Padmalaya
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Padmalaya (पद्मालय) is a village in Jalgaon district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It lies 10 km from Erandol and 31.5 km from the district headquarters of Jalgaon .
Origin
'Padmalaya', a portmanteau word blending "Padmasya" and "Alaya", means "Home of Lotus" in Sanskrit. The name is derived from a large lotus pond that is believed to have existed adjacent to a local temple dedicated to Ganesha.
Variants
- Pravala (प्रवाल) (AS, p.589)
- Padmalaya (पद्मालय) = Pravala (प्रवाल), (AS, p.525)
- Padmalaya Tirtha (पद्मालय तीर्थ) (AS, p.525)
- Prabhakshetra (प्रभाक्षेत्र)
History
Other places of interest in the village includes "Bhim Kunda", a peculiarly shaped pond, and the Anjani River - located around 1 km from Padmalaya.
Bhimkund: According to legend, the warrior Bhima has a battle with Rakshasa Bakasura and kills him. Bhima was thirsty after the fight so he hit his elbow very forcefully on the ground to form a small pond of fresh water. The place is called Bhimkund and is near the Padmalaya temple. Bhimkund is a beautiful place with lots of herbs and medicinal plants around the vicinity of Padmalaya Temple Reservoir.
Pandav wada: Pandavas stayed in Erandol (ancient name was Ekchakranagari). They built a palace with lacquer. This is called Pandav wada and is believed to have many secret routes leading to nearby forests. This Pandav wada was later burned by kauravas to kill Pandavas. The remains are in Erandol city.
प्रवाल
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[1] ने लेख किया है ...प्रवाल (AS, p.589) 'पद्मालय तीर्थ' का प्राचीन नाम है। बंबई-भुसावल रेलमार्ग पर पाचोरा जंकशन से 26 मील दूर महसावाद स्टेशन है। यहाँ से प्राय: 5 मील दूर पद्मालय तीर्थ है, जिसे प्राचीन काल में प्रवाल क्षेत्र कहा जाता था।