Picture of Bhuleshwar Temple

WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 11,930

Date uploaded in London – –  23 APRIL 2023                  

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan

Xxx

Part 2

5.Ambarnath Shiva Temple

It is a very old temple of Ambaresvar Mahadeva with an inscription dated Saka year 982 (CE.1060) it is on the banks of Wadvan river. Big festival is held during Maha Sivaratri. It is at fifty kilometres from Mumbai. The strange thing about the temple is the Garba griha (sanctum sanctorum) is in the underground, 20  steps down from the surface and the roof is incomplete. Ambara in Sanskrit means sky. May be they have left it incomplete deliberately, so that the Linga is facing the sky. Ambaram is like ambalam in Tamil, which also means Open space (no roof). Chidambaram, most famous Siva temple in Tamil Nadu is also called Ambalam and its Sanskrit equivalent is Chid+ Ambaram (Sitramabalam in Tamil).

Amberanath Temple picture

6.Awas (Avaasa) Snake Temple

Now it is known as Nogoba temple. Snake festival was held at this noted snake shrine, with dancing, on Kartika Sukla Chaturdasi. The devotes hold canes tipped with Naga / snake images. (Probably after the ban on snakes in Hindu festivals by High court, this is dropped). But the Yatra/festival continues.

Nagobachi Yatra

Shri Nageshwar Devasthan yatra is held  on Kartik Chaturdashi Vaikunth Chaturdashi which as per Hindu calendar  is Fourteenth Day of Holy month of Kartik (November) . It marks the start of Yatra season of Alibaug Taluka. It is the first Yatra of Alibag Taluka. It is popular amongst farming  community of Alibaug .Devotees come to Awas village for Darshan of Nagoba and other revered saints in Temple. Metal Bells and miniature idol Nag Devata (Snake god) is offered  to Temple.

Devotees take Vibhuti or Holy ash to apply on forehead as a mark of honour and gratitude to Shri Nageshwar. Stalls selling local sweets and snacks are setup during fair. Devotees come in Bullock carts to visit Shri Nageshwar at Awas. They take back Dudhi halwa and other sweets as Prasad.  

Known for legends to its origins and its hanging clusters of countless bells, Nagoba Mandir is a significant religious centre, near the Saswane Beach.

7.Bahe Sri Rama Linga Temple

Both Saivites and Vaishnavism worship here. The story is that Rama came here during his wanderings and worshipped the Linga. Since then his name is associated with the place Festivals are help on Pausha new moon day and on Chaitra Sukla Navami (Rama Navami)

Antoba Naik Bhide built the chief temple of Ramlinga about 2 centuries ago on a 2 ft high plinth. A 30 ft high, mortared brick pinnacle caps the entire 20 sq ft temple chamber.

8.Bhuleshwar Siva Temple

It is at a distance of 45 kilometres from Pune and ten kilometres from Yavat. This temple is very ancient, and it has a history for at least 1200 years. Since beautiful carved sculptures are in the temple it has been declared a protected monument. The folk lore about this temple is that at least one or two sweets disappear mysteriously when offered to the Lord. Milind Gunaji, actor/ travel writer, has also written about his experience in the temple in his book MYSTICAL MAGICAL MAHARSHTRA. It is a hill top temple built by Krishna Deva Yara. Pancha Pandavas was also associated with the building of this temple.

Strange this about this temple is that Ganesh is carved in his feminine form and the devotees call her Ganeshwari or Lambodari.

9. Banpuri Siva Temple.

This is a Siva temple

Banpuri  near Patan in the Vang Valley, ten miles south-south-east of Patan, is a village on Dhebevadi Salve road. To the south of the village on the hill side is a temple of Naikba, a form of Shiva. The linga has a silver mask which is carried in procession on the two fair days, the fifth of Chaitra (March-April) and the tenth of Ashvin (September-October). The legend is that a cultivator named Abasaheb Yeshvantarav Janugade devotedly worshipped God Shiv on this spot until he grew old and infirm. God Shiv ordered him to go home and promised to follow him if he did not look back. The old man obeyed till on his way hearing a terrible noise he looked back and saw an enormous boulder fall from the hill and smashed to pieces. That night he had a dream that the boulder was Shiva who should be worshipped on the spot and styled Naikba.

In Banpuri, Maharashtra, the Naikba Yatra is performed. During the month of Chaitra (April), the Shigaon Naikba Yatra is held. Shakti, the Mother Goddess, is honoured at the Naikba Temple. Maharashtra is where Naikba Devi, a manifestation of Goddess Shakti, is most revered.

Rituals related to Goddess Durga are performed during the Yatra.

To be continued……………………….

Tags- Hindu shrines, Maharashtra, Banpuri, Bhuleshwar, Nagoba, Naikba