Shree Tulja Bhavani Mata Mandir is located in Tuljapur on the hill of the Balaghat Mountains. . It is considered as one of the 51 Shakti Pithas.  It is also one of the popular threeand-half ‘Shakti peethas’ of Goddess Durga.

Districts/ Region    

Tuljapur, Osmanabad District, Maharashtra, India. 

History    

Tuljapur, the one amongst three and a half Shakti Peethas (abodes of cosmic powers) of the state, is situated in Maharashtra, wherein resides the Mother Goddess Tulja Bhavani. She is also fondly revered as Aai (mother) Ambabai, Jagdamba, Tuljai by her devotees who flock in millions to Tuljapur for her Darshan and seek blessings. Tulja Bhavani symbolizes the power of the Supreme Being that maintains moral order and righteousness in the universe.

Tulja Bhavani of Tuljapur is considered the state goddess of Maratha state and the family deity of the royal Bhosale family. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had tremendous faith in Goddess Tulja Bhavani. He always visited her temple to seek her blessings.
The history of the temple has been mentioned in the ‘Skanda Purana’. It was built in the 12th century AD. The statue of the goddess is three feet high and is made up of granite stone. The goddess has eight hands holding different objects in each. In one of her hands is the head of demon Mahishasura.

The temple has two entrances. One is the Raja Shahaji Mahadwar and another is the main gate called Rajmata Jijau. To enter the main temple one has to descend several steps.

Entering from the Sardar Nimbalkar entrance takes us to a temple dedicated to Markandeya Rishi. After descending the stairs, one sees the main Tulja Temple. There is a yagna kund (Sacrificial fire altar) in front of this temple. The stairs take us to the `Gomukh Tirth` (Tirtha is a sacred water tank) on the right side and `Kalakh`, also known as `Kallol Tirth` on the left side. There are also Amruth Kund and temples like a Datta Temple, Siddhivinayak Temple, the temple of Aadishakti, Aadimata Matangadevi, goddess Annapurna on the premises of the temple.

Geography    

The Tulja Bhavani temple in Tuljapur is on a hill known as Balaghat. The place has an approach road for vehicles as well.

Weather/Climate    

The region has a hot and dry climate. The summers are more extreme than winters and rains, with a temperature up to 40.5 degrees Celsius.Winters are mild, and the average temperature varies from 28-30 degrees Celsius. The rain season has extreme seasonal variations, and the annual rainfall is around 726 mm. 

Things to do    

The temple has several temples in the vicinity, such as Siddhivinayak Temple, Adishakti Matangadevi Temple and Annapurna Temple.

Nearest tourist place    

The nearby tourist attractions include:
●    Ghatshil Temple (1.1 KM)
●    Visapur Dam (11.7 KM)
●    Dharashiv Caves (27.5 KM)
●    Javalgaon Dam (28.3 KM)
●    Bori Dam (35.5 KM )
●    Naldurg Fort (35.9 KM)
●    Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary (39.1 KM)
●    Rock Garden Open Museum and waterfalls (43.2 KM)

How to travel to tourist place 
By Rail, Air, Road (train ,flight,  bus ) with distance and required time    
By Air:- Pune International Airport (295 KM)
By Railway:- Osmanabad Railway Station (30.9 KM). 
By Road:- Tuljapur Bus Stand (1 KM) is nearby where MSRTC Buses and Luxury Buses have a halt. 

Special food speciality and hotel    

The town is famous for Maharashtrian Cuisine.

Accommodation facilities nearby & Hotel/ Hospital/Post Office/Police station    
Various accommodation facilities are available in the nearby area. 
●    Tuljapur Police Station (0.75 KM) is the closest police station.
●    The nearest hospital is Peshwe Hospital (0.8 KM).

Visiting Rule and Time, Best month to    
●    The best time to visit Tuljapur Temple is all year round as the weather conditions are favourable.
●    Temple timings:- 4:00 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. in the night. 

Language spoken in area    

English, Hindi, Marathi.