Visit to Godhaneshwar Temple

Hello everyone! 

My name is Sharang and through my YouTube channel iroguehermit and my blogs I intend to introduce you to the places I visit.

I was supposed to explore Rajmachi fort last weekend, however it was too late to do so and our rider group settled at visiting Godhaneshwar temple at the fort’s base. The group I usually ride with is TAG-The Avenger Gods, Pune. We gathered near Indira College, Wakad and after a brief introduction and exchanging niceties we headed off to our destination. Our ride began at 7.00 am.

It’s a highway from Wakad to Lonavala. From Lonavala to Godhaneshwar temple, the riding distance is around 15-20 kilometers. Beware! It’s an offroad ride on Kachcha road, filled with boulders, fine reddish soil and the bikes skid. 

We reached at the base of Rajmachi fortification and halted a while near Ganapati Maruti temple for a while, waiting for rest of the riders to join us.We reached near the temple. Have a look at the nearby hills and you can see the fortification on the hills.There is a small pond in front of the temple. Ramrao Naraynrao Deshmukh, the mamlatdar of Danda Rajpuri got this lake constructed in 1780.

There’s a small informative plank near the temple. As visitors, we need to be responsible towards maintaining the sanctity of this temple. This Hemadpanthi styled temple was constructed in 8^th century during the reigns of Satavahana. Rocks were cut and placed atop another and this is how it was built. They say that no mortar was used in the temple’s construction. There’s a water spout in the shape of Gomukha or cow’s face. It is said that the water flows from it and fills up the pit below it and from here it flows to the larger pit and then to the pond.This is the Shivalaya. I am guessing the rulers patronized Shaivism or worship of Shiva.The immediate surrounding is covered with still green vegetation with trees of wild fruits and berries.You can spot a statue of Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva at the entrance. It faces the entrance of the sanctum. There is a constructed pit at its back. Although the temple is dedicated to Shiva, just outside the sanctum, there are small idols of other deities as well.

Before entering the sanctum, you’ll have to ring the bell. I guess it is customary to do so. The believers say that ringing the bell creates sounds that helps one be attentive. It also creates positive vibrations in the atmosphere.

The sanctum is a very small room. It has Shivalinga installed inside it and Nagas made of metal hold their hoods atop the Shivalinga. Water drips onto it from a small pot hung from the ceiling. After the worship, it is a custom to take a few rounds around the temple and bring together both of your palms and perform Namaskar and place your forehead on the walls of the temple with reverence. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to enter the sanctum and take a video shoot.

Thanks to the vegetation and the shades of trees around, our offroad journey was eased a bit. Overall, it was a nice offroad riding experience.

 In your comments, do let me know how you feel about visiting this place. Subscribe my YouTube channel i roguehermit, stay updated on tweeter @i_roguehermit, read my blogs on iroguehermit.blogspot.in and follow my Facebook page I Rogue Hermit.

YouTube Video Link - https://youtu.be/DxXe1iBQllM

A visit to Bhaje Caves

Welcome to Bhaje caves, one of the Karla-Bhaje-Bedasa caves complex.

Dating back to the second century BC, the group of 22 Hinayan Buddhist caves at Bhaje are cut and carved in mountain rocks. These caves are located on an ancient trade route running from Arabic Sea into the Deccan Plateau of Maharashtra state, India. These caves are situated 400 meters atop village Bhaje. 

Depending on the route you take, from Pune it is an hour and half long ride for 60-75 km mostly on smooth highway with a small stretch of mountain pass on the way. 

You need to take a slightly bumpy road from Karla-Bhaje square to reach to the base of the caves. From the base, you can either choose to walk on the stairs or trek to the top. There is a minimal entry fee of Rs. 15 for Indian visitors and Rs. 200/- for foreign visitors. The best part is you can click as many pictures of the caves and the sculptures and parts of the caves as you want.

The verandah leads to the most prominent excavation its Chaitya Vihara i.e. prayer hall. Another notable feature is the use of horse-shoe styled wooden architecture structure as the ceiling in Chaitya Vihara. The prayer hall has pillar structure adorned with reliefs and beautifully carved external façade is quite a visual. I could spot some holes in the ground. This might have been used for some religious purposes. There are a few designs itched on the floor. A few pillars have inscriptions indicating names of the donors. The scripts seem to be lost in time and thus the writing is illegible to us as well as to the natives. 

There are quite a few small rooms with a bed made of stone slabs, a small alcove just beneath the bed. This might have been used to keep bed-sheets, clothing and utensils. A small trench outside might have been filled with water to wash feet. These tiny, dingy rooms might have been used by resident and travelling Buddhist monks. The rooms are arranged on the ground and first floor and there are a few connecting stairs. Below the ground floor, there seems to be a water tank which might have been used for daily usage. The monks might have used this water to nurture a garden. But, this is just my assumption. Nowadays, religious visitors, mostly Hindus throw a few coins in it with a hope of getting blessed with some luck. This, I find quite superstitious. 

I could also spot a Shivalinga in the complex. This raised a question in my mind if Shaivaites or worshippers of Shiva from Hindu belief systems were allowed to practice here or sculptors adhered to Hinduism and both the philosophies co-existed peacefully. I also wondered if the rulers of the time promoted peaceful co-existence of multiple thoughts, philosophies and religions. 

The caves have a number of stupas i.e. a mound like hemispherical structures that are used as places for meditation. There are inscriptions on the stupas as well. A few broken structures might have been caused by the action of nature. A sanctum is now closed and flash photography is not allowed. 

There are sculptures depicting acts of entertainment and human interactions. When closely observed, I could see Tabla, Indian percussion instrument in one of the sculptures. Thus, music seems to be an integral part of the then lives. Animals, mythical creatures, events, chariots and people’s idols are parts of the sculptures. 

Although a quick tour can end in 10-15 minutes, only a casual visitor does that. Someone who wishes to know more, wonder about ancient people’s lives and make an attempt to understand culture, I recommend spending 2-3 hours. If you are even more interested, sit in the Chaitya Griha, the prayer hall. Listen to humming of bumble bees and meditate. The next time I visit again, I am definitely going to do just that.

Do let me know how you feel about visiting this place. 

You may also like to view a video I posted on Youtube. Youtube link:visit to bhaje caves