Index of Contents
- Introduction
- Shree Harihareshwar Temple, Hattarsang
- Vatavriksha Swami Samarth Maharaj Devstan,Akkalkot
- Shree Swami Samarth Samadhi Math
- Shri Siddheshwar Mandir, Solapur
- Shri Tulja Bhavani Temple, Tuljapur
- Ramling Devsthan, Yedashi
- Shri Bhagwant Temple , Barshi
- Shree Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Nira Narsinhpur
- Ardhanari Nateshwar Mandir Velapur
- Siddhanath Mandir ,Shahada, Mhaswad
- Shikhar Shingnapur
- Yamai Devi Temple, Aundh
- Dholya Ganpati Mandir,Satara
- Shri Uttar Chidambaram Nataraj mandir, Satara
- Shree Mahabaleshwar Temple , Satara
1. Introduction
This blog is Part II of the blogs on Famous and Ancient temples in & around Pandharpur. Part I covers the details of the temples in Pandharpur which could be covered by an auto rickshaw . To cover the 15 temples detailed in Part II, a car / van is required. In Part III, details of 16 more temples are given .
2. Shree Harihareshwar Temple, Hattarsang
Shree Harihareshwar Temple, Hattarsang ,9VJX+62F, Hattarsang, Maharashtra 413008 Shree Harihareshwar Temple is located at Hattarsang, Maharashtra where the river Bheema confluences with Seena , at a distance of 40 kms from Solapur Railway Station.
This temple was built in 11th century (1018 AD) at the time of Chalukyas of Kalyani. It is one of the ancient temples in Maharashtra state. In Solapur Harihareshwar is only temple where Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are worshiped together. Shivling found here in excavation, is called as बहुमुखी शिवलिंग. Height is 1.99meters, circumference is 4meters and weight is 4000 kg. It has 359 faces of Shiva, Vishnu and Bramha.
There is a beautiful Hemandpathi style Sangameshwar temple adjacent to this temple. The Ardhamandapa and main Mandap of temple have 18 big stone pillars with beautiful carvings on them.
On the eastside is a beautiful Harihareshwar temple.Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva images are housed in the temple giving the name Harihareshwar. There are beautiful carvings on the wall in this passage. The special attraction is carving of Lord Ganesh.
The characteristics of the temple there are Mukhmandap, Sabhamandap, Swargamandapa, Antral, Duidal, Garbhagriha, etc At the entrance of Mukhmandap there is a beautiful and attractive Rama Bhairavi icon carved on stone. The temple belongs to the 11th as 12th Century. Based on construction this temple belongs to later “Kalyanchalukya” in the period of the sixth king Vikramaditya.
The Harihareshwar temple, the Chalukyan-era structure was discovered by Prof. Gajanan Bhide, from Dayanand College, Solapur in the year 1999 while excavating this site.
3. Vatavriksha Swami Samarth Maharaj Devstan,Akkalkot
Vatavriksha Swami Samarth Maharaj Devstan,Akkalkot ,413216 Vatavriksha Swami Samarth Maharaj Devstan,Akkalkot ,is located at a distance of 40 kms from Solapur Railway station. It is also known as Akkalkot Swami Samarth Temple. The place gains religious importance because it has the samadhi of the Swami Samarth Maharaj, who devotees believe is the reincarnation of Lord Dattatreya – is considered as the first guru and also the incarnation of three gods – brahma, vishnu and mahesh. Lord dattatreya is very much worshipped in maharashtra, gujarat, karnataka and andhra pradesh. Swami Samarth lived in Akkalkot for more than 2 decades.
The Akkalkot Swami Samarth Temple premises is a large one, and thousands of devotees come for darshan daily. There are several deities of the Hindu Gods here – Shivling , Lord Ganesh, Dattatreya etc The main structure here has the padukas (footwear) of the Swami Samarth. Along with this, there is a tall banyan tree inside the temple premises. According to legend, the Swami attained his Samadhi under this tree. There is an idol of the Maharaj in the temple premises, which is white. The actual Samadhi of the Swami Samarth is about half a kilometer away from the Samarth temple.
There are several statues of the Swami, including a thirty-foot tall one, just outside the Akkalkot Swami Samarth Temple. Near the temple is Ann Dhyana Kothi where one can see some beautiful statues. One important statue here is the Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj sitting on a throne. Another aspect of note here is the architectural style, that is unique to this area of Maharashtra.
The Akkalkot Swami Samarth Temple and the surrounding premises are well taken care of, and visiting the temple is a comfortable and hassle-free experience. There are a mutt and prasadalaya that offers food to the devotees as well as accommodation.
Shri Swami Samarth, also known as Swami of Akkalkot was an Indian spiritual master of the Dattatreya Tradition. He is a widely known spiritual figure in various Indian states including Maharashtra and Karnataka. He lived during the nineteenth century.
Shri Swami Samarth traveled all across the Indian subcontinent and eventually set his abode at Akkalkot. His parentage and origins remain obscure. According to legend, once when a disciple asked Swami a question about his birth, Swami responded that he had originated from a banyan tree (vata-vriksha in Marathi). On another occasion, Swami had said that his earlier name was Nrusimha Bhan.
Shri Swami Samarth is widely considered to be the fourth (third in physical form) incarnation of Dattatreya, an Indian monk, mystic and Hindu deity. He is also believed to be a reincarnation of Narasimha Saraswati, another earlier spiritual master of the Dattatreya sect.
swami samarth didn’t gave any sermon or spoke much. he didn’t wrote any book. his presence was enough to clear the doubts of devotees. he used to love feeding large amount of people. he had many spiritual powers and siddhis. one of them was to feed hundreds of people from a small amount of food. in his life time he cured many people of their diseases and other problems.
4. Shree Swami Samarth Samadhi Math Akkalkot
Shree Swami Samarth Samadhi Math Navin rajwada Akkalkot, Vidyanagar, Akkalkot, Maharashtra 413216 Shree Swami Samarth Samadhi Math, Akkalkot, Maharashtra is located at a distance of 40 kms from Solapur Railway station.
It is said that Swami Samarth stayed here for 21 years and after that he took samadhi here at samadhi math, akkalkot – (devote Chollappas house).
Swami Samarth Maharaj, who devotees believe is the reincarnation of Lord Dattatreya – is considered as the first guru and also the incarnation of three gods – brahma, vishnu and mahesh. Lord dattatreya is very much worshipped in maharashtra, gujarat, karnataka and andhra pradesh. Swami Samarth lived in Akkalkot for more than 2 decades.
Shri Swami Samarth, also known as Swami of Akkalkot was an Indian spiritual master of the Dattatreya Tradition. He is a widely known spiritual figure in various Indian states including Maharashtra and Karnataka. He lived during the nineteenth century.
Shri Swami Samarth traveled all across the Indian subcontinent and eventually set his abode at Akkalkot. His parentage and origins remain obscure. According to legend, once when a disciple asked Swami a question about his birth, Swami responded that he had originated from a banyan tree (vata-vriksha in Marathi). On another occasion, Swami had said that his earlier name was Nrusimha Bhan.
Shri Swami Samarth is widely considered to be the fourth (third in physical form) incarnation of Dattatreya, an Indian monk, mystic and Hindu deity. He is also believed to be a reincarnation of Narasimha Saraswati, another earlier spiritual master of the Dattatreya sect.
swami samarth didn’t gave any sermon or spoke much. he didn’t wrote any book. his presence was enough to clear the doubts of devotees. he used to love feeding large amount of people. he had many spiritual powers and siddhis. one of them was to feed hundreds of people from a small amount of food. in his life time he cured many people of their diseases and other problems.
Vatavriksha Swami Samarth Maharaj Devstan is located about a km away.
5 . Shri Siddheshwar Mandir, Solapur
Shri Siddheshwar Mandir, MWF4+22, Sidheshwar Temple Area, Solapur, Maharashtra 413001 Shri Siddheshwar Mandir is located at a distance of 1.5 kms from , Solapur Railway station,, Maharashtra. There is a nice big lake within the temple complex.
The temple is dedicated to Siddheshwar, a twelfth-century devotee of Shiva who is considered a prophet in the Lingayat faith and the grāmadevatā of Solapur. It is at the temple’s site where he is recorded as having attained samadhi, and as such the location is revered by devotees. Upon achieving samadhi in 1167AD, Siddeshwar buried himself alive. A marble tomb exists at the centre of the temple today.
The Siddheshwar Temple was built by Shri Siddharameshwar, a yogi and devotee of Shri Mallikarjuna of Srisailam. He built this temple and made 68 Shiva lingams in the temple as per the instructions of his guru. It is said that the city of Solapur began to prosper at the birth of Shri Siddheshwar, who is also considered as the sixth prophet of the Lingayat faith, and devotees seek the blessings of this deity.
There are several smaller temples within the complex, such as ones dedicated to Ganesha, Vithoba and Rukmini. Additionally, within the sanctum of the main temple complex there is an idolic effigy of Siddheshwar. A silver-plated figure of the mythological bull nandi is also present.
Shri Siddheshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Siddheshwar who has other forms as Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Therefore, the idol in the temple signifies the holy incarnation of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva who went by the same name. Shri Siddharameshwar himself attained Jeeva Samadhi in Shri Siddheshwar temple and lot of crowds visit here to see his Samadhi. A beautiful shrine dedicated to the saint Nalavatvad is found in the garden. There is also a silver-plated Nandi statue here. Vithoba and Goddes Rukmini temple and temples of various other gods are also situated in this huge temple complex. There are many exquisite engravings inside the temple that will leave the visitors mesmerized.
There is a series of three gates that provides entry to the inner courtyard of the temple from the road. The Samadhi of the Seer is situated in the center of the courtyard. Another part of the courtyard leads to a well-designed garden and the shrine of Saint Nalavatvad is found in the center of this garden. The image of the sacred bull, which is called Nandi, is located in the ante-Chamber. A stone walled shrine, which is lined with sheets of silver with beautiful engravings on it, can be found on the back wall of the ante-Chamber. The saint used to meditate in the center of the black wall.
Siddheswar temple is surrounded by a beautiful and large lake called Siddheshwar Lake. Most visitors like to come here during night, when the water reflects the beautifully illuminated temple. It is believed that the lake was created by Sri Siddharameshwar, when all the holy rivers asked for permission to reside in the lake, a legend which makes it really sacred. The lake homes a number of fish and the locals as well as pilgrims consider it holy to feed them. Therefore, you can see many vendors, who sell fish food outside the temple premises. Even though large amount of food is thrown to the lake, it is properly maintained and kept clean.
The temple and lake have been administered since 1899 by the ‘Shri Siddheshwar Devsthan Panch Committee’ On Makarsankrat, there are annual pilgrimages called ‘Gadda’. This is when the Gadda Yatra celebration begins and continues for 15 days. A procession called the ‘Procession of Kathis’ is conducted at the temple.
Shri Siddheshwar Temple timings are : 05:30 AM to 07:30 PM. To return to the Index of Contents, Click Here. Otherwise Continue.
6. Shri Tulja Bhavani Temple, Tuljapur
Shri Tulja Bhavani Temple, Mahadwar Rd, Jijamata Nagar, Tuljapur, Maharashtra 413601 Shri Tulja Bhavani Temple dedicated to goddess Bhavani (goddess Parvati) is located at Tuljapur, Maharashtra on the hills of the Balaghat mountains, at a distance of 47 kms from Solapur Railway Station. It is considered as one of the Shakti Pithas. The temple was built in 12th century CE by Maratha Mahamandaleshwara Māradadeva of the Kadamb dynasty.The management and priestly rights of the temple are held by the Palikar Bhope clan, the descendants of Māradadeva.
Since there is a lot of crowd and some pandas try to make money,, Devotees may use the facility of Online pas for darshan (Free as well as Donation) . Website id : https://shrituljabhavani.org/FrmDarshanPassReg.aspx
For booking Abhishek Pooja website ID : https://shrituljabhavani.org/frmAbhisheckPooja.aspx
“Bhavani” literally translates to “giver of life”, meaning the power of nature or the source of creative energy. She is considered to be a mother who provides to her devotees and also plays the role of dispensing justice by killing Asuras.[citation needed]
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha kingdom, was reputed to frequently visit this temple to seek blessings. Legends state that the Goddess gave him a sword called ‘Bhavani kadga (sword)’, which helped Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj succeed in his expeditions.
In Sri Sakanda Purana, the avatar story of this goddess is given as follows. There was a sage “Kardam” and his consort “Anubhuthi’ with an infant, in this area. After his death, his wife “Anubhuthi” performed a penance for goddess in the name of Bhavani on the banks of the river “Mandakini” to look after her child. There was a demon (Rakshasa) by name “Kukur” who tortured her. Then Goddess Bhavani rescued Anubhuthi and killed the demon. The goddess on the prayer of her pet devotee settled on the hill of “Bala Ghat”. Since then the Mother Goddess came to be called as Bhavani of Tuljapur or Tulja Bhavani
Along with temples of Renuka at Mahur, Mahalaxmi at Kolhapur, and Saptashringi at Vani, the temple of Bhavani at Tuljapur forms the four great Shaktipitha in Maharashtra . When Prabhu Ramchandran was in exile, in search of Sitamai, Sri Bhagwati gave him darshan and blessed him that Sitamai would be found soon.
It is the family deity of the Bhosale Royal family, the Yadavs and of countless numbers of families belonging to different castes. The great ruler and founder of the Maratha kingdom, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj visited the temple as he was a prominent devotee of her, people believe that the Goddess gifted him a sword – ‘The Bhawani Talwar’ – to succeed in his expeditions. Tulaja word indicates to an old Hindu monastery at Tolaja village in the present Rawalpindi division of Pakistan.
The main entrance of the temple bears the name of Sardar Nimbalkar. The other two entrances are named after the parents of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Shahaji and Jijabai. As one enters the Sardar Nimbalkar entrance, there is a temple dedicated to Markandeya Rishi on the right. After descending the stairs, one sees the main Tulja Temple. There is yagna kund (Holy fire pit) in front of this temple. On the floor near two main gates (Raja Shahaji Mahadwar and Rajmata Jijau main gate), there are two libraries named, Shree Santh Dnyaneshwar Dharmik Library and Shree Tukaram Dharmik Library. After alighting from the stairs, there is `Gomukh Theerth` on the right side and `Kalakh`, also known as `Kallol Theerth` on the left side. Before entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Goddess, devotees take a dip here in these theerths (Shallow tanks of “holy” water). There are also Amruth Kund and a Datta temple on the premises. A Siddhi Vinayak temple is situated on the left side of the main gate whilst on the right, there is a temple of Aadishakti, Aadimata Matangadevi. A temple of goddess Annapurna is also present in the main complex.
The idol of Goddess Tulja Bhawani is believed by her devotees to be `swayambhu` (“self-manifested” or “that which is created by its own accord”). The high granite idol is three-foot tall, with eight arms holding weapons, and bearing the head of the slain demon Mahishasura. The Goddess is also known as Tulaja, Turaja, Tvarita and Amba.
Contact phone number for Poojas : 02471 – 242031 ; contact for booking of Bhakta Nivas Bhawani Road operated by Sri Tuljabhavani Temple : 02471-244551. Contact 9422956830 / 9067257215 for Jagdamba Yatri Bhakta accommodation booking run by Sri Tuljabhavani Temple
7. Ramling Devsthan, Yedashi
Ramling Devsthan, Yedashi, 7XW3+R8J, Osmanabad, Maharashtra 413404 Ramling Devsthan is located in the foothills of Balaghat mountain range.at Yedashi, Osmanabad, Maharashtra, at a distance of 90 kms from Solapur.
Ramalinga Devasthan is a temple of Lord Mahadev in the shape of Drona and is an amazing invention of Hemadpanti architecture and stonework. There is greenery everywhere in Shravan and the monkey population of this place attracts special attention. The waterfall here is the main attraction of devotees and tourists. Legend has it that the battle between the Jatayu bird and Ravana took place at Ramlinga, when Lord Ramachandra was wandering in search of Sita.After the arrival of Prabhu Ramachandra at this place after the war, Prabhu Ramachandra drew water with an arrow near him to give water to the injured Jatayu and worship Shiva Shankar. That water fed the Jatayu bird. Legend has it that he installed a linga and worshiped Shiva there.
Monkeys have been living in the temple and its surroundings for many years. The area around the temple is 2500 hectares under the supervision of the Forest Department. This area has been declared as a sanctuary. Therefore, there is free movement of various animals and birds including peacocks, rabbits, deer, wolves, wild boars, taras in the side forest. The forest is characterized by various rare medicinal plants in this area. .
The temple is located in a ravine and is to such a depth that the spire of the temple is not visible from a distance and also after reaching the entrance gate of the temple.To reach the temple one has to descend a number of steps down below. The temple has an open courtyard with a sabhamandap and a pindi of Shankar is placed in an inner chamberIn the temple of Ramling is also a shrine of Jatayu.
8. Shri Bhagwant Temple, Barshi
Shri Bhagwant Temple ,6MMQ+M7J, Mangalwar Peth, Mangire Mala, Barshi, Maharashtra 413401 Shri Bhagwant Temple is located at Barshi, Maharashtra at a distance of 70 kms from Solapur Railway station. It is dedicated to Lord Bhagwant, a form of Lord Vishnu. The uniqueness of this temple is that, this is the only one temple of Shri Vishnu all over India having Shri Vishnu’s name as BHAGAWNT. The Barshi Bhagwant Temple is one of the oldest temples in Maharashtra.
Bhagwant Temple was built in 1245, almost 800 years back. This temple is unique in its beautiful and special architecture. One can notice the classic Hemandpathi style of architecture, which can be observed in most of the temples in that area of India, here. The uniqueness of this temple is its construction. It has four separate entrance doors that face all four directions. However, the door that opens to east is the main entrance. Many people visit this temple not only to worship, but also to enjoy the beautiful construction.
There are four entries to the temple from all the four directions, but the main entry is east-facing. There is one GARUDKHAMB in front of Garbhagraha. Bhagwant temple homes the idol of the deity Vishnu, which is depicted in black stone and has a gadha, chakra and a shankh in his hands. The picture of devotee King Ambarish can be seen below the right hand. There are also the idols of Lord Vishnu’s wife Goddess Lakshmi on the back of Bhagwant idol. You can see Shivalinga on the forehead and the well preserved impressions of the footsteps of the saint Bhrighu Rishi on the chest of the deity.
The Badves are responsible for carrying out the daily rituals. The daily poojas include dhoop aarti, kakada aarti, nitya aarti and mahapuja dhoop arti in the morning, Dhuparti in the evening and Shejarti in the night. Ashadi and Kartik Ekadashi are the major festivals celebrated here with large processions that cover the town with Bhagwant riding on Garuda. Huge crowd of devotees can be seen during the Chaitri, Maghi, Aashadi and Kartiki Ekadashi. A Chabina is performed on every full moon for devotees, especially women who worship Lord Bhagwant to get married to a person of their choices and to pray for the health and longevity of their husbands.
The old records show that Shri Nanasaheb Peshve released grants for Bhagwant temple in the year 1760. Now, a Panch committee is responsible for the management of this temple. Bhagwant temple is visited not only by Hindu pilgrims, but also people from background communities and other religions as well. The visiting time in Bhagwant Temple is in between 6.00 am to 7.00 pm. Morning and evening are the best time to visit here. You can choose the months in between October and February for a comfortable visit to Bhagwant Temple in Maharashtra.
Ambarish Maharaj was the emperor of the entire world and also a great devotee of the Lord Narayana. He performed devotional service with great opulence. Once, Ambrish Maharaj was worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Vrindavana. On Dwadashi, the day after Ekadashi, when he was about to break his Ekadashi fast, the great mystic yogi Durvasa Muni appeared in his house and became his guest. Ambrish Maharaja respectfully received Durvasa Muni. Durvasa Muni, after accepting the Kings invitation to eat there, went to bathe in the Yamuna River at noontime. Ambrish Maharaj upon seeing that the time to break the fast was passing drank a little water, in accordance with the advice of learned brahmaṇ as. By mystic power, Durvasa Muni could understand this and he was very angry. When he returned he began to chastise Ambrish Maharaj, and created from his hair a demon appearing like the fire of death
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, to protect Ambrish Maharaja sent His disc, the Sudarshana chakra, which immediately vanquished the fiery demon. Upon seeing that his own attempt had failed and that the Sudarshana chakra was moving toward him, Durvasa Muni became very frightened and began to run in all directions to save his life.
When Durvasa Muni could find no shelter, he approached Lord Brahma, but Lord Brahma refused to give shelter to Durvasa Muni. Then Durvasa Muni tried to take shelter of Lord Shiva, who always resides on his planet, known as Kailasa. Lord Shiva also could not give him any shelter and asked the muni to approach Lord Narayana. Finally Durvasa Muni went to the spiritual world and surrendered to Lord Narayana.
But Lord Narayana could not excuse a person who had offended a Vaishnava. To be excused from such an offense, one must submit to the Vaishnava whom he has offended. There is no other way to be excused. Thus Lord Narayana advised Durvasa Muni to return to Ambrish Maharaja and beg his pardon.Following the order of Lord Narayana, Durvasa Muni immediately went to Ambarisha Maharaja and fell at his lotus feet. Seeing Durvasa Muni at his feet, Ambarish Maharaj prayed that the Sudarshan chakra be merciful to the muni. Sudarshan chakra being appeased, refrained from killing Durvasa Muni. After this incident, Ambrish Maharaja gave Durvasa Muni sumptuous food to eat, and then the King, who had been standing in the same place for one year without eating anything, also took prasada.
Ambarish Maharaja finds a place in the idol of Lord Vishnu here. The temple timings are : from 6 AM to 7 PM.
9. Shree Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Nira Narsinhpur
Shree Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Nira Narsinhpur, Indapur Thaluka, Maharashtra 413211 Shree Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is located at Nira Narasingpur, Maharashtra at a distance of 100 kms from Solapur and 50 kms from Pandharpur.The temple is located at the confluence of Bhima river and Nira river, at the south eastern tip of Pune district, in Indapur taluka. In order to kill the evil demon Hiranyakasipu and protect a gentleman like Prahlada, Lord Mahavishnu took the form of Sri Narasimha. This is one of the Dasavatars. The twelfth chapter of ‘Padma’ Purana gives a detailed description and importance of Nira Narasingpur area.
There is also scientific importance about the place Nira-Narasinhpur. The Scientists had studied about this area and it is said that Nira-Narsinhpur is the Middle Place of the Earth. There are many scientific evidences about that This is one of the geographic thruth which also attracted many people to visit Nira-Narsinhpur.
Lord Ramchandra started his holy yatras after killing Ravana. Muni Agasti told him the complete the yatras, so he decided to start it from Nira-Narasinhpur.It is guiet and very beautiful religious place, so many Munis and Devotee’s came here for penance. It is said that Maharshi Vayas also stayed here for some time.
It is one of the 800 Narasimha temples in India. Some of the famous Narasimha temples with Google map showing 800 temples may be seen in my blog
In the Padmpurana it is said that Hiranyakashypu’s wife Kayadhu was abducted by Indra. He wanted to kill her. Kayadhu was pregnant at this time. Near Nrisinghpur area was Narada’s ashram at Neerakathi. Narada stopped Indra and said that a devotee would be born from Kayadhu’s womb. Taking Narada’s promise, Indra placed Kayadhus in Narada’s hermitage. Later Kayadhu gave birth and Prahlada was born in her womb. His devotion was strengthened in the company of Narada. He made a sand idol of Nrisimha at the Nira-Bhima confluence and worshiped her regularly. Sri Nrisimha gave him this idol form saying that those who worship this Valuka Murti like you will get their wishes fulfilled. Hiranyakashyapu was ruling in Moolsthan (Moolstan). He did not like this piety of his son (enemy praise) and tortured Prahlada a lot. Due to this, he later died at the hands of Lord Narasimha.
It was said that there was Ashram ( Hermitage ) on the bank of river Bhima in the Nira-Narasinhapur Sati Kayadhu delivered here in the Ashram and Pralhad was born. At that time Pralhad made penance near the conflunce of river Nira and Bhima. He made an idol of the sand of Lord Narasinha and he devoted himself in Lord Narasinha.
This Idol of Lord Narasinha which was made by Pralhad is now in the temple of Lord Narasinha. It is sits on the thrown. It’s face is towards the west. It is totally made of sand. It is in the situation of lap. The Right hand of the idol is on the right knee and left hand is on the wrist. It’s face looks like a lion. His chest is broad and eyes are also broad. It’s chest, face and wrist looks like as a Lion. But it’s hands as well as legs looks like a man
The temple has been built in Peshwa architectural style in black stone. It took approximately twenty years for the completion of construction of the temple. There are three main doors facing towards East, North and West. The western door is fortified like Shaniwar Wada and has thirty three steps leading up to the temple. There are two murtis of Shri Narasimha in the main temple, one is made of sand and the other of black stone. Original murti was replaced by a duplicate one due to the fear of Aurangzeb.
There is a big bell located near the west door. This bell was originally a church bell located at the Portuguese church of Vasai. In the year 1739, Bajirao Peshwa’s younger brother Chimaji Appa captured Vasai from the Portuguese Empire and took the four church bells to Pune. One of the bells was brought to the temple by Diwan Sadashiv Mankeshwar who was the inamdar of Tembhurni village.
There are several small temples located in the complex. They are of Shri Laxmi, Bhakt Prahlad, Ganesh, Shri Dattatreya, Bhimashankar, Vitthal Rukmini, Raghavendra Tirtha, Shakambhari, Kashi Vishweshwar, Bhairava and Rameshwar. Shree Lakshmi Narasimha of this Temple is the family deity of many families in Maharashtra. It was the family deity of Vijayanagar dynasty too.
This bright deity who destroys the wicked was very dear to Samarth Ramdas. He has mentioned Nrisimha in Mana’s sloka. He has composed an aarti of Narasimha. It is mentioned that Samarth Ramdas came to Nrisimhapura twice. An idol of Rama was installed in one visit. On another visit, he performed kirtan in the mandap of Narasimha temple. It is mentioned in his Abhangvani that Tukoba visited Sri Narahari along with his Sant Mela
The temple follows Madhwa sampradaya of worship . So the shrine of Raghavendraswamy has been installed by Uttaradi mutt here. Srila Vyasadeva had resided here. Vaisakha Navratri is the biggest festival celebrated at the temple. The festival starts on the sixth day of the month of Vaisakha and ends on fourteenth day which is Narasimha Jayanti. A procession of Shri Narasimha’s paduka is taken out on the fifteenth day followed by Dahi Handi on the next day. The festival is marked by Pravachan, Bhajan, Kirtan and Indian classical music concert
10. Ardhanari Nateshwar Mandir, Velapur
Ardhanari Nateshwar Mandir Velapur,Q3R3+HFV, SH71, Velapur, Maharashtra 413113 Ardhanari Nateshwar Mandir is located at Velapur, Maharashtra at a distance of 30 kms from Pandharpur and 100 kms from Solapur.
It is also known as Hara-Nareshwara Temple and is a well structured temple made out of huge rocks. Ardhanari Nateshwar Mandir was built during the reign of Yadav ruler Ramchandradev in the 12th century by the two brothers Brmhadev Raina and Baidev Raina in Hemdapanthi style.
The place boasts of carvings and Hemdapanthi-style architecture and it is believed that the temple was built by two brothers named Bramhadev Raina and Baidev Raina. It is truly a specimen of the exemplary craftsmanship of the Yadavas. There are many inscriptions found on the walls and staircases of the temple that reveal that the temple was renovated by Krishna Devrai in the 13th century. The temple is visited by Shiv bhakts around the country during Shravan month who come here to seek the blessings of the almighty. The temple is truly an amalgamation of spirituality, religion and alluring architecture all under one roof
Devotees visit this temple to worship the unique murti of lord Shiva where the right part of the idol represents Shiva and the left portion represents Parvati. A piece of stone attached to it represents the sacred animals bull and lion which were used by these deities as ‘Vahanas’. Nandi the carrier of Lord Shiva is believed to be an intermediary between the devotees and the lord shiva. The sculptures of other deities can also be found and Hanuman and Bhairon are the other deities worshipped in this temple. The stairs riddled with inscriptions lead to a squared water tank.
This temple is also known as Vateshwar-Jogeshwar mandir which is the most beautiful temple of Lord shiva. The inscriptions on the temple also reveal that it was renovated in the 13th century by Krishna Devrai.There is a big water tank right in front of the temple.
Ardhanareeshvara is a combination of three words “Ardha,” “Nari,” and “Ishwara” means “half,” “woman,” and “lord,” respectively, which when combined means the lord whose half is a woman. It is believed that the God is Lord Shiva and the woman part is his consort Goddess Parvati or Shakti. The Ardhanareeshvara represents a constructive and generative power. Ardhanareeshvara symbolizes male and female principles cannot be separated. It conveys the unity of opposites in the universe. The male half stands for Purusha and female half is Prakriti. Ardhanareeshvara harmonizes the two conflicting ways of life: The spiritual way of the ascetic as represented by Shiva, and the materialistic way of the householder symbolized by Parvati. It conveys that Shiva and Shakti are one and the same.
In many temples, Ardhanareeshvara idol is single with Lord Shiva on one side and Goddess Parvati on the otherside. In Velapur the idol is in 2 distinct parts thouh on the same pedastal. To return to the Index of Contents, Click Here. Otherwise Continue
11. Siddhanath Mandir,Shahada, Mhaswad
Siddhanath Mandir ,Shahada, Mhaswad, Maharashtra 415509 Siddhanath Mandir is located at ,Shahada, Mhaswad, Maharashtra at a distance of 60 kms from Pandharpur and 80 kms from Satara..
Siddhanath Temple, located in Mhaswad, is dedicated to the veneration of Lord Siddhanath. Siddhanath is believed to be incarnation of Lord Shiva and the patron god of adjacent regions and one of among several regional protective (Kshetrapal) gods of Maharashtra. Mhaswad is situated in the bank of Manganga river.Jogubai in the form of Goddess Parvati is worshipped here.
Historically, maan region was once ruled by Chalukya of Badami. In the 11th century, chalukya rulers built this temple as it was considered to be there an ancestors god, Later in 1738 chalukya descendant Dubal of karad built other half of temple, From then onwards all rituals are performed in presence of Dubal family members. Later, this place was ruled by Mane(माने), a Maratha Kshatriya 07 Kuli clan. The Mane were Noblemen & were considered as pillars of Maratha Empire. Sardar Nagoji Mane was one of the famous ruler’s of mhaswad and Ally of {Chhatrapati Rajaram Bhonsle Maharaj}. Sardar Subhanji Mane who was son of Nagoji Mane had taken part in the war of Panipat against Abdali.
A fair of Lord Shree Siddhanath is celebrated Annually by the people over here. In this festival, a chariot of Shree Siddhanath (Annual ‘Rathyatra’)is taken around the town by the devotees. Lord Shree Siddhanath Ratha Yatra is a Great annual town fair. Lakhs of people from all over India come to Mhaswad to celebrate this the festival and enjoy the fair.
12. Shikhar Shingnapur
Shikhar Shingnapur , Shikhar Shinganapur, Maharashtra 415508 Shikhar Shingnapur Maharashtra is located at 80 kms from Satara. This Temple is situated in Shinganapur hills and is an old temple devoted to lord shiva. Since this temple is located at top (shikhar) of Shinganapur hills, thats why it is called shikhar Shinganapur. A concrete road goes right to the temple main gate. or one can climb about 400 steps to get to the temple
There are about 10 decendent families of the devotees, they are called as Bhagat. Every year one family Bhagat has right to do service of god. The bhagat or his any family member washes the Pind and ling of Lord Mahadev every day.There are many shivlingas (around 8) in the temple. thats why this temple is also known as dakshin kailash. In the inner sanctum, there are two lingas in the pind, one of god Mahadev and other of goddess Parvati. As per legend, lord shiva and parvati ma got married here. There are also small other temples on the hill. There are two temples of Lord Bali at the foot of the hill.
A feature of the temple is the large bells. One of these bells has been given to the temple by the British. The spire of this temple is a masterpiece of architecture. Very delicate carving is done on the peak. There are many Deepmalas in the temple premises.
Shambhu Mahadev of Shikhar Shingnapur is the family deity of many people in Maharashtra . Both this temple of Mahadev and Shingnapur village are said to have been built by Chakravarti Sindhandev Maharaj of the Yadav clan. The temple has a stone wall and there are five big Nandis in the temple premises. King Singhan of the Yadav family of Devagiri had come and stayed here. He built Shingnapur village.
Since Shambhu Mahadev is the patriarch of the Bhosle family, Malojiraje Bhosle along with his family used to come here for God darshan. Seeing the plight of the devotees due to water famine, Maloji Raja came here in AD. A large pond was built here in 1600, called Pushkartirtha; It is now called Shivatirtha. Shahu Maharaj built the present temple in 1735 due to the collapse of the earlier shrine . Under the supervision of Veer Sardar Baji Gole (who was appointed as a constable) the construction was completed, and later it was restored in 1978. An architect named Ramaswami from the south has renovated the shikhar and the temple and given it an attractive color.
Chaitra Shu. Ashtami is one of the main celebrations of Shankar and Parvati’s marriage. Before this, Turmeric is ground on Chaitra Shuddha Pratipada as a wedding ceremony. On Chaitra Suddha Panchamis, Shiva devotees from Khandesh and western Maharashtra come as grooms and apply turmeric to Shambhu Mahadev and Parvatimat i.e. Shivlinga. On the evening of Chaitra Shuddha Ashtami, the culmination of the Shambhu Mahadev temple is tied as a pagote (thick rope of thread) to the peak of the Shri Amriteshwar (Bali) temple. The pagodas required for this are brought by Shiva devotees from Marathwada. 550 feet long pagote is woven for marriage. It is considered as the wedding ring of Shambhu Mahadev. The family to whom this work is given works hard for the entire year. On the day of marriage, one end of this pagotya is tied to the kalasa of Mahadev and the other end is tied to the kalasa of Amriteshwar temple. And at 12 o’clock in the night the marriage ceremony of Shambhu Mahadev and Parvati takes place with the sound of Mangalashtaka and Sanai Choughda chanting “Har Har Har Mahadev”. Once upon a time Chaitra Shuddha Ekadashis King Holkar of Indore used to have Darshan of Mahadev in the month of march-april, great fair or “jatra” is held here. during this time, many devotees and kawad visit the temple via mungi ghaat. kawad give bath to shivling with the water they brought in their kavadis. during mahashivratri festival many devotees visit this temple.
Daily Pooja Timings : Kakad aarti – 6 am . Daily aarti – 12 noon Sanj aarti (temple closes) – 8 pm . Shej aarti – 9 pm Two more shiva temples which should be visited by lord shiva devotees and are very near to this temple are Amruteshwar Temple and Guptlinga Temple (about 3 km away).
13 . Yamai Devi Temple, Aundh
Yamai Devi Temple – Village G8RM+RFM, Aundh, Maharashtra 415510 Yamai Devi Temple is situated in a hill complex in the town of Aundh, Satara district, Maharashtra at a distance of 40 kms from Satara,. It is said that Goddess Mahalaxmi, God Jyotiba of Kolhapur and Sri Rama (Lord Vishnu) called her as “Ye Mai” (in Marathi) (ये माय / ये माई) which means “Mother, pls. come” in English. Hence, she is known as Yamai Devi. Devotees are used to come with pure heart into one of the Devi Yamai’s temples and to find her blessing.
The Yamai temple is built on a small hill. The top of the hill can either be reached using steps that start at the bottom of the hill, or by car. There is a parking available at the top. The temple complex has the head of Rakshas Aundhasur, a well carved Nandi and a Shivling. The idol of the goddess, Yamai in black stone is almost two metres high and is in a cross-legged sitting position.
The temple is the family shrine (kula-daiwat) for a large number of Marathi families. The top of the temple has images and idols of various Hindu deities. The town and the temple has been associated with the PantPratinidhi family for many centuries. The present head of this former ruling family, Gayatreedevi Pantpratinidhi, has installed a 7 kilograms (15 lb) solid gold kalash or crown on the pinnacle of the Yamai temple on the hill. Another temple of Devi Yamai is located in the town; apart from the one on the hill. The temple had an elephant for religious processions and ceremonies for more than fifty years. It was taken to an elephant sanctuary in 2017 because of health issues.
The temple complex also houses the Shri Bhavani Museum established from the private collection of the Maharajas of Aundh. The museum building is situated on the middle section of the temple hill. Visitors can reach the museum, both by steps and road. The museum holds paintings by noted 19th and 20th century Indian artists such as M. V. Dhurandhar, Baburao Painter, Madhav Satwalekar and Raja Ravi Varma as well as the famous Mother and Child stone structure by the British artist Henry Moore
14 . Dholya Ganpati Mandir, Satara
Dholya Ganpati Mandir,Guruwar Peth, MXGR+F3Q, Guruwar Peth, Satara, Maharashtra 415002 Dholya Ganpati Mandir is located in Satara, Maharashtra . It is in a narrow lane and there is no car parking space near the temple.
Dholya’ means huge or fat in Marathi language. This Ganesha is popularly known as ‘Dholya Ganesha’ True to the name, we can see a magnificent and huge idol of Ganesha. The temple can be reached through a flight of around 20 steps. The idol is housed in a small room. The temple is ancient.
15 . Shri Uttar Chidambaram Nataraj mandir, Satara
Shri Uttar Chidambaram Nataraj mandir, M2PG+34Q, Aditya Nagari, Satara, Maharashtra 415003 Shri Uttar Chidambaram Nataraj mandir is located at Satara, Maharashtra .Satara is a small town got its name from the from the Seven (Sat) Hills(Taras) surrounding it .The mandir is called Uttara Chidambaram since it is located north of the Chidambaram temple of Tamilnadu.
Sri Uttar Chidambaram Nataraja Temple was established in the year 1985. Modelled after Sri Nataraja (consort: Sivagama Sundari) temple at Chidambaram in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, it is the brainchild of the late Sr. pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt, Mahaswami Chandrashekhrendra Swamigal (Periyavar or Periyava). It was designed by the famous Sthapthathis – temple and sculpture designers Ganapati Sthapathi and his brother M. Mutthayya Sthapathi of Tamil Nadu. Unlike the centuries-old highly ornate Chidambaram temple whose glory was sung in devotional hymns by Tamil saints Nayanmars, this one is small in size but, has almost all the features the Tamil Nadu temple has. The Thillai Chidambaram temple is one of the pancha Boothasthas sthalams, representing Akasha (aether). The Satara Nataraja temple’s architecture is altogether different from what is being followed in this region, as it is built in the Dravidian style of architecture adopted by the great rulers of Tamil Nadu, in particular, Chola and Pandya dynasties. They, along with Pallava and Hoysala rulers go down in history as the great builders of Hindu temples of grandeur and artistic beauty.
The foundation for the temple was laid on May 1981. Samanna (late) an prominent citizen of Satara and an ardent devotee of Kanchi Mahaswamigal gifted away an adequate plot of land for building the temple. The funding s necessary to built the temple were given by the government of States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu while the timber needed for the entire construction of the temple was given by the government of Kerala.
Built at the holy confluence of rivers of Krishna & Venna, the temple is a popular one here. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Nataraja, the cosmic dancer who performs his divine, mesmerising dance to bring about the destruction of the transient universe and makes preparations for god Brahma to initiate the process of creation. Scientifically speaking, he is maintaining the much needed perfect balance between creation on one hand and destruction on the other. If these two processes do not have perfect correlation/ratio, there will be chaos. The temple has four entrances with impressive towers, similar to the Chidambram temple towers and they can be seen from all directions, In the past decades, this temple has become a venue for various cultural & spiritual programs and is a famous platform for the presentation of Classical Dance performers.
In addition to the main temple of Lord Shiva Natraj, other Shrines located in the temple include : 1) Ganapati Mandir (Lord Ganesha’s Temple) 2) Hanumaan Mandir (Lord Maruti/Hanumaan’s Temple) 3) Raadha-Krishna Mandir (The Temple of Lord Krishna & Goddess Raadha) 4) Shiva Linga Mandir (The Temple of Lord Shiva’s ‘Linga’) 5) Nav-Graha Mandir (The Temple of Nine Devine Planets) 6) Aadya Shankaracharya Mandir (The Temple of Aadya Shankaracharya) 7) Ayyappa Swami Mandir(Lord Ayyappa’s Temple)
The temple adorns 108 sculptures depicting 108 dance mudras (poses) of Bharatanatyam. The four towers – 51 feet tall are named as Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Karnataka and Maharastra, implying the oneness of India.
16 . Shree Mahabaleshwar Temple , Satara
Shree Mahabaleshwar Temple , Satara, XM77+J2P, Radhanagari, Maharashtra 412806 Shree Mahabaleshwar Temple is located at a distance of 60 kms from Satara, Maharashtra. Old Mahabaleshwar, also known as Kshetra Mahabaleshwar, is a hill station located near the Western Ghats, seven kilometers from Mahabaleshwar. It is home to three temples: the Panchganga temple, Mahabaleshwar temple, and Krishna temple.
Built in the Hemadant architectural style of South India by the Chanda Rao More dynasty, this 16th century temple is dedicated to the most revered deity of Hindu religion – Lord Shiva. The temple is secured by a 5 ft wall, which is divided into two parts – the sanctum sanctorum and the central hall. The sanctum sanctorum has the 500 years old and 6 feet long self-originated (‘Swayambhu’ ) linga, in the shape of Rudraksha, which is considered to be the tip of Shiva linga, called as Mahalingam is thousands of years old.
In Fact, the religious significance of this place is higher than the twelve Jyotirlingas. Whereas the central hall contains the 300 years old articles dedicated to Lord Shiva like the Trishul, Rudraksha, Damru and a bed, believing that he still pays visit to the temple and uses them. There is a square shaped raised platform made of gold, believed to be given as charity by the Maratha ruler, Shivaji. It is believed that the square is equal to the weight of his mother, Jijabai.
Its ancient architecture is characterized by a pyramidal tower set up on an unadorned exterior, while interiors are flanked with carvings. There are several idols and sculptures of Nandi and Kalabhairava. The simplicity of the temple is complemented by the majestic backdrop of Sahyadri ranges.
The recorded history of Mahabaleshwar dates back to 1215 CE. It was then the Yadava King Singham of Devagiri had visited the area and built the temple, which we know as the Panchganga Temple today. He had built a small tank at the source of River Krishna and a temple around it, which is still a part of the Mahabaleshwar Temple.
The Mahabaleshwar Temple is around 800 years old, while the Swayambhu Shiva Linga presiding in the inner complex is thousands of years old. The reference of the mythological story behind the appearance of the Shiva Linga can be traced to the first and second chapters of the Sahyadri Section of the Skanda Purana.
The story is timed around the creation of the world when during the Padma Kalp, Lord Brahma was meditating in the forests of Sahyadri for the creation of human beings. Two demon brothers named Atibal and Mahabal were troubling the sages and other beings in the region. They are believed to have appeared from a Shiva Linga that Ravana tried taking to Lanka with him.
Their wrongdoing had reached maximum extent, and Lord Vishnu had to fight them to protect the beings of the region. But he was able to kill only Atibal, as Mahabal was blessed that he couldn’t be killed by anyone without his own will.
Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu prayed to Lord Shiva and Goddess Aadimaya to help them get rid of Mahabal. Goddess Aadimaya mesmerized Mahabal with her beauty and asked him to surrender to the Gods. He agreed to lay down his life with a condition that Lord Shiva will reside with him forever in this region.
Lord Shiva appeared as a Shiva Linga in the shape of a Rudraksha to stay with him, and the entire region was named ‘Mahabaleshwar’ to honor Mahabal. The Mahabaleshwar temple houses a bed, Trishul, Damru, and Rudraksha for this very reason. According to folklore, the temple is visited by Lord Shiva every night as the bed is found crumpled every morning.
The Panchganga temple is located at the convergence of five rivers; Krishna, Venna, Savitri, Koyna, and Gayatri. Panchganga translates to English as “Five Rivers”, and this temple is the attributed source of those rivers. The temple was constructed in the 13th century by the Seuna king Simhana. Panchganga temple in Old Mahabaleshwar is said to be 4,500 years old. The holy water from Shri Panchganga Temple is believed to have therapeutic properties and is consumed by devotees.
Atibaleshwar temple is adjacent to the Mahabaleshwar Temple. To return to the Index of Contents, Click Here.
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