Brahmani (Sanskrit: ब्रह्माणी,IAST: Brahmāṇī) orBrahmi (Sanskrit: ब्राह्मी,IAST: Brāhmī), is one of the sevenHindu mother goddesses known asSapta Matrikas.[1][2] She is a form ofSaraswati and is considered as theShakti of the creator godBrahma inHinduism. She is an aspect ofAdi Shakti, possessing the "Rajas Guna" and is therefore the source of Brahma's power.[3]
WhenBrahma was in meditation for the creation of the universe, his body was divided into two parts. They then formed the gods and goddesses, whereby one part was male and the other one female. Thus female parts becameGayatri,Savitri,Saraswati, and others.[4]
The goddess is depicted yellow in colour with four heads and four(or six) arms. Like Brahma, she holds ajapamala, akamandalu (water pot), alotus stalk, bells,vedas and thetrident while she is seated on ahamsa (identified with a swan or goose) as hervahana (mount or vehicle). Sometimes, she is shown seated on a lotus with a swan on her banner. She wears various ornaments and is distinguished by her basket-shaped crown calledkaraṇḍa mukuṭa.[5]
She is theKuldevi Prajapati samaj (Gurjar), Kshatriya Kadiya, Golvadiyas (subcast of leuva Patels), nagar brahmins, darji samaj and other communities of Rajasthan and Kutch, including Rajputs and theKGK Community.[6]
In Narsoli village of Bhiloda district (Gujarat) there are also 1000 year old temples of Shri Brahmani Mata and Shri Eklingji Mahadev which were destroyed in the Mughal attack, their archeological remains are still present and Eklingji temple is being rebuilt at the same place.
