Located 54 km east of Pune near the Pune-Solapur highway, the Bhuleshwar Temple guards many mysteries from the past. While the temple’s unique architecture makes it look like a mosque from a distance, the stone carvings here showcase important scenes from the Ramayana & Mahabharata. Many unexplained mysteries, like the disappearing Prasad, can be experienced here. You will be pleasantly surprised when you visit this temple.
Do you like exploring Shiva temples? Check out: 108 Shiva Temples in Pune
History and Architecture of Bhuleshwar Temple
The Bhuleshwar temple is perched on a hill fort called Mangalgad or Daulatmangal fort. Only a few parts of the ancient turrets (buruj) and walls (tatbandi) of this fort can be found here today. The actual time when the temple first came into existence is unknown. But people believe it to be constructed by the Pandavas (Pandavkalin). Later in the 13th century, King Krishnadevraya of the Yadava dynasty reconstructed this temple. Then it was enhanced by the Marathas during their rule. The Bhuleshwar temple has been destroyed and reconstructed so many times that you will find additions from different centuries and rulers here. This makes it a complex piece of architecture to understand.
During the rule of the Marathas, this temple was often targeted by the Mughals. As it is located on a hilltop, it was a clear and easy target visible from long distances. To prevent these attacks, Brahmendra Swami Dhawadshikar, spiritual guru of Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur and the Peshwas of Pune, suggested a clever idea of disguising it as a mosque. Thus, several minarets were constructed around the shikhara or pinnacle of this temple. And even today, the Bhuleshwar temple resembles a mosque from a long distance. Nevertheless, the temple has faced several attacks from outsiders, which is evident from the mutilated or broken carvings inside the temple. The Mughals ruled from this place for a short period of six months. During this time, they hid all the wealth looted from the wars at this temple, but they couldn’t retrieve any of it later.
I do not understand the logic or minds behind mutilating such beautiful sculptures, nor do I understand the hands that did this cruel act!
Do you like exploring Shiva temples? Check out: 108 Shiva Temples in Pune
Unresolved Mysteries of Bhuleshwar Temple
The Bhuleshwar temple complex comprises 3 floors. But the bottom 2 floors are mysteriously closed for everyone. Only the 3rd floor of the temple is open for us. The temple falls under the Archaeological Department of India, and they have tried to excavate the bottom two floors of this temple. But they faced major obstacles, like their machinery stopped working or the team members suddenly fell sick. So, they soon gave up on the excavation efforts. And since then, no one has tried to enter the bottom two floors of the Bhuleshwar temple. Some locals even say that a massive treasure is hidden below the temple. But I guess we will never know!
The mystery of disappearing Prasad
Below the Shiva Linga of the Bhuleshwar temple is an inverted Shivlinga (a cavity or hole). Inside this hole, there are 3 small Lingas depicting the merging of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Every day during Brahma muhurta (early morning, around 5 am), the local priest performs Puja rituals, puts the prasad of Peda (sweets) and bananas inside this cavity and then closes it. When it is opened later, it is found that some or all of the prasad disappears.
This strange phenomenon has happened in this temple every day for the last 200 years. It is believed that God Shiva himself comes and eats our Prasad. Now let me remind you that this Shivalinga is located on the 3rd floor of the temple, and the bottom 2 floors are mysteriously closed. So, who eats this prasad? Nobody has solved this mystery yet. If you want to see this with your own eyes, you must visit the Bhuleshwar temple early in the morning and participate in this Puja ritual with the temple’s priest. Go see it yourself, then believe it!
Mythological Story of Bhuleshwar Temple
In Hindu mythology, there is a beautiful story behind the formation of the Bhuleshwar temple. The name Bhuleshwar translates to ‘the one who forgot.’ Once, God Shiva was angry with Mata Parvati and left Mount Kailash (their home). He came here and sat in deep meditation at the hilltop of the Bhuleshwar temple. To make God Shiva forget his anger and bring him back home to Mount Kailash, Mata Parvati took the form of a beautiful maiden and danced at this place. Seeing her in this form, God Shiva came out of his meditation, forgot all his anger, and returned to Mount Kailash with Mata Parvati. Even today, you can feel the strong divine energies of Shiva and Parvati at this temple. And this is the reason why the Bhuleshwar temple is an extremely sacred place (jagrut devasthan).
The story of Nandi statue’s tilted head
In the above story, when Mata Parvati comes to take God Shiva home, Nandi who was guarding Shiva tilts his head towards the right. He keeps one eye on Mata Parvati and another eye on God Shiva and waits in anticipation of what might happen next! This is exactly how you will find the Nandi statue inside the Bhuleshwar temple. This style of Nandi with his head tilted towards the right direction is found in several temples of western Maharashtra and southern India. The giant Nandi is placed inside an elaborate Nandi mandap, surrounded by 4 pillars. On the panels above the Nandi statue, there are several gods like Ashta Dikpal (guardians of the 8 directions), Nava Grahas (nine planets), etc. There are many more tiny-sized carvings all around the Nandi statue.
Do you like exploring Shiva temples? Check out: 108 Shiva Temples in Pune
Artistic carvings inside the Bhuleshwar temple
As you climb the steps and enter inside this temple, you might feel like you have entered an alternate reality or a magical world. This effect comes from the light and shadows inside the temple. Due to its strange and complex architecture, the temple is dimly lit. But the light falls in strange angles and patterns throughout the day, giving it a mystical feeling. Bhuleshwar temple gives a different experience at different times of the day and different times of the year. Photography inside the Bhuleshwar temple is exciting as well as challenging.
Everywhere you look, you are surrounded by the most beautiful sculptures. Several Apsaras, Gandharvas, and Bhargavas (dancers and musicians) are carved on the walls of the main inner sanctum. Other carvings inside the temple represent the cosmos. While the Sabha mandap (outer halls) depict the Mrutyuloka (earth), the Garbhagriha (inner sanctum) depicts the Swargaloka (heaven). So when you enter the temple, you are making a journey from the Mrutyuloka to Swargaloka (from earth to the heavens). Moreover, some larger panels depict important stories and events from Hindu mythology.
If I decide to cover every pillar and every tiny sculpture in this temple, it might take me years and years of study, and I might even write it in a book. But presently, I will share the 5 most eye-catching panels you must see when you visit the Bhuleshwar temple near Pune.
- Ramayana Panel – Multiple stories and scenes
- Ramayana Panel – Ram chasing the golden deer
- Mahabharata Panel – Bhishma Pitamaha on a bed of arrows
- Samudra Manthan Panel with divine Ratnas
- Feminine form of Gods – Vinayaki, Maheshwari & Kartikeyi.
Ramayana Panel – Multiple stories and scenes
This is the largest Ramayana Panel in the Bhuleshwar temple, and it depicts several important scenes from Ramayana. The story starts at the bottom right corner where Kausalya is worshipping for a son. At the centre, you can see two large figures – Ram and Laxman. The ancient sculptors used to carve important events in larger sizes than the other normal scenes. This is a scene where Laxman tries to convince Ram to stay in Ayodhya. He explains that Ram has a duty as a Prince of Ayodhya, and he should not leave for the forest. We can see that Ram disagrees, and Laxman is angry. Towards the bottom left, you can see many monkey-like figures. This depicts the Khiskinda Nagari. One of these monkeys might be Hanuman. Camels and Elephants are also carved into this panel. Hidden below this main panel, you can see some unknown animals (perhaps bulls) frolicking around.
Ramayana Panel – Ram chasing the golden deer
This panel is placed high on the wall, almost touching the roof of the temple. It is easily missed due to poor lighting and visibility. It is a simple panel, showing the famous scene of Ramayana where Ravana abducts Sita. On the left corner, you can see a small door, and Sita is outside meeting Ravana, who came in the disguise of a Brahmana. On the right side of the panel, you can see Ram and Laxman chasing the false golden deer.
Mahabharata Panel – Bhishma Pitamaha on a bed of arrows
In the Mahabharata, Bhishma Pitamaha is one of the strongest warriors, who also has the boon of Icha Mrityu (the ability to choose the time of death). But during the Kurukshetra war, he was struck by Arjuna. He then lay on a bed of arrows. In his final moments, he was visited by God Krishna, Arjuna, Yudhishthira, other Pandavas and also by some sages like Narada, Vyasa, and Parvata Muni. As he could choose the time of his death, he waited on his bed of arrows for 58 days, and then left his body on the auspicious day of Uttarayana. While waiting for his death, he granted valuable teachings to Yudhishthira about Dharma, Statesmanship and the Duties of a King.
Do you like exploring Shiva temples? Check out: 108 Shiva Temples in Pune
At the top, you can see the figure of Bhishma Pitamaha lying on the bed of arrows. At the centre, you can clearly see God Krishna holding the conch and the Sudarshan chakra in his hand. On his right is seemingly Yudhishthira, but the figure is damaged. On the left of Krishna is Arjuna. The rest are also figures from the Mahabharata who all came to visit Bhishma Pitamaha in his final moments.
Samudra Manthan Panel with divine Ratnas
This panel is located almost near the roof of the temple. It shows the famous scene of Samudra Manthan. The Gods and Demons all come together and churn the sea to find the hidden Ratnas (precious things) at the bottom of the sea. In this carving, we can see all the Gods on the right side and all the demons on the left side. A total of 14 Ratnas, including the Halahal poison, were found during the Samudra Manthan.
A few Ratnas (divine things) are shown at the bottom right of this panel. What we can clearly see –
- Kamdhenu cow with peacock-like tail – a divine cow that can fulfil any wish
- Amrita Kumbh – the elixir of immortality was distributed among the Gods
- Moon – yes, the moon we see in the sky came from Samudra manthan
- Uchchaihshravas – a seven-headed flying horse taken by King Bali, the King of demons
- Airavata – the white elephant taken by Indra, the God of the Gods
- Apsara Rambha – the celestial beauty from heaven
- Goddess Laxmi – the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, taken by God Vishnu
Feminine form of Gods – Vinayaki, Maheshwari, & Kartikeyi
These panels are placed a bit higher than eye level, on the inner panels surrounding the Garbhagriha (inner sanctum) of the Bhuleshwar temple. There are numerous beautifully carved figures. Look closely and you will notice that all of them are female. What is astonishing is that in these carvings is a female form of Shiva – Maheshwari. He is accompanied by the female form of Ganesha – Vinayaki on the left, and the female form of Kartikeya – Kartikeyi on his right. They are all placed high above our heads, and it appears like they are looking down upon us. We can also see their vahana (vehicles) – the Nandi, the mouse and the peacock carved beneath each feminine idol. And coincidentally, when I clicked this picture, a real lizard made its appearance beneath the stone-carved peacock of Kartikeyi!
We have all heard about the Ardhanarishwara form of Shiva, which is a merging of Shiva (Male) and Parvati (Female). But this is something entirely different. These are male Gods completely in their feminine form, and I haven’t seen anything like this anywhere in the entire state of Maharashtra. This section of the temple has feminine idols of several other male Gods in addition to the above-mentioned Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya.
- Do you like discovering ancient Shiva Temples? Check out: 108 Shiva Temples in Pune
- Want to study the Panels of Bhuleshwar Temple in full depth? Check out this video by Dr. Kumud Kantikar
How to reach Bhuleshwar Temple
If you are starting from Pune city, take the Pune-Solapur highway. As you reach the Malshiras region, leave the highway and take a right. Bhuleshwar temple is perched high on a hilltop. So, you catch the first glimpse of the temple long before actually reaching the place. When I first saw the Bhuleshwar temple while driving from Pune, I instantly felt its energy pulling me towards it. It felt as if something inside the temple was calling me. It is difficult to explain in words. But when you visit the temple, you can feel its heavy positive vibrations.
- Pune to Bhuleshwar temple distance: 54 km
- Bhuleshwar temple location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/aqLAhruZhi14JvF36
- Climb of the Bhuleshwar temple: There are around 200 steps that you must climb to reach the temple. There is also an alternate road that takes you almost to the top, but you will still have to climb a few last steps. The climb is easy with a clear path and steps.
Other temples near Bhuleshwar temple
- Ramdara temple and lake
- Chintamani temple in Theur
- Temples in Jejuri
- Pandeshwar in Morgaon
Do you like exploring Shiva temples? Check out: 108 Shiva Temples in Pune
