Rakteswari (also Rakteshwari), identified as an aspect of

Adi Parashakti Mahadevi (, , IPA: / mɐɦɑd̪eʋiː/), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, and Mahamaya, is the supreme goddess in Hinduism. According to the goddess-centric sect Shaktism, all Hindu gods and goddesses are considered to be manifestations of t ...

, also known as Durga Parameswari, is a principal and popular form of

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

goddess worshipped mainly in ''

Parshurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Virarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. Hindu tradition holds him to be the destroyer of the evil on Earth. According t ...

Kshetras''. Rakteswari is the iṣṭa-devatā (

tutelary deity A tutelary (; also tutelar) is a deity or a Nature spirit, spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concept ...

) of

Tulu Nadu Tulu Nadu, or Tulunad, is a region and Proposed states and union territories of India, proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva' (pl. 'Tuluver') are speakers of Tulu language, Tulu, a Dravidian langu ...

Worship and festivals

Rakteswari is worshipped in the

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

s of India by adherents of

Shaktism Shaktism () is a major Hindu denomination in which the God in Hinduism, deity or metaphysics, metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically to be a woman. Shaktism involves a galaxy of goddesses, all regarded as different aspects, mani ...

. Her temples, worship and festivals are particularly popular in

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

during every Sankramana (or Sankranthi days/ Sun transit days of every month in Hindu calendar). Coconut flowers, Vermilion and whole coconuts are the significant offerings for her worship. The ''beeja-mantra'' of Rakteswari, ''Om Kleem Ram Rakteswaryai namaha'', is recited on Sikharagra (on top of a mountain), near a flowing river, any dense forest, Kadamba trees, garden, etc. under the guidance of a competent guru as any ''shakta (

Shakta Upanishads Shakta Upanishads are a group of minor Upanishads of Hinduism related to the Shaktism theology of a Goddess (Devi) as the Supreme Being. There are 8 Shakta Upanishads in the Muktika anthology of 108 Upanishads. They, along with other minor Upani ...

)'' tradition requires. SrichakraDurga

Deity Rakteswari is often misunderstood as a spirit/demon. ''

Dakshinachara ''Dakṣiṇācāra'' is a tantric term meaning 'right-hand path'. It is used to describe tantric sects that do not engage in heterodox practices. In contrast, '' vamachara'' ('left-hand path') is used to describe particular tantric practices t ...

'' sects are dismissive of Rakteswari as a goddess who demands blood sacrifice. She is a fierce deity worshipped in her calm posture in ''dakshinachara'' ("right-hand path") with ''kumkum (

Vermilion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color family and pigment most often used between antiquity and the 19th century from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide). It is synonymous with red orange, which often takes a moder ...

)'' and whole coconut as ''bali'' (offerings).

Association with the planet Mars

In traditional Hindu astrology, Moon, Mars are the chief significators of blood in human body. When Mars is afflicted in any horoscope and it occupies an even sign, then goddess Rakteswari has to be propitiated to get rid of any blood related disorders. As per some local beliefs, contagious diseases like Smallpox and menstrual bleeding disorders (Mars represents private parts of body too) can be cured by worshipping Rakteswari The '' vamamarga'' worship ("left-hand path") of Rakteswari is not ruled out in folklore genre. The Folk performances mandate music, folk dance, recital and other elaborate vesha (costumes ) as outlined in Dravidian Tulu Oral folk literature, Cow ghee lamp and ''Kumkum'' (

) are offered to appease Rakteswari in typical household worship, like any other female deity.

Temple

The regions of

Konkan The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...

, coastal

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

and

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

, considered as Parashurama Kshetra, have numerous temples dedicated to Rakteswari. Worship of Rakteswari by

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

s and many other various Hindus in m''ulasthana'' is famous in

South Canara South Canara (South Kannada) was a district of the Madras Presidency of British Raj, located at . It comprised the towns of Kassergode and Udipi and adjacent villages, with the administration at Mangalore city. South Canara was one of the mos ...

. Rakteshwari, in ''

dakshinachara ''Dakṣiṇācāra'' is a tantric term meaning 'right-hand path'. It is used to describe tantric sects that do not engage in heterodox practices. In contrast, '' vamachara'' ('left-hand path') is used to describe particular tantric practices t ...

'' ("right-hand path") tradition, is depicted as ''srichakravasini'' (peaceful and soothing deity as a resident of the tip of Sri Chakra) and worshipped as Durga Parameswari by Durga sukta and Śrī Sūkta.

Iconography

Sword, one of the divine weapons of

, which represents elimination of Discrimination according to ''Devi Mahatyam'', is a symbolic form of goddess Rakteswari. The tip of Sri Chakra is an iconic form of the supreme goddess, Durga Parameswari.

References

{{reflist Hindu goddesses