Lord Shiva and Maa Annapurna Story in English

Friends, as we all know, according to Hindu mythology, food is considered sacred, and prayers are offered before its consumption. The person who understands the importance of food progresses in life. Annadanam (donation of food) has great importance in Hinduism.

Lord Shiva and Maa Annapurna Story

Mata Annapurna is considered to be the goddess of food, the word Annapurna is derived from Sanskrit, meaning giver of food and nutrition. Anna (food) means “food” and (complete) means full or full “, therefore, Annapurna means full of food.

The worship and offerings of food are highly praised in Hinduism and hence, Goddess Annapurna is considered a popular goddess. She goes to the incarnation/form of Shiva’s wife Parvati. They are also known by 108 names.

STORY 1: Annapurna’s Story

Lord Shankar and Maa Parvati often played dice on Mount Kailash. One day, there was a debate between Lord Shankar and Mata Parvati about the importance of nature and the superiority of man. Because Lord Shankar was emphasizing the superiority of man. Lord Shankar told Maa Parvati that the world is an illusion.

Nature is an illusion. Everything is a mirage, here comes a moment and goes away, even food is just an illusion. Mother Parvati who is the mother of all material things including food, lost her temper after hearing this. Then Maa Parvati said, “If I am just an illusion, then see how you and the rest of the world live without me,” saying that she disappeared from the world.

His disappearance created a ruckus in the universe. Time stagnated, change of seasons stopped, the earth became barren and terrible drought began. Food found in the three worlds was not available in the sky, the earth, and the earth. Gods, demons, and humans were suffering from hunger.

The world became deprived of food and there was a famine. When Lord Shankar’s followers started begging him for food, Lord Shankar went from house to house begging for the followers. But no one had anything to offer.

Lord Vishnu said to Lord Shankar I have heard that a woman in Kashi has started donating food for the people. Lord Shankar went to Kashi to beg for food, but when he came to know that there was no one else to run the kitchen but his wife was Parvati.

She was dressed in purple and brown robes and adorned with jewelry, and was seated on a throne, and serving food to the hungry gods and hungry inhabitants of the earth, one by one. He also fed his sons Kartikeya and Ganesh.

This beautiful form of Maa Parvati was none other than Goddess Annapurna Devi, who is complete and complete. Annapurna offered Shiva a meal like a beggar, and the goddess pleased that “I will reside in Kashi as Annapurna.”

STORY 2: Story of Mother Annapurna

There is another legend, which says that once there was a debate between Trimurti who is the greatest among them. Because everyone was telling their achievements, when Mahadevi listened to their argument, they thought of teaching them a lesson and went invisible, resulting in a famine.

Due to which everyone started getting weak due to hunger, then everyone requested Trimurti for food, then Lord Vishnu said to Lord Shankar “He had rightly said, as the Goddess was invisible, the universe started to get weaker, I had one in Kashi Heard about the Goddess, who started distributing food for the people to eat.

Then Lord Shankar understood that that goddess is none other than Maa Jagadamba, and Lord Shankar disguised as a beggar and reached Kashi, presented his bowl, asking for food for the gods and said, “Now I have realized that the material world, Like the soul, cannot be dismissed as an illusion. ”

Parvati smiled and fed Lord Shankar with her hands. Since then Parvati is worshiped as Annapurna Devi – the goddess of food. The goddess was happy because now the deity had learned the lesson and being happy, the goddess said, I will live in Kashi as Annapurna.

In religious texts, Annapurna’s statue is described as a young goddess with three eyes, four hands red on her face. The lower left hand is shown holding a pot full of delicious porridge and furnished with a variety of ornaments. She is seated on a throne, above which the moon is set. Some images show Shiva begging like a beggar.

Evidence of Mother Annapurna

The goddess Bhagavata, written during the third and fourth centuries, depicts Annapurna as the goddess of Kanchipuram and Vishalakshi as the goddess of Varanasi.
The Skanda Purana, written during the 7th century, states that the sage Vyasa came to Varanasi because of a curse and that Annapurna fed him as a housewife.
The story of Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is associated with the story that Shiva built the temple in his honor.

Famous Annapurna Temple of India

The most famous temple dedicated to Annapurna is Annapurna Devi Temple in Varanasi, UP. Annapurna is the goddess of the city of Kashi (Varanasi), where she is considered as the queen of Varanasi. Food is distributed as offerings in the temple. Food is also distributed on a large scale in Navratri.
The famous temple is the Annapurneshwari Temple at Horanadu in Chikkamagaluru, the Western Ghats in Karnataka, where the devotees offer afternoon and evening prayers after serving food.
In the city of Pudukode, Kerala, there is the Pudukode Annapurnuneshwari Temple, where the grand festival of Navratri is held annually with a grand banquet, which is attended by thousands of devotees from all over the world.
The temple of Annapurna Devi has been constructed on the way to Sadguru, near Vatrup. The temple is pyramidal in shape from eight sides.
The construction of the Annapurni temple named Annakeshwari at Achangudi near Tiruvadanai Town in Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu is underway and another temple is under construction at Pathikonda in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh.
In Hyderabad, its temples are found in Jafarguda. Its temples are in Jalandhar and Bhatinda in Punjab.
Annapurna Devi temples are also found in Gujarat. She is worshiped as Umiya Mata in Unjha, Gujarat. Some people of Gujarat and Rajasthan also consider Ashapura Mata as an incarnation of Annapurna Mata. In Rajasthan, its temple is a temple of Annapurna Mata in Mithroli village in Jhalawar district, Kagadara village in Pali district, Chittor Fort. It was built by Maharana Hamir Singh. There are other temples near the Annapurna Mata Temple in the fort which are dedicated to Baan Mata, Charbhuja and Lakshmi-Narayan.
There is Sri Annapurnuneshwari Temple in Cherukunnam, Kerala. Every devotee worshiping in that temple is served food. The tradition is that at night, after feeding each one, a packet of food is tied to a tree branch, it is thought that the thief should not go without food at night.

Friends, as we learned that Mother Annapurna is called the goddess of food. When there was a shortage of food grains on earth, then Goddess Parvati descended as Annapurna Devi and protected the entire human race. Mata Annapurna is the goddess of food.

We should never disrespect food. Never food should be wasted. We should worship Maa Parvati and Lord Shankar to get the blessings of our mother. There is never a shortage of food in the house by worshiping Mata Annapurna. Everyone’s health remains good in the family.
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