Amruteshwar Temple, Ratanwadi,
Maharashtra
Amruteshwar Temple is a Hindu Temple
dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Ratanwadi Village
in Akole Taluk
of Ahmednagar District in Maharashtra, India. This intricately carved
Temple is believed to be around 1200 years old. The Temple is situated on the banks of holy river
Pravara. The area around the temple is rich in dense forests and wildlife.
Because of the natural beauty, this place is also called as Kashmir of
Maharashtra. This Village is the gateway to famous trekking place named
Ratangad, an ancient hill fort. The Temple is maintained by the Archaeological
Survey of India.
History
The temple is considered to be
over 1,200 years old. This beautiful temple was built by the rulers of
Shilahara dynasty in 9th century AD. This is one of 12 Shiva temples
built by King Jhanj.
The Temple
The Amruteshwar Temple has been
constructed in Hemadpanthi architectural style with beautiful rock carvings on
the main shrine. It was built with black and red stones. The temple has a
sanctum, a labyrinthine structure dominated by the sculptures of the god, and
goddess carved out of stone, and a pond within its complex. Sanctum houses the
presiding deity in the form of Shiva Linga. There is a hot spring below the
Shiva Lingam. In monsoon, when the level of hot spring rises, the main sanctum
fills with water.
The ceiling and the walls of the
temple are decorated with some impressive and lovely murals. There is a mantapa
with 12 pillars. All the pillars have beautifully carved statues and
flowers. Around the temple, there's a pond, which also carries beautifully
sculptures made out of black stone. Ratangad Fort is also located at a close
distance from this Shiva temple.
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about
16 Kms from Bhandardara, 17 Kms from Bhandardara Dam, 17 Kms from Shendi Bus
Stand, 50 Kms from Ghoti Railway Station, 59 Kms from Igatpuri Railway Station,
73 Kms from Sangamner, 81 Kms from Sinnar, 83 Kms from Nashik, 161 Kms from Ahmednagar,
180 Kms from Mumbai and 180 Kms from Mumbai Airport. This temple is approached
by road from Igatpuri and Sangamner Town via Bhandardara. It would be good to
travel by taxi or car as through these mode of transports one can reach here
directly. If traveling by bus, then one can get it from Igatpuri but only till
Shendi. Further tourists will have to walk to reach the temple. Ratanwadi
village is also approached by boat from Bhandardara. By boat, it is a 12 Kms
journey and further it is a 4 km walk till Ratanwadi.
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