Akkamahadevi
In the Valmiki Ramayana, the details about a female Siddhar, whose name was Swayamprabha, was mentioned. While Hanuman and other Vanaras were on the way towards searching Ma Sita, they met Ma Swayamprabha in a cave, and then they came to know that she was a great female Siddhar, and they have also had sufficient food and drank water, on the cave, and after taking rest for a while, the Vanaras had got the blessings of Ma Swayamprabha, left the cave, and they continued their mission in searching for the place of Ma Sita.
Likewise, there is a famous female Siddhar, who is believed to still live at a cave in the Himalayan Mountain Ranges, and her name is Mathaji, who is considered to be the sister of the great Babaji. It is believed that she stills performs rigorous meditation on Lord Shiva, for the well-being of the people who lives in the earth. She is expected to live in the cave for a few thousand years, but, it is believed that she still looks young, with a charming face, which resembles to that of Ma Shakti Devi.
Ma AkkaMahadevi is the 12th century Female Siddhar, and also a famous poet who lived in Karnataka, and she was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva. AkkaMahadevi used to cover her hair throughout her body by considering it as clothes, and she would never wear any dresses on her body, she was such a great female Siddhar, and at present, we cannot find such a wonderful woman anywhere in this world.
She was praised by the famous Kannada saints such as Basavanna, Purandaradasa, Guru Raghavendra, Siddharama and Allamaprabhu for her excellent contribution in the Kannada literature. She was a great devotee of Lord Shiva.
AkkaMahadevi was born in a small village in Karnataka. Even at a younger age itself,she left her family in order to worship Lord Shiva sincerely.
She made her travel to Srisailam, to have the darshan of Lord Mallikarjuna. She met two other poets Allama and Basava and discussed about the spirituality and devotion of Lord Shiva. At the end of her life, she lived in Srisailam and worshipped Lord Shiva permanently until her death.
AkkaMahaDevi was a great devotee of Lord Shiva and she considered him as everything in her life. She says that attachment to Lord Shiva is the permanent one, and attachment to other worldly object doesn’t prove to be worthy. We have to follow her footsteps, and concentrate our entire attention towards Lord Shiva.
“OM MA DEVATHI DEVI SHAKTI DEVI NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR