This Deity & the temple is in Kanyale – Redi for last more than 450 years. Though the name is Navadurga, she is in Ashta Bhuja (having 8 Arms) Mahishasur Mardini form. In her hands are – a conch shell (Shankh), a wheel (chakra), a club (Gada), a lotus (padma), a spear (trishul) and a lance (bhala). By one hand she holds head of Mahisha, the daemon, and underneath her lies the buffalo. Hence she resembles Mahishasur Mardini. The two big festivals, celebrated annually (called Jatras) of this Deity are during Navaratris in the month of Ashwin & on the Shuddha Navami (9th Day) of month Magha as per the hindu calendar. During these festivals, the temple and the surrounding area is decorated and lighted with colorful lamps. Also special drama show (called Dashavatars) is held during whole night. It is believed that this deity is very powerful and answers to the calls of her devotees. While taking her "Kaul" (her orders), 52 leaves of "Karamali" plant are applied. Near the Temple are two accommodations (Niwas) for her devotees, the Dharmashala, & the Pakshala (Kitchen). Within this temple, there are idols of other deities also like Kasi Kalyani Brahman, Jain Brahman, Bhavnath, & Deva Bharacha Purvas. The Palakhi Ceremony of the Goddess is celebrated four times in a year. Various daily and occasional ceremonies, programmes etc. are held at this temple like Abhishekha & Naivedya, Kumkumarchana, Tulabhar (weighing a person with coconut, sugar, etc), Nandadeep (lighting), prasadam, meals for brahmins, purana, palakhi ceremony & Mahapooja. The RamPurush Accommodation (Niwas) is also available nearby.
History: This goddess originally belonged to the town "Gavasi" of Tiswadi District, near Madkai village in Goa. It is really very interesting to know how this goddess reached Kanyale – Redi (in Maharashtra) from Goa. The original idol was as old as of 10th Century. It is not known who had installed this idol in Gavasi. It is told that About 400 years back, during the 16th Century, Portuguese ruled Goa and destroyed many Hindu Temples & carried out many conversions forcibly. The then devotees of this goddess, who got afraid of these ruthless destruction & conversions to Christianity decided to shift this deity from Gavasi. The idol was carried by a Servant on his head along with the other devotees. The devotees had planned to re – install it at Vengurla (in Maharashtra), which was a major port and business centre. On the way, while travelling, they took a halt at Redi for taking some rest. Naturally the idol was kept on the ground. After their rest period was over, they decided to move further towards Vengurla, and hence tried to lift the idol from ground. But to their astonishment, the idol just could not move even an inch from its place, as if magnetized. They tried a lot to move it but just failed. The devotees who strongly believed in "Prasad", asked for Kaul (order) from the then Shri Mauli Devi, of Redi. They were curious to know why the goddess was non – cooperative in moving further (towards Vengurla).The Mauli goddess gave an explanation that Devi NavaDurga wished to stay at Kanyale – Redi only and that she should be installed there itself. Obeying the goddess’s orders, the devotees purchased land there and built her temple there. From then till to date, the goddess is staying in Kanyale peacefully and the devotees have been worshipping her there. It is not known exactly why this goddess is called NavaDurga (having 9 names) but some guess that it could be that there existed perhaps 9 such temples in Gavasi, and hence the name. Many devotees (Mahajans, as they are called – who have this goddess as their family deity) got settled in Ubhadanda (a place in Vengurla) while others got shifted to Pune, Mumbai, Goa, Karwar, Cochin, Bangalore & Mangalore, while some settled in few other towns. In 1971, one of the Pujari (Priest) of the goddess happened to see a crack in her idol. It is a belief that whenever any idol gets some defect, it has to be replaced with religious ceremony. Accordingly as per the order taken from Shri Mauli Devi, a new identical idol was sculpted (present one) and installed with full religious ceremony on 12-February-1975. This, so called "Pratishthapana" Ceremony went on from 12-February-1975 to 16-February-1975 and it was a grand celebration. The old idol was immersed in the Sea there with full religious procedure.
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