Maheshwar (Mahishmati) - Associated with Kartavirya Arjuna, Lord Dattatreya and Sri Parashurama

► Maheshwar
(Khargone district, Madhya Pradesh)

▬ River Narmada flows → Narmada Ghat (Aarti)
(Vindhya - Satpura Range)

(Brahmanda Purana) (About Sri Parashurama)

• Shiva: Maheshwar was the capital of Ahilyabai Holkar. She built the Ahilyeshwar Shiva Temple on the bank of river Narmada. Maheshwar has several other Shiva temples and is a land of Shiva temples.
- Ahilyeshwar Shiva Temple (by Ahilyabai Holkar)
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple
- Baneshwar Temple
- Kaleshwar Temple
- Jaleshwar Temple

• Dattatreya: Maheshwar is one of the places identified with puranic Mahishmati which was the capital of Kartavirya Arjuna, and who was a devotee Lord Dattatreya.
- Raj Rajeshwar Temple (Kartavirya Arjun) (Dattatreya)
- Ek Mukhi Datta Temple

• Krishna: Maheshwar has some Sri Krishna temples.
- Pandharinath Temple

• Narmada: River Narmada flows through Maheshwar. Maheshwar is one of the places identified with the puranic Mahishmati.
- Devi Narmada Temple


सबिन्दुसिन्धुसुस्खलत्तरङ्गभङ्गरञ्जितं द्विषत्सु पापजातजातकारिवारिसंयुतम् ।
कृतान्तदूतकालभूतभीतिहारिवर्मदे त्वदीयपादपङ्कजं नमामि देवि नर्मदे ॥
- Narmadashtakam - verse 1 (River Narmada flows through Maheshwar)



• Presence of Kartavirya Arjuna and Lord Dattatreya in Maheshwar:
Maheshwar is one of the places identified with the puranic Mahishmati which was the capital of Kartavirya Arjuna (or Sahasrarjuna). Kartavirya Arjuna was a great devotee of Lord Dattatreya. Lord Dattatreya had blessed Kartavirya Arjuna with great power and prosperity. There is a Raj Rajeshwar Temple in Maheshwar dedicted to Kartavirya Arjuna. Inside that temple there is a shrine of Lord Dattatreya.

• Presence of Ahilyabai Holkar and Lord Shiva in Maheshwar:
Maheshwar was the capital of Ahilyabai Holkar who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Therefore, Maheshwar is a land of Shiva Temples. Ahilyabai Holkar built the Ahilyeshwar Shiva Temple in Maheshwar.

• Presence of Sri Parashurama in Maheshwar:
According to Brahmanda Purana, Sri Parashurama came to Mahishmati several times to wage war against the kshatriyas (Kartavirya Arjuna and his descendants). Sri Parashurama bathed in river Narmada in Mahishmati.



(Brahmanda Purana) (About Sri Parashurama)

▬ Parashurama Avatara
(Brahmanda Purana - 21 to 47, 57 to 58)