Sangam Mahuli -Kshetra Mahuli Ancient Temples in Satara, Maharashtra, India.

#templesofancientindia The largest of the Mahuli temples on the south bank of the Yenna at its meeting with the Krshna is dedicated to Vishveshvar Mahadev and is said to have been built by Shripatrav Pant Pratinidhi about 1735. It is of basalt and enclosed by an irregular shaped courtyard open on the river side, from which it is approached by a flight of steps. The high platform on which it is raised, the low colonnade which runs round the greater part of it, the short thick pillars in alternate courses of round octagonal and square, the lozenge-figured stone roof, the breadth increasing from the front by offsets and then decreasing in a similar way behind, all show that it is a building purely Hindu in architecture. The length from back to front is about fifty feet, and the breadth varies from twenty feet to five feet. The interior consists of a vestibule with images of Ganapati and Lakshmi and a marble shrine. The dome is of brick and stucco. The squareness of the form in this and other domes of this time contrasts with the round domes of a later period. Animals are carved in the capitals of the pillars and the cornices. The sacred bull is on the usual platform surmounted by a canopy and octagonal dome, the niches of which are filled with mythological figures, and are divided from each other by figures of men on elephants. On two sides of the court-yard are cloisters with broad low pointed arches and square pillars; they are either meant to serve for cooking purposes or are hostelries for visitors. On another side is a similar unfinished building with narrower and more pointed arches. At the entrance of the vestibule is a fine bell apparently with no writing but the date 1744 in English figures. The bell was probably taken by the Marathas from some Portuguese church in 2 the Konkan after the capture of Bassein in 1739. At the back of the Vishveshvar temple and very inferior to it in every respect is a basalt temple of Ramchandra said to have been built in 1772 by Trimbak Vishvanath Pethe usually called Mama Pethe a distinguished general under the fourth Peshva Madhavrav (1761-1772) and the maternal uncle of Sadashivrav Bhau. It is very small and consists merely of a verandah and a shrine with brass figures of Ram, Lakshman, and Sita. The wall behind them is panelled with broad low arches and painted with flowers. The dome consists of only two polygonal courses. There are five other small temples in Mahuli. The temple of Vithoba was built by Jotipant Bhagvat of Cincner about A. D. 1730. It originally consisted of a small verandah with carved wooden pillars opening into the shrine by a low Muhammedan arch. A hall or vestibule with wooden pillars and door all round was added in about 1860. The roof is hung with lamps. Bhairavdev's is a small temple consisting of a shrine and open vestibule or verandah with three small arches. It was built about 1770 by one Krishnambhat Talke and a hall with wooden pillars, as in the temple of Vithoba, has been recently added to it. The other three temples are one of Krshnabai and another of Krshneshvar Mahadev built in 1754 and 1790 by Krishna Dikshit Chiplunkar; and a temple on the right of the Satara road with a handsome flight of steps begun by one of the Satara Ranis in 1865. Besides these temples Mahuli has on each side of the road leading to the ferry several tombs or cenotaphs to members of the royal family of Satara and others [The illustrious dead from Satara and the neighbouring villages are brought for cremation to Mahuli.]. One or two of these have some simple but handsome stone carving [One tomb with the figure of a sitting dog is said to mark the burial place of a favourite dog of Raja Shahu (1707-1749). It was a black greyhound and saved Shahu's life by its furious barking, which called the king's attention to a tiger which was in the act of springing on him. A palanquin establishment was kept up for him,