Ancient Palasnath Temple near Pune

Palasnath Temple is located in the backwater of Ujjani Dam, which is 120 km from Pune. Ujjani Dam is a dam built on Bhima River near Ujjani village of Madha Tehshil in Solapur district of Maharashtra.  The temple is submerged in Ujjani dam backwater and it can be visited only during summer or in case of heavy drought. 

Ancient Palasnath(Palasdeo) Temple

How to reach Palasnath Temple from Pune?

Drive through Solapur Highway - Cross Bhigwan - After a few kms, there is Palasdev village arch on left - Take a left in Village - Follow the road and park your vehicle. You may have to take a small boat ride to cross the backwater and Boats are available when the temple is accessible.

Drive through Solapur Highway - Cross Bhigwan - Cross Dalaj (both No. 1 and No. 2) -  Reach to Kalewadi No. 1 and take left  - drive through backwater towards temple. 

This route is preferred during May when there is no water  in the dam in this area. But before driving through this area please check if it is completely dry. 

The temple is dedicated to lord Shiva as Palasnath and it is situated near Palasdeo village. The temple has 1000-year-old history and its a masterpiece of architectural style. This ancient structure created in a Hemadpanthi style in 11th century, was built by Chalukya Kings.  The temple has beautiful stone carvings and temple structure is very similar to Kopeshwar temple at Khidrapur, Sangameshwar temple and Bhuleshwar temple near Pune.  

The temple is west facing and there is Lord Hanuman idol kept at the entrance of main temple (Garbhgruh - inner room where the idol is kept).

Lord Hanuman

Way to enter Mandap

Palasnath Temple

There is no Shivpindi(Shivlinga idol) in the temple, it was relocated in the village and new temple was built there during Ujjani Dam construction. 

Entrance of Garbhgruh

Garbhgruh

As per the pillar structure, temple was built under Yadav era. 

Pillar

Pillars

Carving on the pillar

You can see the beautiful carving on the walls.

Carving on the wall

Ceiling

Due to the water of the dam, the temple has been damaged a lot but still this temple in the water looks very attractive. If you look closely, you can see that the temple has been renovated during different times, during any of the renovation the 'Sharbh Shilp' sculpture made in limestone is placed there. 

The kalasa of the temple is also seen to have been renovated and newly built and so looks different than base temple. 

Sharbh Shilp

Kalas

Palasnath temple is known for its serene ambiance and intricate carvings. This temple is also mentioned in Dnyaneshwari, is a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita written by the Sant Dnyaneshwar in 1290. 

The backwaters of Ujjain Dam is also famous for bird watching, it is home to various migratory birds such as the Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill, Bar Headed Goose, Collared Pratincole, and the Osprey, bird of prey. Bhigwan is also home to the many birds, one can find more than 230 species of birds here.

We took blessing of Siddhivinayak from Siddhetek village.  It is third Ganapati from Ashtavinayak. After darshan we had lunch at Siddhivinayk hotel, its a small shack in which they serve you maharatrian thali which includes Pithale, Bhakri, Batata Rassa, Thecha, Pickle and Dal Rice at Rs.150. Food was very tasty. There are many such hotel close to bank of Bhima river, and all of those nearly serve same menu.

We reached home around 5pm. 

Maharashtrian Veg Thali

Quick trip to Bhuleshwar Temple, Pune

Bhuleshwar temple is an ancient temple devoted to Lord Shiva in Malshiras, Maharashtra. It is about 55 km away from Pune. It is offbeat template built on the top of a small hillock.  The temple is said to have been built around 1230 A.D. by the Yadava ruler King Krishnadevray. 

Bhuleshwar has a mythological & historical significance. Originally, it was a fort which was called as 'Mangalgadh', may be build to keep a watch on things going on around. 

There is clear evidence for the reconstruction of the temple in a later period. It is said that the Mughal rulers destroyed parts of the temple, and the Marathas rebuilt it in the 17th century.

Bhuleshwar Temple near Pune

This is my second visit to the temple, I visited it in June 2019.  This time it was our sudden plan to visit the temple. We started our journey around 2pm from Pune and reached the destination around around 4pm.  

We followed below route - 

Pune - Hadapsar - Loni Kalbhor - Urali Kanchan - Yavat (Right turn to Bhuleshwar) - Bhuleshwar Temple

Entrance

Heavy Brass Bell at entrance

My eyes were shined after seeing the first glimpse of grand and magnificent structure of the temple. 

Bhuleshwar Shiva Temple is known for its exotic architecture. It is rich with sculptures, carvings, & idols, there is intricate carvings on the walls and ceilings. Every sculpture in this exquisitely decorated monument tells a story.

Pillar

Black Basalt rock has been used for temple construction. The original temple vividly displays these temple sections with its own artistic features. It creates a calming ambience inside, even during the hot summers. 

Entrance to the main temple

The Shivalinga is in the center of the sanctum sanctorum, guarded by the majestic Nandi Bull.

The temple also houses idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu. Bhuleshwar Temple has an idol of Ganesha, too, in female attire. It’s known as Ganeshwari, Lambodari or Ganeshyani.

Window

Carvings at Pradakshina Path

Bhuleshwar temple is one of the most beautiful temples in Maharashtra. You can visit Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary which is 25km from Bhuleshwar, we missed it due to lack of time. 

While returning we came from Saswad and reached home around 7.30pm.

Highlights - 

Trip duration - 1 day (7 January 2024)

Distance travelled - 120Km

Budget - 2K

Quick ride to Pabe Ghat, near Pune

It was Sunday morning when I came to the balcony, and the weather was overcast which was so perfect for travel. I quickly came inside and asked Kiran, shall we go somewhere? He gave me a look like what's this now! But I managed to convince him, and we decided to leave in an hour. I quickly searched for location and thought to drive through Pabe Ghat as its near to Pune, we left home around 9am. 

Pabe Ghat point is 35 km from Pune, it is situated near Panshet. We get beautiful view from the top which is surrounded by mountains and greenery. 

Panshet Dam seen from Ghat road

At Donaje Phata, once you take right to follow road to Velhe village and drive few kms further you can see amazing scenery & natural beauty. It’s perfectly green now. The cloudy weather gives the perfect landscape and photography feel. 

The road unwinds through beautiful countryside with lush green scenery, paddy fields and amazing landscapes.

ही वाट दूर जाते...सह्याद्रीच्या कुशीत ⛰️ ⛰️

Ghat road is very narrow, the climb is very steep, so you need to ride a very carefully, but the route is scenic, a lovely ride up the ghat and the climate is awesome in monsoon. Once you reach at the top you can see the breathtaking view of mountains and near by villages. It is surrounded by three forts - Sinhagad fort, Torna fort and Rajgad fort. There is one point from where you can see these three forts at single place. 

After spending 30-40 minutes at the top, we descended and headed towards our return journey. 

Pabe and all the surrounding locations are excellent getaway spots for a weekend. A great treat for photography.

Sinhagad Fort

The best place for picnic, very calm and quiet. One can feel the melodious chirping of birds. 

Take a moment to stop and listen to the birds singing today!!

Awesome location with zero crowd to spend some quality time. Must visit during monsoon season. It’s a good short drive option especially during monsoons. 

My Travel Buddies

After eating Misal at Shivar Garden near Donaje Phata, we were back home around 2 pm. 

Highlights - 

Trip duration - 1 day (19 January 2024)

Distance travelled - 85Km

Budget - 1K