Bhagavan Sri Parashurama Jayanti Celebration in Mahendragiri, Maharashtra
Like every year this year also Sringeri Shankar Math Pune will participate in the Jayanti celebrations of Lord Parashurama in Mahendragiri and offer Prasada seva to all devotees present there. This year the jayanti falls on 1st May 2014, Akshayatritiya day. The event will start at 6.30 PM (Pradoshkala) marking the incarnation time of the lord. During this time only oil lamps illumine the entire area with free flow of Bhajans.
Last year, from Sringeri Shankar Math Pune, 2000 laddus were prepared, carried and distributed to all present there.
Devotees interested in contributing towards this prasada seva can do so by sending Cash/DD/ NEFT to Sringeri Shankar Math Pune, Kothrud.
Many places in the country are suggested as the possible birthplace of Lord Parashurama. However, Siddhas declare that Bhagavan Sri Parashurama incarnated on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya at Mahendra Parvata.
Mahendra Parvata is a 1,000-foot high hillock two kilometres from Chiplun, in Ratnagiri district of western Maharashtra. River Vasishti flows at the foothill. By road, Mahendragiri is between Khed and Chiplun on the Mumbai-Goa express highway. They also have railway stations. From Pune or Mumbai, by road, the distance is around 250 km.
Bhagavan Sri Parshurama, considered one of the seven chiranjeevis in our tradition along with Hanuman, Kripacharya, Vibhishana, Asvattama, Bali and Bhagavan Sri Veda Vyasa, was very much attached to his mother, Renuka Devi, and promised that he would visit the place on his birthday every year. In fact, a cot is permanently placed inside the temple: It is believed that Parshuram comes there every night to rest; the doors of the temple are not opened for any reason till the next morning.
Before he was given the Parashu (axe) by Lord Siva, Sri Parshurama was known as Bhargavarama, in accordance with the lineage of Bhrugu rishi.