Ratnagiri is famous for its mangos, lush green mountains, majestic coastline, and little villages like Terav that are home to some very beautiful and important temples like the Bhawani Waghjai Temple. For over 350 years, the locals in this area of the Konkan coast were worshipping at the temples of Lord Shiva, Goddess Waghjai, Goddess Bhawani and Shri Hanuman in the village. Their cultural lives revolved around these temples and in recent years they were concerned that these temples would not be able to withstand the salty winds from the sea anymore. Unwilling to lose these important temples to the vagaries of the weather, the village created a trust and raised funds to build a strong new temple that could house all these important deities. Thus, in 2003, the Shri Bhawani Waghjai Temple was opened to one and all.
This new structure is a large temple with four tall white shikharas that tower over the 17-acre temple grounds. Surrounded by beautifully planned and well maintained gardens, it gives the devotees an opportunity to fully soak in the powerful vibrations of this sacred place without being disturbed by the noise and chaos of the outside world. Inside the temple, the artisans have taken inspiration from South Indian temples for the ornate carvings and have built large marble floored halls that can accommodate the large crowds that gather for Navratri and other important festivals like Hanuman Jayanti. This place is famous because it is the only temple in Maharashtra that has a shrine dedicated to Navadurga (the nine forms of Durga). Bhawani Waghjai Devi’s idol is 8.5 feet tall and is made of black stone. She is holding many weapons and is in the process of defeating Mahishasura. There are also shrines dedicated to Mahalakshmi, Shiva, Hanuman, Kedar, Kalkai Devi, Bhairi, and Ganesha. All these idols were brought from Udupi, Karnataka. Outside the temple and by the entrance doors, there are large coloured statues of Devas and Devis.
During Chaitra Purnima, thousands come to take Darshan of Bhawani Mata. According to local tradition, two palanquins bearing two Devi idols from neighbouring villages come to the Bhawani Waghjai Temple for this festival. They are believed to be Waghjai Bhawani’s younger sisters who have come to pay their respects to her.