Chaturshringi Mandir, Pune should be on your list when you visit the city for the first time. This mandir is located on the Senapati Bapat Road, in Gokhale Nagar near Pune University. The temple has idols of Shri Chaturshringi and Mahakali. Several devotees come and visit this place on festivals and also regular basis.
The meaning of the word Chaturshringi is Mountain with four peaks. The word is derived from Chattu. This mountain is a symbol of power and faith. The temple also has some beautiful idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Durga.
The temple is well-maintained and looked after by the Trust called the Chaturshringi mandir. They have been doing this for ages. Several times a petition was signed and sent to the charity commissioner to build a ropeway.
This is planned to make reaching the temple easy and fast for elderly and physically challenged people but this never happened as the petition was cancelled. The Trust has finally come to a point that they will be having an escalator for the people. The Chaturshringi Mandir, Pune is one of the biggest mandirs in India. Several people come and visit this sacred place to seek blessings.
History
The source of this mandir is back in the era when Maratha was in power. Durlabsheth Pitamberdas Mahajan was a religious man and was a merchant. He truly believed in Chaturshringi, a Hindu Goddess. It is been said that he travelled from Pune to Vani just to pray to Saptashringi Mata.
But soon after a few years, he stopped visiting there. Due to this, the supervising Deity was seen by him in his dream. She asked him in his dream to bring the idol from the mountains of north-west so that she can stay close to her beloved devotee. He fulfilled the wish of the goddess and bought her idol.
Out of excitement he also planned to construct a temple in the spot itself. This was the reason why this temple came into being. Still today the story is an important part of the people here. This shows how this mandir became the oldest temple in history and why it came into existence.
Architecture
The Chaturshringi Mandir, Pune is built across the four ranges as the name suggests. The Temple is located at a height of 90 ft. it is around 125 ft. In wide. The in the shrine of Lord Ganesha you will get to see eight different miniature of Lord Ashtavinayaka. The miniatures are spread all across the four mountain peaks. A hundred steps to the temple are well constructed and there are resting and sitting spots at every six steps.
Reaching the top of the temple is easy because of the resting and sitting places along with the availability of fresh and clean drinking water all the way and in the area of the Temple. You can also stay in the Dharamshala that is present there.
There are also waterfalls, fountains, water banks, and many more things for the people. All these are well- maintained and amazing. These are all created and maintained by the trust that looks after the mandir. Their efforts have made things easier for the devotees and tourists to visit the mandir.
Festivals
The Chaturshringi Mandir, Pune is open every day for everyone and one all occasions. But you will get to see a huge crowd during the time of Navratri every year. The festival of nine days is celebrated in a great way and all the devotees come here to offer their prayers.
At the foothills of the temple, you will get to see a fair. The mandir is lit and well decorated with flowers and lamps all around. The silver Murti Yatra is what people come here for. In this, the statue is carried all around on a chariot. This is done on Dusshera which is the last day of the festival. Every year on Navratri there is a highlight event. A few years back there was a shower of flowers from a helicopter.
There were images of the beautiful statue on LED television which were placed at the entrance so that the people waiting can get a glance at the idol. There are several other things as well which keep the people entertained. Bhajan and Arti is a must. For safety fire brigades and extinguishers are placed already to prevent fire.
Live telecast is made of all event on different channels on the television so that people who can not visit don’t miss a chance. If you want to witness what Indian tradition looks like no place is better than this.
Timings And Notices
Chaturshringi Mandir, Pune is open from 6 am to 9 pm. One holiday and on festivals the timings slightly change. Two days of the week that is on Friday and Tuesday the mandir gets closed at 12:30 pm. The reason is that these days are devoted to the goddess and there is more number of devotees.
The temple is open for all and there are no such entry fees. The videography and photography are not allowed and it is strictly prohibited in the area.
How To Reach?
People who stay in the city of Pune for them cabs, auto, buses, and cars are available. They can hire any of them and visit the place easily. For visitors, the nearest airport to the temple is Pune airport. It is around 14kms away. At a distance of 4 km, there is a railway station named Shivajinagar Railway station.
You can choose car rentals, auto, bus or can and reach the temple easily. You can also choose the Yatra buses that are available from different cities during the time of the festival. Therefore reaching Chaturshringi Mandir, Pune is quite easy and convenient than you can think. Choose any mode of travel and reach this place.
Come visit Pune in your holidays and enjoy your trip. You will get to see several historical places, mountains, mandir and much more. This is a fun place to enjoy with your friends and family.