Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Maharashtra State -6 at 10:58 PM

Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Maharashtra State

 

Pateshwar, Maharashtra

Pateshwar is a village in Satara district of Maharashtra, known for rock-cut caves with shrines of Shiva.
Pateshwar is located about 11.26 km South East of Satara on the Satara-Solapur state highway in Maharashtra. While there are two ways of approaching Pateshwar, the most popular route is through Degaon village by State Transport buses, uutorickshaws apart from private cars. The other route is from the South through a village called Borgaon. This road is preferred by the locals, however tourists prefer the Degaon route.
Pateshwar has 8 ancient caves and many ancient stone carved deities of Lord Shiva and other deities. The place is known for having more than 1000 Shiva-lings (Also known as Pinds). Most important amongst these is the Maha Shiva Lingam which has intricate carvings. Many of the deities find references in the ancient Hindu Vedas and Puranas. Some of the identified deities are as below

Shivalings

• Ekmukhdhari Pind
• Chaturmukhdhari Pind
• Ashtadikpal Pind
• Harihar Pind
• Margalmhaisa Pind
• Yantra Pind

Other Deities

• Ekmukhi Bramhadev
• Chaturmukh Shiv
• Saraswati
• Agni
• Sheshashayee Vishnu
• Vainayaki
• Tripura
• Ashtadashbhuja Mahishasur Mardini Chamunda
• Ashtamatruka
• Navgraha
• Dvadashavtar
• Balibhadra

Many of the deities are very unique and have not been completely identified yet.
There is a mutth called 'Sadguru Govindanandswami Maharaj Mutt' which has few Sadhus who are known to take care of the place. However the temples are not in the best of condition and most of them have overgrown vegetation.
The hill has approximately 52 types of plants which have medicinal value and semi-deciduous trees like Teak, Banyan, Jamun, Karvee. Flowers like the Malabar Delphinium and Sonki which are found on the Kaas plateau in abundance are also found on this hill. The animals mostly found are monkeys, rat snakes, wild pigs and one can also sight Peacocks in the valley down below.
There is a book written and published locally in Satara on Pateshwar which is titled 'Shree Kshetra Pateshwar Darshan'

 

Patit Pavan Mandir, Maharashtra

Patit Pawan Mandir is a Hindu temple in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India. It was built by Shriman Bhagojisheth Keer in 1931.
Patit in Marathi refers to the lowest, humblest, downtrodden man in the society. Pawan becomes purified, enlightened, awakened and fulfilled. The temple took this name to refer which transforming the downtrodden to the pure form, restoring a worshipper's rights as a human being. It aims to be a place where the untouchable, or dalit, can perform the puja, worship their god as everyone else does.
The entry of untouchables in a temple was unthinkable in the 1930s. If even the shadow of an untouchable fell on an upper caste man he would bathe again. Vinayak Damodar Sawarkar saw this, thought that this was wrong and devoted a great part of his life to fight against it. When he established the Patit Pawan Mandir in Ratnagiri he created a storm in society.
A Hindi film by Sudhir Phadke on the life of Savarkar was shot in Ratnagiri and has scenes shot in Patit Pawan Mandir. This film was in fact the last film for which Babuji last sang and composed music.

Transport

Road

Ratnagiri is connected by road to Mumbai, Mangaluru, Madgaon, Karwar, Udupi and Cochin by National Highway number 17 (NH-17). The Konkan railway also connects to these places by train along with Delhi and Jaipur.
Roads in Ratnagiri city as well as in many villages is at par above average compared to road conditions in Mumbai.

Mumbai Goa National Highway does not run through Ratnagiri city whereas it crosses 13 km away from Ratnagiri at Hatkhamba, and the point of access to Ratnagiri city is Hatkhamba.
Ratnagiri-Nagpur National Highway NH-204 connects Ratnagiri to important cities like Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur, Nanded, Nagpur and eastern parts of India.
 Rahataghar bus station is responsible for MSRTC services moving towards south or east of Ratnagiri, whereas Main Bus stand is responsible for MSRTC services moving towards north and connecting buses to different villages in Ratnagiri.
MSRTC runs intercity bus service from Ratnagiri to Chiplun, Ratnagiri to Sawantwadi, Ratnagiri to Kolhapur. Also MSRTC runs intercity bus service from Mumbai to Ratnagiri & very few Ratnagiri to Goa, Ratnagiri to Pune.
Although there are lots of MSRTC intercity bus services, there are few private tourists buses such as Ghatge Patil, Mukund Krupa, etc. bus services which ply towards Mumbai & Pune.
Most important cities from MSRTC point of view in Ratnagiri Distrcits are Mandangad, Dapoli, Khed, Guhagar, Chiplun, Sangameshwar, Ratngairi, Lanja, Rajapur.

Railways

Ratnagiri station is one of the most important stations on the Konkan Railway. The nearest railway junctions are Pune and Kolhapur on the central railway. The Ratnagiri railway station is situated at a distance of 6 km from Ratnagiri city on NH-204. Nearly every train running on Konkan Railway stops at Ratnagiri Station.
Most frequently used trains to reach Ratnagiri from Mumbai are 10111 - Mumbai Madgaon Konkankannya Express, 11003 - Dadar Sawantwadi Express, 10103 - Mumbai Madgaon Mandovi Express, 12051 - Mumbai Madgaon Janshatabdi Express, 16345 - Mumbai Trivandrum Netravati Express, 12619 - Mumbai Mangalore Matsyagandha Express & 12201 - Mumbai Kochuveli Garibrath Express.
Also there are two passenger trains . s are full.
Karbude Tunnel: One of the Asia's longest tunnels, 6608 meters long, this is situated 5 km before Ratnagiri station from Mumbai. A monument has been built in front of Ratnagiri Railway station in remembrance of the people who lost their lives building this tunnel.
Ratnagiri also has a small sea port. Ratnagiri Airport currently has no scheduled services.

 

Prime attractions

Rajapur Ganga: The site of Rajapur Ganga is three km from nearby Rajapur. According to a theory by some geologists, the Ganges is a rare phenomenon of a large natural siphon from a nearby mountain. There are fourteen blackstone "kunda" (pools), each about 2.25 feet (0.69 m) deep, mutually about three feet apart in the region. Fragrant waters of Rajapur Ganga appear once about every three years in great force from one of the pools, and stay for about two months. The temperature of water is different in the fourteen pools.
Marleshwar: This is a holy place for Hindus where the temple of Lord Shiva is located 70 km away from Ratnagiri near Devrukh. The temple is actually inside a cave. A waterfall is located nearby. Hindus believe that Lord Shiva moved from Maral village to Marleshwar when the Mughal emperor attacked the Konkan region and was threatening to destroy Hindu temples.

Mandavi Beach: Mandavi Beach is also known as the Gate Way of Ratnagiri. It is 3 km away from MSRTC ST stand. Any one can hire an auto to reach the destination.
Bhatye Beach: This beach is located on the Ratnagiri - Pawas road and this beach has large suru-ban. The important thing of the Bhatye beach is that Mandavi and Bhatye beach are divided by a creek.
Mirkarwada Beach: It is the coastal station for marine professionals; all the fishing boats and trawlers land here. It is the major trading spot in Ratnagiri for marine industry. Most of the fishes from here are exported to other city markets such as Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangaluru, and Mangalore.
Mālgund: The Marathi poet, Keshavsut, was born in the village of Malgund. His house has recently been renovated and converted into a students' dormitory. The "Marāthi Sāhitya Parishad" (Marathi Literature Society) has constructed a monument called "Keshavsut Smārak" in Malgund.
Jaigad: This 17th-century fort is located on a cliff at the entrance of the Sangameshwar river, and it offers a view of the sea. Jay Gad's sea fort is situated at a sheltered bay.
Pawas: Pawas achieved prominence after Swami Swaroopānand, a recent influential religious leader in Maharashtra, settled in this town. His residence has now been converted into an "āshram".
Atulit Bal Dham: Atulit Bal Dham is a holy place. This sacred Dham is managed by Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Upasana Trust, Mumbai. It is located at TRP, near petrol pump, just 1 km off the main road in Ratnagiri city. Panchamukhi Hanuman is the deity in this Dham. Devotees believe they get incredible Bal (physical, mental and spiritual power) after visiting this Dham. The total area is of around 2 acres (8,100 m²).
Velneshwar: Velneshwar is located 170 km from Ratnagiri. Its adjoining beach is clean and lined with coconut trees. It is possible to swim in the nearby sea because it is free of rocks. There is a well-known Shiva temple near Velneshwar.
Ratna Durg: This fort was built during the Bahamani rule. In 1670, Shivaji conquered the fort from Bijapur ruler Adil Shah. In 1790, one Dhondu Bhaskar Pratinidhi rebuilt the fort, and strengthened its ramparts. The fort has the shape of a horseshoe, with a length of 1,300 meters and a width of 1,000 meters. The Arabian Sea surrounds it on its three sides. One of the fort's bastions, "Siddha Buruj", has a lighthouse which was built many years ago in 1867 and rebuilt to its present form in 1962. A temple of Goddess Bhagwati is located inside the fort.
Ganpatipule: Ganapatipule is 21 kilometres from Ratnagiri on the way to "Malgund". It has a well-known Ganesha temple. It also has a beautiful beach. MTDC resorts are right beside the beach to stay. Parashurām Temple (near Chiplun): This temple was built in 1685 by Maharshi Brahmendra.
Shivasamarth Gad: (at Sawarde near Chiplun) Contains sculptures from Shivaji's times.
Nivali Waterfall: This waterfall located between the valleys of Nivali Ghats on Mumbai Goa National Highway NH17. It can be seen only during monsoon season and it one of the sight seeing in Ratngiri District.
Caves in Chiplun, Khed, Dabhol, Sangameshwar, Gauhani Velgaum, and Vade Padel: The Buddhist legend in the Papanch, Sudan, and Srath Appakasini records the conversion of Konkan residents to Buddhism during the lifetime of Gautama (BC 560-481). Caves in Chiplun, Kol, and Pabol indicate that the "sarthawalas" (caravan-men) rested in some of them

 

Pisharnath Mahadev Mandir, Maharashtra

The Pisharnath Mahadev Mandir is a Shiva temple located in the hill-station of Matheran in Maharashtra, India. This temple is the oldest in Matheran and the deity Piśarnāth is the grama devata (village deity). The lingam here is swayambhū and appears in an extraordinary titled ‘L’ shape and is covered with sindoor. This ancient temple is located on the banks of a lake now known as “Charlotte”. The surroundings of the temple are extremely beautiful and secluded. The place is at an altitude of about 2516 feet above sea level. Matheran itself is a very famous hill-station and is an attractive tourist spot.

 

Rameshwar Mandir, Maharashtra

Rameshwar Mandir is a temple located in Revdanda, Maharashtra, India. It is a very ancient temple of Lord Shiva. The Chaul region is known for its temples. There are 365 temples in Chaul, equal to the number of days in a year.
The date of construction is not known, but the temple has been renovated several times. In the front there is a large pond known as pokharan in Marathi.
The Mandir has three tanks (called kund in Marathi): parjanya kund, agni kund, and wayu kund, representing three elements of nature—Rain , fire, and air.
Revdanda is a village near Alibag, India. It is 17 km away from Alibag and 125 km away from Mumbai.
Other Religious places in Revdanda

 Datta Mandir

Datta Mandir is located in the chaul part of Revdanda. It is the Mandir of Lord "Datta" which mainly the maharashtrian people worship. The mandir is on top of the peak, the road leading to the mandir is of almost 1500 steep stairs. From this temple we can see entire region around revdanda. And it is believed that it was built in Raje Shivaji's reign to keep an eye on enemy. There is huge celebration for five days in a year, it starts on birthday of lord Datta and continues for 5 days. During this period students are given holiday.

Bet El Jewish Synagogue

Bet El Synagogue is located in chaul region one of village of Maharashtra India called revdanda. It is almost 100 years old synagogue which was build in the locality where largest Jewish Population lived. This synagogue is konkani style of synagogue different than other synagogues around the world. Location is within the the place where there is coconut trees around. It has a special womens Gallary on the top and also its structure is different and very unique

Shitala Devi Mandir

Shitala Devi mandir is another holy place in this village of temple. This is most famous place after lord "Datta" mandir. This temple was renovated a few years ago. People of the village believe that Goddess "Shitala" protects the village from all evils. Maharashtrians refer to goddess as "AAI" which means mother in Marathi.

 

Revansiddha Temple, Maharashtra

Revansiddha Temple is a holistic devine temple dedicated to Lord Sri dev Revansiddhanath, a nath panthiya yogi. It was built in the' 16th century and lies hardly three furlongs away from the village Renavi.
Renavi is celebrated for an old temple dedicated to Revan Siddh, a saint of repute, said to have been under the special favour of Lord Sri. Dattatraya and lil a great favourite of the Lingayats, because Lord Sri dev Revansiddhanath met Sri Siddheshwar Maharaj, Main Saint of Lingayat at Gurubhet in Sholapur city & gave Diksha.

History

The temple is a conspicuous object on the south side of the Chiplun-Karhad-Bijapur road as soon as the plateau is reached. To the east of this sacred shrine is Urul Siddh and to the west in a tunnel is Visvaradya. The story runs that the Revan mountain was formerly composed of five metals. White crystals are found in abundance on the mountain and these are used as bhasma by the devotees. Besides, soils of various colours are also found. As many as 84 tirhas or holy centres were believed to have been situated on this sacred mountain but all except six have disappeared. Those now in existence are a gomukh, two haranyak and three flower gardens.

Fair

A yearly fair is held in February at the day of Mahashivaratree which attracts thousands of devotees from places like Sangli Solapur and Karnatak. A majority of the disciples of this saint are spread over Maharastra and Karnatak

 

Saptashrungi, Maharashtra

Saptashrungi or Saptashringi (Marathi: सप्तश्रृंगी, Saptaśrr̥ṇgī) is a site of pilgrimage situated 60 kilometers from Nashik. According to Hindu tradition, the goddess Saptashrungi Nivasini dwells within the seven mountain peaks. (Sapta means seven and shrung means peaks.) It is located in Nanduri, Tal:-Kalwan a small village near Nashik in India. Devotees visit this place in large numbers every day.

The legend

This temple is one among the 51 Shakti peethas located on the Indian subcontinent. The Devi is said be swayambhu (self-manifested) on a rock on the sheer face of a mountain. She is surrounded by seven (sapta in Sanskrit) peaks (shrungain Sanskrit), hence the name: Sapta Shrungi Mata (mother of the seven peaks).
The image of the Devi is huge — about 10 feet tall with 18 hands, holding weapons like:

String of Beads	Battle Axe
Mace	Arrow
Thunderbolt	Lotus
Bow	Water Pot
Cudgel	Lance
Sword	Shield
Conch	Bell
Wine Cup	Trident
Noose	Spinning Disc (Sudarsana Chakra)

The idol is always coated with sindoor, which is considered auspicious in this region. She is also known as Mahishasur Mardini, the slayer of the demon Mahishasur, who took the form of a buffalo. At the foot of the hill, from where one starts climbing the steps, there is the head of a buffalo, made in stone which is believed to be a demon.

Mahishasur Mandir

It is believed that the Devi Mahatmya, a sacred book which extols the greatness of Devi and her exploits, was composed at this place by the sage Markandeya. He performed rigorous penance on a hill opposite the one where the Devi resides; it is now named after him. The temple, which is on the side of the cliff, is 1230 meters above sea level. There is an old path with steps cut out of the mountain, which starts right at the foothills at Vani and goes all the way to the mountain.
A motorable road has been built, which goes up to an altitude of 1150 meters. From this place one has to climb around 500 steps to reach the shrine, which takes about 45 minutes.
It is said that there is one flag which is said to be at top of the mountain where Saptashrungi mata's temple is situated. This road is only known by one person that is A poojari and no one else. Before his death he gives information of this hidden road to another poojari and this goes on. But only one poojari knows the way.

References in ancient texts and legends of Hinduism

Saptashrung mountain was a part of the forest called Dandakaranya mentioned in the Ramayana. It is mentioned that Lord Rama, along with Seeta, had come here to pray to Amba and seek her blessings.
Among the ancient seers, Sage Markandeya (who was called the Bhakta Markandeya and was the author of Devi Mahatmyam, the book containing 700 slokas praising and the life of the goddess Amba) and Sage Parashara ( son of Sakthi & grandson of Vasistha) completed their tapascharya (a multi-year period of meditation and prayer in solitude, a kind of penance, to seek the ultimate truth; in much of Hindu mythology, this is done to seek a meeting with God) at or near Saptashrungi.
Sant Dnyaneshwar, in Dnyaneshwari, his commentary on the Gita, mentions that his father, Vitthalpant, had also visited Saptashrungi. At a later point, Nivruttinath, the elder brother of Dnyaneshwara, is said to have visited Saptashrungi, and then moved on for his Samadhi at Tryambakeshwar near Nashik.^{[citation needed]} (Samadhi means deep meditation. It can also mean a tomb of someone (usually a holy being) revered by masses. "Taking a Samadhi" means voluntarily entering one's own tomb with the purpose of giving up life, considering life's aim fulfilled.)
In Ashwin (Hindu calendar month) Shuddha Dhashami a big utsav (festival) is held at this place.

 

Saras Baug , Maharashtra

Saras Baug is a major landmark in City of Pune in India.  The place where the park now stands was once occupied by a small lake. However, the lake got dried up and was later developed into Saras Baug. The whole 25-acre (10 ha) complex is known as Saras Baug. The Ganesh temple in Saras Baug is also known as Talyatla Ganpati (in Marathi:तळ्यातला गणपती ).

History

The Construction of the Temple started in 1750 under the direction of the Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa and Mahadji Shinde of the Maratha confederacy. The temple construction completed in 1784 with the idol of Hindu Lord Ganesh in the temple.  The temple was built in the Lake near the Parvati Temple which was also the primary residence of the Head of the Maratha confederacy. The inscription in the temple reads || देवदेवेश्वर सुतं देवं | सारासोद्यान भूषणं || || कल्पद्रुमां त्वां भक्तानां | वन्दे सिद्धीविनायकं ||
Several renovations were done to the temple and the area surrounding it in the last 219 years. One of the renovation was done in 1842 with the help of East India Company of the British empire.
The last major renovation was done in 1969 under the direction Mahadev Kumthekar and Anandrao Mane. As part of the last renovation a Zoo called Peshwe Park was added to this 25-acre (10 ha) area. Then starting in 1999 and ending in 2005, the animals at the zoo were all moved to the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park South of the city.  This garden and Temple are one of the primary landmarks of Pune.
In 1995 a small museum displaying over few hundred idols of Lord Ganesha was added to the temple premise.

Location

The temple was constructed within 3 miles (4.8 km) of Parvati Temple, which was the primary residence of the head of the Maratha confederecy in the 18th & 19th century.
The Saras Baug is located within a mile of the Swargate which is a ground transport station for Pune.

Interesting fact

The temple was also used for military strategy discussions by Marathas against the Nizam & British Empire in the 18th & 19th century as it was away from the Parvati Temple. The Peshwa, his commander & the advisors would go to the Saras baug by boat to discuss the issue & plans. Its also recorded that the boats were steered by the Non-Natives like Africans for complete secrecy, as they will not understand the local language Marathi.

 

Sarasbaug Ganpati

The Sarasbaug temple houses the idol of Shree Siddhivinayak ("God who makes wishes true"). A sacred ground of faith for millions of devotees in Pune and around the world, on an average the Sarasbaug temple receives ten thousand visitors a day and this figure goes up to eighty thousand devotees per day on Ganesha Chaturthi and other special occasions. Various dignitaries and luminaries throughout India have made it a point to visit this sacred temple to seek the blessings of Shri Siddivinayak.

Brief history

In the 18th century, soon after completion of Shree Devdeveshwar Temple on Parvati hill, Shrimant Nanasaheb Peshwa turned his attention towards the development and beautification of environs of Parvati hills. He decided to construct a lake at the foothills of Parvati. An island of about 25,000 sq.ft. (2,370 m²) area was retained in the middle of this lake. Later on, a beautiful garden was created on this island. Shrimant Nanasaheb Peshwa gave it a poetic name, “Sarasbaug”.
In 1784, Shrimant Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa built a small temple in Sarasbaug and installed the idol of Shree Siddhivinayak Gajanan, the God he worshiped. Sarasbaug has now become a place of worship for people from all over the world and also a popular hang-out for Punekars.

 

Satpuda Manudevi Temple, Adgaon, Maharashtra

Manudevi Temple is located near Adgaon village in Yawal Taluka in the beautiful natural surroundings of the Satpuda Hills. Manudevi is the kuldevi of 70% people in the Jalgaon district.
In front of the temple there is a nice waterfall with breathtaking view. The temple is surrounded by hills on three sides.
The temple is a good Picnic spot. School children and college students are frequent visitors.
Near the temple, a lake has been constructed. The beautiful Hanumaan Temple is also nearby.
Public transport to Argaon is from Lanja, a pachal town and from Lanja, another pachal in the vicinity. Six State Transport (ST) of Maharashtra buses ply during the day. One can avail auto rickshaws and other private vehicles like the jeeps for the purpose. Kolhapur city is just about 113 kilometers and can be approached by Anuskura Ghat section which lies in another village in the vicinity. Ratnagiri city is about 87 kilometers from the village and a regular State Transport bus ply between the village and city. Argaon is surrounded by Kondge, Hardkhale of Lanja Taluka and Zarye ,palure,pachal of Rajapur Taluka, on the east side Sahyadri ranges separate it from Shahuwadi Taluka of Kolhapur district.
Drive way from Mumbai is on National Highway 17 (NH17) across Lanja town and a left turn from Watul village takes you on state highway towards Argaon. Vilavade is the nearest railway station on Konkan Railway router, from where one has to take a private vehicle for another 05 km journey towards Argaon.

 

Shani Shingnapur, Maharashtra

Shani Shingnapur  or Shani Shinganapur  or Shingnapur  or Sonai is a village in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated in Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district, the village is known for its popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god of the planet (graha) Saturn. Shingnapur is 35 km from Ahmednagar city.
Shingnapur is also famous for the fact that no house in the village has doors, only door frames. Despite this, no theft is reported in the village Villagers never keep their valuables under lock and key. Villagers believe that the temple is a "jagrut devasthan" (lit. "alive temple"), meaning that the god here is very powerful. They believe that god Shani punishes anyone attempting theft.
The village has a post office and a high school known as Shri Shanishwar Vidya Mandir besides the primary schools run by the Zilla Parishad. The chief source of water supply in the villages is wells.
In January 2011, the United Commercial (UCO) Bank opened a 'lockless' branch in the village, the first of its kind in the country, taking note of the near-zero crime rate in the region. The local police were reported to be unhappy over this development and that it amounted to a breach of conditions, because the Central government of India has made it mandatory for all banks to have high security.The bank has doors,but they will always remain open. However, it was reported by the local legislator and the bank officials that adequate precautions were being taken for the safety of lockers and important documents.

Shrine of Shani

The shrine for Shani consists of a five and a half feet high black rock installed on an open-air platform, which symbolizes the god Shani. A Trishula (trident) is placed along the side of the image and a Nandi (bull) image is on the south side. In front are the small images of Shiva and Hanuman.
Generally, the temple has 30–40,000 visitors a day, which swells to around three lakh (i.e. three hundred thousand) on amavasya (the new moon day), believed to the most auspicious day to appease Lord Shani.  The village holds a fair in honour of the deity on this day. A bigger festival is held on new moon days that fall on Saturdays. Devotees bathe Lord Shani's image with water and oil and offer flowers, and udid to him. A palanquin procession of Shani is held on the day of the fair Other festivals include the birthday of Shani, Shani Jayanti

The shrine gained popularity with the decade-old film Surya Putra Shanidev made by the film producer Late Gulshan Kumar.

Approach

Shani Shingnapur is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Ahmadnagar city.  About 160 kilometres (99 mi) northeast of Pune and 84 kilometres (52 mi) from Aurangabad.  The nearest airport is at Aurangabad which is 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Shani Shingnapur. Nearest railway station is Srirampur. Distance from Mumbai is about 453 kilometres (281 mi) by road.  It can also be accessed from Shirdi, another religious place in Maharashtra. It is about 65 km on road.

 

Shegaon, Maharashtra

Shegaon pronunciation )(Marathi: शेगाव ) is a city and a municipal council in Buldana district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Shegaon is located around 550 km east of the city of Mumbai and 300 km west from the city of Nagpur. It is located on the Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line of the Central Railway of Indian Railways. It has direct train connectivity to Mumbai CST, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Jamshedpur, Ahmedabad, Okha, Kolhapur, Amravati, Wardha, Nagpur, Gondia, Bilaspur, Howrah-Kolkata, Shalimar-Kolkata, Ballarshah, Chennai Central. From Mumbai several trains halt at Shegaon. Prominent being Vidarbha Express, Amravati Superfast Express, Mumbai Howrah mail and express, Sewagram express, Nagpur-Pune express, Navjivan Express, Gondwana Express, Maharashtra Express, Okha-Puri Express and Gitanjali express.
By road it is well connecting by neighbouring cities like Khamgaon, Balapur, Malkapur and Akola which are located on Hajira (Surat)- Dhule - Howrah (Kolkatta) National Highway 6. It is quite close to the industrial cities of Aurangabad, Pune and Nagpur.
The nearest airports are at Akola, Aurangabad and Nagpur.

Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan

Shegaon is popular as a pilgrimage destination as its believed that Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj (see picture) lived here. Hindus consider Gajanan Maharaj a saint with miraculous powers. The origins of Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj are untraceable in history. Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj took "Samadhi" at Shegaon. Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj Temple is built on the Samadhi of Gajanan Maharaj. Sant Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan is the largest temple trust in the Vidarbha region and is so called as "Pandharpur of Vidarbha". It attracts pilgrims from all over Maharashtra.
The Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan (Institution) Temple Trust runs the day to day affairs of the Temple; is headed by the Managing Trustees who normally comes from the linage of Patil's. Trust runs many services in the spiritual, religious, medical and educational fields. In particular, it runs Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj College of Engineering (SSGMCE) and Shri Gajanan Maharaj English School.
Thursdays, being the holy day of Gajanan Maharaj, and weekends witness huge crowds from all over Maharashtra. A new type of well-constructed, air conditioned darshan vaari (queue) is constructed
It is said that he was the Awatara of Samarth Ramdasa of Sajjangarh. Devotees used to offer him rich food, clothes, ornaments etc. But he used throw away all there. He used to lie anywhere, eat anything, wear any piece of cloth or nothing at all. He used to keep away from the worldly things. But though he tried to the people that he is in same, he has no literary knowledge, and so on. it is amply proved that - he was Bedshastree Sampnna, he was perfect in Yogashastra and that he had done Tapascharya, and he even knew the language (or psychology) of animals and birds. That's why Mahan Yogies, learned people and famous personalities used to come to see him. It is not denying the fact that he was with Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak at Shivjayanti meeting at Akola, and that also on dias, alongwith Annasaheb Patwardhan, Dadasaheb Khaparde, Damble, Kolhatkar, Bhave, Desai etc. He with Lokmanya Tilak and Dadasaheb Khaprde of Amravati went to have the Darshana of Prabhu Ramchandra at famous Ram Mandir of Akola. Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati also visited Shegaon to meet Gajanan Maharaj. So many people of education and status used to visit Shegaon. Gajanan Mahraj was Siddhayogi He has done so many unusual things which were called chamatkaras

Anand Sagar

Shegaon has a tourist attraction called "Anand Sagar", a INR 3000 million project . It is maintained by the The Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan. It surrounds a big artificial lake. It has a meditation centre, an aquarium, temples, play grounds, lush green lawns and open theatre where fountain-show is conducted for entertainment. It has been beautifully decorated with state of art artefacts and carvings all over. An amusement park has also started with a toy train encircling the entire place

Nearest Holy Place

Dharma Baskar Sant Pachalegaonkar Maharaj Math is Situated in Khamgaon. Nirgun Paduka of Dattatreya believed to have been given to Pachalegaonkar Maharaj are worshipped here by devotees. Khamgaon is situated around 15 km away from Shegaon.

 

Shiv Mandir, Ambarnath, Maharashtra

The Shiv Mandir of Ambarnath is also called the Ambreshwar Shiva Temple. It is situated 2 km away from Ambarnath(East) railway station in Maharastra, India. It is said that Shilahara king Chittaraja constructed it, his son Mummuni rebuilt it. The temple is on the bank of Vadavan (Waldhuni) river. The temple is Hemadpanthi styled beautifully carved on stones.
It is also believed by some people that the temple was built by the five Pandava brothers in just one night in a huge single mass of stone. But official records are not supportive to this.
This temple has 20 steps to go down in the main room called (Gabhara) there is one shivling at the center of the room. on the occasion of Mahashivratri there is a big fair in the ambarnath to get blessings from lord Shiva.Mahashivratri Fair continues for 3-4 days. It starts 2 days prior to Mahashivratri and continues for 1 day after shivratri as well.
This temple is overcrowded in Mahashivratri. On the day of mahashivratri Ambernath's Eastern side is blocked for vehicles and route is diverted for vehicles due to heavy traffic of pilgrims. Temple becomes overcrowded again in Shravan mahina(Month) to get blessings from Lord Shiva.
Pooja like Rudra Abhishek can be performed on the temple premises. The temple has beautiful architectural work done on it. It was built 1000 years ago.

 

Shree Kshetra Korthan Khandoba Devastan, Maharashtra

Shree Kshetra Korthan Khandoba Devasthan is a temple situated at the height of 951 meters on the hills of Pimpalgaon Rotha, which is located 50 km from the city of Ahmednagar and 30 km from the city of Parner.

History

In 1491 the old temple was built but in 1997 the temple was redeveloped by villagers. With the Bramhlin Param Pujya Shree Gagangiri Maharaj the Suvarna kalash is placed on Champashasti. Thus Champashasti has been celebrated as a festival since 1997. Programs of Satsangs used to be arranged on that day. Nearly 15 laks people visit the temple every year. One can see part of District Ahmednagar, and Pune can be seen from temple. Roads from these two districts come here. Under Pradhanmantri Gramsadak Yojna street-lights, toilets, Sambhamandap and Dharmashala are being built. The movie named Korthancha Khanderaya was produced here, which also helped to make Devasthan popular. The temple has its own Audio & Video cassettes too. The government of Maharashtra awarded the temple into group "B" ("B" group temple foundation gave Khandoba Devasthan 70 laks for doing work on temple), so more facilities and management may be possible.

About Devasthan

From ancient times Lord Khandoba has been worshiped in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat and Goa of India. His deity is a form of Lord Shiva.
On Hindu month Margashish and the day of "Shukla 6", Champashasti is celebrated as "Shree Khandoba Avtaar Diwas". On Paush poornima Shree Khandoba wed with Mhalsabai; thus we celebrate grand Yatra Mohotsav. On this day many people from Maharashtra as well as Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat, Karnataka, and Goa come. The statue of Khandoba is thought to not have been made by anyone, but rather is self-generated; thus it is called Kor than, here. Kor means "untouched".

Yatra

This temple has a grand yatra of the god Khandoba every year on the Hindu month of Paush and the day of the poornima.  This grand celebration lasts three days. The second day of yatra has a very popular bullock cart race locally called the Gaade. This racing generally consists of a pair of bullocks with Bhandara on their whole body. Sometimes the bullocks are led by a horse and a man sitting on it. A specially dedicated track is made for this event on the right side of the temple. Then, the second new track is made at Bhandara Doongar (hill), but in 2011 this race was carried out at the far left of the temple.
The third day of the yatra is called Kathya. Kathya generally stands for the long wooden stick (nearly 35–50 feet), covered by various colored cloths, which is roped to give support. The first kadthi to arrive at the temple is Pimpalgaon Rotha. The other villages are kathya which follows it viz. Belhe and Aale. When this kathya touches the top of temple (Kalash), the yatra of the God Khandoba is declared finished.

 

Shri Kaleshwar Mandir, Maharashtra

Shri Kaleshwar Mandir is a large Hindu temple in Nerur, Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra. It is dedicated to the village deity, Shri Kaleshwar, who is also called Kaloba. The temple dates back 700 to 800 years, when, according to legend, a brahmin dug into the ground and discovered a natural lingam, an emblem of Shiva. The temple was founded on that spot, and the lingam is now enshrined in the temple's sanctum sanctorum
The most important festival at Shri Kaleshwar Mandir is the five-day Maha Shivaratri Utsav, in which the idol of Kaleshwar is drawn out of the temple in its chariot. The festival is accompanied by a fair and attracts visitors from great distances. Other festivals include Maghi Ganesh Utsav, celebrated in the month of Magh, and Navratri Utsav.

Nobody can challenge the Indian dependence and involvement with religion and tradition. The Hindus claim to have 32 crore deities above them. Yet, they have a staunch faith in an ancestral divine image. Every family and every village has its own ancestral and village deity respectively.

NERUR is no exception. It is a village lying in the industrial Taluka of Kudal in Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra.

The devoutly worshipped, God of the Nerurkars – their village deity or “Gram devata” – is Shri Kaleshwar fondly called as KALOBA by locals. It is the centre of total devotion and faith for every villager.

The Kaleshwar shrine is no modern discovery. Its foundation origin dates back to a period 700 – 800 years old. Legend goes that the area around the present shrine was a thick jungle. A cow belonging to a Brahmin residing in the nearby village used to deliver milk at a particular spot here. On having dug at the spot the Brahmin found a ‘Shivling’ – Shiva’s epitome there. Necessary ceremonies were performed and a shrine was founded at the spot.

The ‘Shivling’ appears in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The platform on which the “Shivling” is placed is square in shape. This platform is called as “Shalunka”. The Shalunka and the Shivling are black in colour and are not in one piece. It is noticed that the water offered on top of the Shivlinga does not gather on the platform and it is still a mystery as to where the water seeps down. The premises outside is enormous. At one end is a Ganesh idol carved of stone. At the other is the image of Karkotak Nag (Nagdevta). In front of the entrance is Nandi – Shiva’s ardent follower.

To enter the larger premise one has to bend through a small entrance, the belief being that one should bow before the creator. At the north end is the 5 storied chariots. Adjacent to it are the rooms for lodgings and shops during any festival.

The enormity of the area becomes evident when one visits the smaller temples around. They include Shri Brahmanath Temple ( it is the believed that this is the only temple after the known temple of God Brahma in Pushkar, Rajasthan), Shri Ravalnath Temple ( Ravalnath is the God who embodies Shiva in his very macho form – sharp vision, moustaches, and trident in hand) and Bhutnath. Temples of God Vetal (God of Demons) , God Gavdoba (Protector of the Village) Godess Sateri (Aadi Maya) and a few others.

The most awaited celebration at Kaleshwar Temple is the Maha Shivaratri Utsav. It is a five- day long celebration. There is a fair throughout. The idol of Kaleshwar is drawn in the chariot. A huge congregation from distant places gathers in frenzy. Religious rites are performed intensively to the resonance of the drum and shehnai.
Folk dramas (Dashavtar), Kirtans and Chanting of Mantras and Bhajans are the regular features during the festivals of Mahashivaratri Utsav. Special decorations of the Temples and the deity (Utsavmurti) are truly spectacular sights.

There are numerous other festivals celebrated in the Temple premises. One of them which has acquired prominence lately is the Ganesh Jayanti celebration during the month of Magh known as Maghi Ganesh Utsav.

Many other festivals are celebrated. Navratri Utsav is one such festival in which all Bhajan Groups from Nerur and other nearby Villages gather and perform in the Temple.

One can reach Nerur by train via Kudal Station (Kokan Railway) or by Road via Kudal Town (on Mumbai Goa Highway).

Settled in the Kokan region, Shri Kaleshwar - the Avatar of Shiva continues to be the motivating spirit for the Nerurkars

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Mumbai

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Mumbai (Gujarati: શ્રી સ્વામીનારાયણ મંદિર, મુંબઈ ) is a Hindu temple (Mandir) and a part of the Swaminarayan Sampraday. This Swaminarayan Temple is located in the Bhuleshwar area of Mumbai and is the oldest Swaminarayan Mandir in Mumbai, being over a hundred years old
The present Mandir has a tri - spire structure and the Murtis installed are that of Laxminarayan Dev, Ghanshyam Maharaj, Hari Krishna Maharaj, Gaulokvihari and Radha. It is a Shikharband Mandir and comes under the Laxminarayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal) This temple is one of many in the Bhuleshwar area that led to the birth of Phool Galli (or flower market) in Bhuleshwar due to the high demand of flowers in these temples.

History

On Vaishakh Shukla Ekadashi, 1868, Ranchhoddas Pranjeevandas built the first ever Shree Swaminarayan temple in Mumbai by breaking and rebuilding his own residence The deities of Hari Krishna Maharaj, Gaulokvihari and Radhika were instated by Acharya Maharajshri Bhagwatprasadji Maharaj.

Tri-spire temple

The present tri-spire temple structure was built and the deities of Ghanshyam Maharaj and Lakshminarayan Dev instated on the occasion of Vaishakh Shukla Dwadashi, 1903 by Acharya Maharajshri Lakshmiprasadji Maharaj.
Swaminarayan’s devotee, Rao Bahadur Sheth Curumsey Damjee contributed towards this temple’s reinstatement with all material, physical and intellectual resources. His close associate and friend Shree Mathurdas Vaishnav too donated Rs. 25,000/- towards this work

Structure

The Swaminarayan temple at Bhuleshwar has an elaborately carved frontage which is really a visual treat in an otherwise shaby surrounding. There are twenty five steps leading to the audience hall (Sabhamandap). There are the shrines dedicated to Ganesha and Hanuman on the left and right of the audience hall. There are three main shrines. In the shrine on the east there are idols of Hari Krishna Maharaj, Gaulokvihari and Radhika; the shrine at the centre has the idols of Ghanashyam Maharaj, Narayan and Laxmi; while the shrine on the west houses the resting place for deities. Over the Sabhamandap is a dome upon which are painted the scenes from the Krishnalila (Sports of Krishna). The dome is supported by fifty four pillars.  There is a big audience hall on the first floor where religious discourses are held regularly.

Festivals

The festivities celebrated at the temple are Ram Navami/Swaminarayan Jayanti, Janmashtami, Vaman Jayanti, Nrisinha Jayanti, Mahashivratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc.  Apart from these, the festival of Hindola is also celebrated as part of festivities during the month of Shravan in the Indian Calendar.

Siddhanath Temple, Mhaswad, Maharashtra

Mhaswad is well known for Lord Siddhanath. Siddhanath is believed to be incarnation of Lord Shiva. Siddhanath is patron god of adjacent regions and one of among several regional protective (Kshetrapal) gods of Maharashtra.

Siddhatek, Maharashtra

Siddhatek is a town in the Ahmednagar district of the western part of India located on the Bhima River. The town is known for its temple to Sri Siddhi Vināyaka, the right-tusked incarnation of Ganesha as "Masterful Remover".  Legends surrounding the north-facing temple suggest it was built to commemorate the place where Lord Vishnu defeated the evil Asuras Madhu-Kaitabh with the blessing of Siddhi Vināyaka.  The shrine is particularly popular during the festivals of Ganesh Jayanti, Vijayadashami and Somvati Amavasya.

Siddheshwar & Ratneshwar Temple, Maharashtra

Siddheshwar & Ratneshwar Temple is situated about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Latur City. The temple was built by King Tamradwaj.
There are temples of Ramlingeswar, Bhuteswar, Keshavraj, Ram, Dutta present which add to the ancient cultural heritage of Latur city.
There is a fair every year.

 

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )