The Goddess Who Smiles Behind a Veil of Mystery

Jahnavi J

The Goddess Who Smiles Behind a Veil of Mystery

When a small window opens up in October from the Thursday following the full moon in the month of Ashwayuja till Bali Padyami, coinciding with the festival of Deepavali, devotees from all over gather at the Hasanamba Temple in Karnataka. What intriguing myths and miracles transpire in and surround this place of worship dedicated to the goddess of happiness?

The front of the Hasanamba Temple. Source: Karnataka.com | Kishore328

A particularly amusing tale from Hindu mythology narrates the story of the seven goddesses or the sapthamathrikas who helped defeat the demon Andhakasura. He had been blessed by Lord Brahma for his devotion and was hence invincible; every drop of blood that fell from his body had the power to turn into a monster and wreak havoc. When Lord Shiva too found it impossible to defeat him, he used his powers to create Yogeshwari. She, along with the *sapthamathrikas—*Brahmi, Maheshwari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani, and Chamundi—finally put an end to the demon.

Later, the matas traveling toward the south from Varanasi encountered the picturesque jungles of Hassan and decided to make it their abode. Three of them—Vaishnavi, Maheshwari, and Kaumari—decided to reside in an anthill inside the sanctum of a temple. This temple in the Hassan district of Karnataka is the Hasanamba Temple.

The origins of the name “Hasanamba” have been debated over the years. It could have been derived from the word “simhasanapura,” which was an earlier name of Hassan and the capital of Janamejaya, the grandson of Arjuna. The more widespread belief is that the name comes from “hasanamma,” which in Kannada means “ever-smiling mother.” Hasanamba had multiple forms—protector, defender, and destroyer of evil, among others—and yet, she is always portrayed to be smiling.

With its host of alluring legends, the temple attracts numerous visitors and devotees every year, who perhaps come not only for the fulfillment of their wishes but also to catch a glimpse of the potential manifestations of one of these legends.

Another legend talks of the merciless punishment a group of evildoers received under the goddess’s watchful eye. Four robbers, who were trying to steal the jewel of a sculpture in the temple, were turned into stone. A shrine adjacent to the main temple, called the Kallapanna Gudi, has these four stones for everyone to see even today.

Outside the main temple, a shrine called the Lord Siddeshwara Temple contains a supposedly self-manifested idol of Lord Shiva presenting the pashupatastra to Arjuna. The idol seems to be sweating as droplets of water are seen mystically seeping through the stone. Another unusual occurrence is the statue of the demon king **Ravana **from the epic Ramayana, who is depicted with nine heads instead of ten, playing the veena.

But this is not the only miracle the temple is known for. Folklore in the region talks of a woman who was tormented by her mother-in-law to a great extent. One day, while she was praying to the goddess in the temple, the mother-in-law followed her and shouted at and assaulted her. Unable to bear the torture, the woman begged Hasanabma to protect her. Pleased by her devotion, the goddess turned the woman into stone so that she would always be near her.

This is the legend of the sose kallu, the statue of the daughter-in-law, that is found in the sanctum even today. It is rumored that the stone inches closer to the goddess as much as the width of a paddy grain every year, and that the Kaliyuga$^1$ will come to an end once it reaches the feet of the goddess.

The temple follows the Hoysala traditional style of architecture. A stone inscription at Kuderegundi Village elucidates the story of the temple. A general of the Chola king Bukkanayaka and his ancestors were ruling over the region in the eleventh century. To celebrate one of his victories, Bukkanayaka is believed to have built the fort town of Channapattana (”beautiful town”). But as he was about to enter the new fort city, he saw a rabbit dart across his path. This was considered a bad omen and he was disturbed. At this difficult time, Goddess Hasanamba is said to have appeared in his dream, urging him to build a new fort city—the present-day Hassan. Allegedly, he built the temple to honor the goddess who led him to good fortune.

The temple is open only for a small duration of time every year, depending on the Hindu calendar—during the festival of Deepavali in October or the ashwayuja month, starting from the Thursday right after the full moon until Bali Padyami, which is the fourth day of the festival. After the puja, nanda deepa, the ceremonial ghee lamp is lit, a fresh garland of flowers is offered to the goddess, and cooked rice prasad is prepared for her. The temple’s doors are then closed until the next year. A small replica of the goddess called Utsavamoorti is also taken out in a spectacular procession on the night of the new moon.

But miraculously, when the priest opens the door of the temple in the following year, the lamp is apparently still burning, the flowers are fresh, and the prasad is unspoiled.

Unable to explain these alleged episodes at the temple with any known logic, people all over the country flock to the temple during this small window of time to get a glimpse of the divine ever-smiling mother and her miraculous feats.