• Jan 25 2016
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• Travel

Bhuleshwar Temple

Built around 1230 A.D. by the Yadava ruler King Krishnadevray, Bhuleshwar is an ancient Shiva temple located around 45km from Pune and 10km from Yawat.Situated on the crest of a hill, the temple is quite unusual in having what appears to be Islamic architecture externally.The reason for this unique design is said to have been done to protect the temple from being destroyed by invaders.

The exterior of the temple gives little clue as to what resides within. A few ancient carvings incorporated into more modern structures outside the temple together with the detail on the temple doorway gives you a “heads-up”. But what lies within will almost certainly still come as a complete surprise to you ! Upon entering the sanctum of the temple visitors can see a huge statue of Nandi.

Thankfully the damage to the carvings does not really impact the experience of being here. Nothing is compromised, and the entire scene and experience is both mystical and wondrous !

The light in the temple is also special, adding to that mystical feel, and it is constantly changing. As a photographer, this probably contributed to my persistent circuits around the interior.

But the light is also very dim, and I didn’t bring a tripod with me as I assumed it would not be permitted. So successful photography here is down to a steady hand, high ISOs, and fast shutter speeds. That all sounds relatively straightforward, but it is still incredibly challenging.

Bhuleshwar Temple came as a complete and utter surprise to me. Having visited Pune on 17 previous occasions I had never heard of this place – and the same goes for many of my friends that live in the city.

My thanks goes to Amar Reddy who mentioned this place when we were visiting Kondana Caves the previous week. Although he tried to prepare me for what there was to see, it still came as a surprise just how wonderful the carvings are here.