The lower right hand holds a mhalunga (a citrus fruit), in the upper right, a large mace (kaumodaki) with its head touching the ground, in the upper left a shield (khetaka), and in the lower left, a bowl (panpatra). In Her four hands, the deity of Mahalakshmi holds objects of symbolic value. The crown contains an image of the Sheshnag - the serpent of Vishnu. A stone lion, the vahana of the goddess, stands behind the statue. The Shri Yantra is carved on one of the walls in the temple. The image of Mahalakshmi carved in black stone is 3 feet in height. Mounted on a stone platform, the image of the four armed and crowned goddess is made of gemstone and weighs about 40 kilograms. The temple belongs architecturally to the Kannada Chalukya empire and was first built in the 7th century. The temple takes its name from Mahalakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, and it is believed that the divine couple reside in the area. The Kolhapur Shakti Peetha is of special religious significance being one of the six places where it is believed that one can either obtain salvation from desires or have them fulfilled. According to these writings, a Shakti Peetha is a place associated with Shakti, the goddess of power. The Shri Mahalakshmi (AmbaBai) Temple of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India, is one of the Shakti Peethas listed in various puranas of Hinduism.
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