Kalbhairavnath Mandir, Saswad

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The Divya Darshan 360 app has 2 videos of Kalbhairavnath Mandir, Saswad, 1 of them in 360°.

360°Kalbhairavnath Aarti, PurandarKalbhairavnath Mandir Architecture

Why devotees come here

Bhairavnath is the gramdaivat, the village deity, of Saswad. In the sanctum, Kalbhairavnath, Bhairavnath and Jogeshwari Mata sit together in a silver makhar. Small shrines around the courtyard hold Ganapati, Datta, Gorakhnath, Tuljabhavani and Vitthal-Rukmini.

Accounts of the temple's building differ. Heritage Temples dates it to the 18th century, in late Maratha style, and records a tradition that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built it after a vow. Pilgrim Data places it in the time of Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and Bajirao. Both credit Ahilyadevi Holkar with the high wall around it.

The south gate looks like a fort gate. Inside are two stone deepmalas, a nagarkhana and a sabha mandap whose walls show scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Shivcharitra. A large bell with a Latin inscription hangs at the entrance. Pilgrim Data says the Marathas brought it back from their 1738 to 1739 campaign against the Portuguese, with its twin now at Jejuri. Every twelve years, during the Nashik Kumbh Mela, thousands of Nath ascetics stay here for two days.

Getting there

• By air

  Pune airport is about 50 to 60 minutes away by road, via the Kharadi bypass.

• By train

  Jejuri station is the closest, with trains to Pune and Miraj. Pune station is about 31 km away.

• By road

  PMPML buses run to Saswad from Swargate, Hadapsar and Pune station. The temple is about 1 km from Saswad bus stand, and cars can drive up to it.

Rules to know

• Remove your footwear before you enter the temple courtyard.
• Dress modestly, as you would for any village temple.
• Ask the priest before taking photos of the sanctum.

Festivals

• HoliFebruary or March

  The temple's Holi is lit first; no other Holi in Saswad is lit before it.

• RangpanchamiMarch

  Celebrated on a large scale on Phalgun Vadya Panchami.

• NavratriSeptember or October

  Nine nights of worship, with Jogeshwari Mata in the sanctum.

• Kalbhairavnath JanmotsavYearly

  The birth festival of Kalbhairavnath.

Tips for your visit

• Allow time to look at the fort-like gate, the carved sabha mandap ceiling and the old bell.
• Saswad also has the samadhi of Sant Sopandev, the 13th-century Varkari saint, and the Sangameshwar temple built by Bajirao's family.
• Pair the visit with the Khandoba temple at Jejuri, which holds the twin of this temple's bell.
• Holi and Rangpanchami are celebrated on a large scale, so pick another day if you are bringing an elderly parent.

Questions people ask

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