man-made sacred structure. SITUATION (compare: Kali Khoh Gufa): About 10 km west of Mirzapur (N25°09': E082°35') lies Kalikhoh / Kali Koh at the bottom (south) corner of the triangular Bindhachal Kshetra (note 1), the sacred territory dedicated to Vindhyeshwara (HUMES 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 edited 1998) and cornered at Bindhachal town by the Bindhabasini Mandir (note 2) and, 6 km further west, by the Ashtabhuja Devi Mandir (note 3). According to Tantric literature (17th century AD onwards) stands the site at the point of a triangle symbolizing the yoni. The three sites are visited in the course of a pilgrimage (note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY: Bindhabasini is suspected to have been a pre-Hindu local goddess (her name is lost) who received blood sacrifices (both animal and human) from the aboriginal Khond and Bhil people (note 5). In the middle ages (6th century C.E.), when this goddess was assimilated in Hinduism, she became identified wNot a cave at all (khoh = cave) but a building, a man-made sacred structure. SITUATION (compare: Kali Khoh Gufa): About 10 km west of Mirzapur (N25°09': E082°35') lies Kalikhoh / Kali Koh at the bottom (south) corner of the triangular Bindhachal Kshetra (note 1), the sacred territory dedicated to Vindhyeshwara (HUMES 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 edited 1998) and cornered at Bindhachal town by the Bindhabasini Mandir (note 2) and, 6 km further west, by the Ashtabhuja Devi Mandir (note 3). According to Tantric literature (17th century AD onwards) stands the site at the point of a triangle symbolizing the yoni. The three sites are visited in the course of a pilgrimage (note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY: Bindhabasini is suspected to have been a pre-Hindu local goddess (her name is lost) who received blood sacrifices (both animal and human) from the aboriginal Khond and Bhil people (note 5). In the middle ages (6th century C.E.), when this goddess was assimilated in Hinduism, she became identified wNot a cave at all (khoh = cave) but a building, a man-made sacred structure. SITUATION (compare: Kali Khoh Gufa): About 10 km west of Mirzapur (N25°09': E082°35') lies Kalikhoh / Kali Koh at the bottom (south) corner of the triangular Bindhachal Kshetra (note 1), the sacred territory dedicated to Vindhyeshwara (HUMES 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 edited 1998) and cornered at Bindhachal town by the Bindhabasini Mandir (note 2) and, 6 km further west, by the Ashtabhuja Devi Mandir (note 3). According to Tantric literature (17th century AD onwards) stands the site at the point of a triangle symbolizing the yoni. The three sites are visited in the course of a pilgrimage (note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY: Bindhabasini is suspected to have been a pre-Hindu local goddess (her name is lost) who received blood sacrifices (both animal and human) from the aboriginal Khond and Bhil people (note 5). In the middle ages (6th century C.E.), when this goddess was assimilated in Hinduism, she became identified wNot a cave at all (khoh = cave) but a building, a man-made sacred structure. SITUATION (compare: Kali Khoh Gufa): About 10 km west of Mirzapur (N25°09': E082°35') lies Kalikhoh / Kali Koh at the bottom (south) corner of the triangular Bindhachal Kshetra (note 1), the sacred territory dedicated to Vindhyeshwara (HUMES 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 edited 1998) and cornered at Bindhachal town by the Bindhabasini Mandir (note 2) and, 6 km further west, by the Ashtabhuja Devi Mandir (note 3). According to Tantric literature (17th century AD onwards) stands the site at the point of a triangle symbolizing the yoni. The three sites are visited in the course of a pilgrimage (note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY: Bindhabasini is suspected to have been a pre-Hindu local goddess (her name is lost) who received blood sacrifices (both animal and human) from the aboriginal Khond and Bhil people (note 5). In the middle ages (6th century C.E.), when this goddess was assimilated in Hinduism, she became identified wNot a cave at all (khoh = cave) but a building, a man-made sacred structure. SITUATION (compare: Kali Khoh Gufa): About 10 km west of Mirzapur (N25°09': E082°35') lies Kalikhoh / Kali Koh at the bottom (south) corner of the triangular Bindhachal Kshetra (note 1), the sacred territory dedicated to Vindhyeshwara (HUMES 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 edited 1998) and cornered at Bindhachal town by the Bindhabasini Mandir (note 2) and, 6 km further west, by the Ashtabhuja Devi Mandir (note 3). According to Tantric literature (17th century AD onwards) stands the site at the point of a triangle symbolizing the yoni. The three sites are visited in the course of a pilgrimage (note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY: Bindhabasini is suspected to have been a pre-Hindu local goddess (her name is lost) who received blood sacrifices (both animal and human) from the aboriginal Khond and Bhil people (note 5). In the middle ages (6th century C.E.), when this goddess was assimilated in Hinduism, she became identified wNot a cave at all (khoh = cave) but a building, a man-made sacred structure. SITUATION (compare: Kali Khoh Gufa): About 10 km west of Mirzapur (N25°09': E082°35') lies Kalikhoh / Kali Koh at the bottom (south) corner of the triangular Bindhachal Kshetra (note 1), the sacred territory dedicated to Vindhyeshwara (HUMES 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 edited 1998) and cornered at Bindhachal town by the Bindhabasini Mandir (note 2) and, 6 km further west, by the Ashtabhuja Devi Mandir (note 3). According to Tantric literature (17th century AD onwards) stands the site at the point of a triangle symbolizing the yoni. The three sites are visited in the course of a pilgrimage (note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY: Bindhabasini is suspected to have been a pre-Hindu local goddess (her name is lost) who received blood sacrifices (both animal and human) from the aboriginal Khond and Bhil people (note 5). In the middle ages (6th century C.E.), when this goddess was assimilated in Hinduism, she became identified wNot a cave at all (khoh = cave) but a building, a man-made sacred structure. SITUATION (compare: Kali Khoh Gufa): About 10 km west of Mirzapur (N25°09': E082°35') lies Kalikhoh / Kali Koh at the bottom (south) corner of the triangular Bindhachal Kshetra (note 1), the sacred territory dedicated to Vindhyeshwara (HUMES 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 edited 1998) and cornered at Bindhachal town by the Bindhabasini Mandir (note 2) and, 6 km further west, by the Ashtabhuja Devi Mandir (note 3). According to Tantric literature (17th century AD onwards) stands the site at the point of a triangle symbolizing the yoni. The three sites are visited in the course of a pilgrimage (note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY: Bindhabasini is suspected to have been a pre-Hindu local goddess (her name is lost) who received blood sacrifices (both animal and human) from the aboriginal Khond and Bhil people (note 5). In the middle ages (6th century C.E.), when this goddess was assimilated in Hinduism, she became identified wth Chandika (note 6), the Goddess (note 7) or Durga (note 8) and the site developed into a favourite meeting place of the Aghori / Aghoripantha sect (HEINE GELDERN 1917: 55, 56). In the 18th century Kalikhoh was the central temple of the so-called -thugs- (deceivers) who supposedly for centuries murdered naive travellers and subsequently dedicated a portion of their loot to Kali at Bindhachal (note 9). Till today the attractive / repulsive story of a -bloodthirsty- Hindu goddess (note 10) is effectively sold to the merciless -enlighted- public in popular novels (note 11) and profitable movie adaptations (note 12). NOT SEEN: BHATTACHARYA (1896: 391-393); CROOKE (1894: 36; 1896, 1: 28); DOWSON (1879: 87); HIRA LAL (1921); WARD (1799: 89-96).