“FROM MYTH TO MURTI: BHAIRAVA ICONOGRAPHY IN THE TULJAPUR RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE”

Abstract

The Solapur–Osmanabad belt of Maharashtra, India—centered on the Shakti Peetha of Tuljabhavani—represents a vital yet understudied region for examining the Bhairava tradition within Shakta–Shaiva practice. This paper argues that Bhairava worship here is not a peripheral cult but a central organizing principle structuring sacred geography, informing social identity, and connecting Tantric esotericism with contemporary folk devotion. Employing a multidisciplinary methodology that combines field surveys, iconographic analysis, and ethnographic study, this research charts Bhairava’s evolving role as Kshetrapala (guardian of the sacred territory). Key case studies, including the Bhairava-pāda at Dhamangaon and the Panchayatana complex at Hinglajwadi, reveal adaptive ritual continuities—from sacrifice to symbolic offering—without loss of spiritual potency.

This study addresses three guiding questions:

1. How has Bhairava worship shaped the sacred geography of Tuljapur?
2. In what ways do iconographic and ritual transformations reflect broader socio-religious shifts in Deccan history?
3. How does the living Bhairava tradition mediate between Tantric symbolism and vernacular devotionalism today?

Findings suggest that Bhairava serves as both a theological boundary-keeper and a social unifier, his presence defining the moral and spatial order of the Tuljapur landscape. The research concludes that Bhairava’s enduring vitality demonstrates the syncretic and adaptive strength of regional Hindu traditions in the Deccan.