Where is one of the famous oldest temple in Pune with a beautiful history ?
So here it is one of the oldest famous temples in Pune and one of my favorite of all PATALESHWAR TEMPLE it is so beautiful build structure in pune whtch is a must visit if you are fascinated about these kind of structure.
so let’s get started !
•Location: Jangli Maharaj Road , Pune
•Built in : Period between 8th and 9th Century AD.
•Pataleshwar Cave Temple is devoted to the Lord SHIVA.
•The temple is built on the principles of Hindu Temple planning.
•The word patal means under subterranean,operating under the surface of the earth. that it is an underground space.
- The caves, today an active place of worship, lie below the surface of the surrounding ground (hence the name) and are fronted by a sunken court at the end of a walkway from the road.
GEOGRAPHICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
- The temple is carved in a rocky outcrop of local basalt rock. The location is near the confluence of two rivers viz Mula and Mutha towards which the land slopes gently from the site. The site was originally a part of a forest but the original context has long been lost.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE :
•It belongs to the 8th century CE and is contemporary with a lot of other significant caves in
Maharashtra including Ellora.
•The Pataleshwar caves, also referred to as Bhamburda Cave.
•is associated with the Kalchuri Rashtrakuts who were the
most powerful rulers in this region at that time.
•The other historical association with the site is that of a holyman Jangli
Maharaj (the King of the Jungle) who meditated in the forest near Bhamburda village. After his death in 1890, his disciples built a Samadhi next to the Pataleshwar Caves.
•The caves are much older than the city of
Pune and its other historical monuments.
•The temple hence offers a peaceful and delightful historic as well as educational experience to all its visitors
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE :
•The site is an active place of worship. Special occasions related to Shiva, who is the principal deity herein are celebrated in the premises.
- Especially grand is the celebration of Tripuri Poornima when the entire campus is lit up with thousands of oil/ wax lamps.
ARCHITECTURE :
•Temple design follows a geometrical design called vastu -purusha-mandala.
•The name is a composite Sanskrit word with three of the most important components of the plan. Mandala means circle ,Purusha is universal essence at the core of Hindu tradition, while Vastu means the dwelling structure. Vastupurushamandala is a yantra.
•It is 30.5 m wide x 48.8 m deep out of which a 30.5m x 30.5 m portion forms an open to sky court.
•The plan is organised as five horizontal tiers of long aisles. The first aisle fronts the open court and is divided into 9 bays while the fourth aisle contains three sanctum sanctorums. The cave temple is devoid of any sculptural adornment.
•Traces of panels depicting scenes from Shaiva and Vaishnav mythology are seen.
• A unique feature is the free standing circular Nandi Mandap in the court supported on 12 columns.
• The work seems incomplete since there are incomplete portions left at the rear and sides of the cave.
•Cave temples in this region are usually carved on natural or manmade scarps of hills.
- Pataleshwar though is carved in a rocky outcrop on land that does not rise even a few meters above its surroundings.
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