Trishund Ganpati Temple Pune | त्रिशुंड गणपती मंदिर पुणे : पेशवेकालीन वास्तुकलेचा सुंदर नमुना | Pune

The Trishund Mayureshwar Ganpati temple is a great example of this. Tucked away and almost hidden from the outside world in the bustling by-lanes of Somwar Peth, this small and beautiful temple near Kamala Nehru Hospital Chowk is well worth seeking out.

Originally built with a direct approach to the banks of the Nagzari stream, one of three inscriptions in the sanctum tells us that construction here started on 26th August 1754 by Bhimjigiri Gosavi from Dhampur (near Indore). I can only assume that there were periods of time when the building work was interrupted, as the temple wasn’t completed until 16 years later, in 1770.

Lord Shiva declared that it’s impossible to measure the limits of infinity. He cursed that Brahma would not have a Temple on Earth, and the ketaki flower and Tulsi should never be used for his worship. Lord Shiva also cursed the cow, its mouth would henceforth be impure as it had lied with its mouth. Today the use of ketaki flowers in Shiva worship is largely forbidden, except during Shivrati.

Very few people are aware of this carving at the back of the temple, so if you do visit be sure to take a look.

There’s a number of what appear to be fiberglass images of deities scattered around the edge of the temple, I presume these are usually stored inside the temple and probably used during specific festivals.

The entrance to the temple is flanked by sculptured dwarpalakas (doorkeepers), with a carving of Goddess Lakshmi with two elephants above.

This opens into a spacious hall with additional carvings, which further leads to a passage in front of the sanctum.

The original plan was to dedicate this temple to Shiva, but at some point the presiding deity became Lord Ganesha.

His image in the sanctum is a little unusual, with three trunks and six hands, and seated on a peacock. The temple name comes from this idol, ‘Tri-Shund’ means “three trunks”.
Two further inscriptions exist here. The first is in Sanskrit and gives a verse from the Bhagavad Gita. The second inscription, which is in Persian, informs that a temple of Gurudevadatta was constructed.

The temple also has a basement, side doors appeared to lead somewhere but they were locked during my visit. The basement is thought to have originally been used as a school for ascetics, who practised the tantric form of Hinduism.

In the basement is a Samadhi (memorial) of Gosavi, but for most of the year this space is significantly flooded. On Guru Purnima day (July) the basement is cleared and drained, so people can pay homage to the memorial of Gosavi.

There are a number of Samadhis that exist today in Somwar Peth, many of which are now unidentified. During the time of the Peshawa, the Somwar Peth area (previously known as Shahpur Peth) was close to a cremation ground, and the tradition was to build a temple near the burial place of an ascetic.

Back in the entrance hall is another fibreglass image of what appears to be Shivaji, although I am not totally sure of this. If any of my readers can help identify who this is I would appreciate it.

The temple has recently undergone a program of restoration. With an initial budget of $33,000 (USD), the Pune Municipal Corporation employed the services of an archaeological renovation agency. Work initially focused on examining the foundations of the structure, which extend up to 10m away from the main elevation of the building.

Here they discovered a very specific compound of lime mortar which needs to be soaked in water for up to two years before being applied. Reports suggest that this mortar actually hardens with age, as opposed to regular cement which degrades somewhat rapidly.

The renovation work also focused on attempting to stem leakages in the basement, the team involved here have also previously been deployed at other Pune heritage sites such as Nana Wada, Vishrambaug Wada, Nanasaheb Peshawe’s Samadhi, Mahatma Phule Mandai and Kasba Ganpati temple.

Despite the rapid urban development of the city over the last few decades, Pune old city still clings on to a significant number heritage structures that with a little time, patience and research you can still tease out and visit today. Trishund Ganapathi Temple is a great example of this, a true hidden gem from the rich history of Pune’s Peshwa era.

#pune #travel #ganpatibappamorya

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3-4 kms from Pune railway station.

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