Introduction

Dedicated to Lord Krishna, the Panchganga Temple lies adjacent to the Mahabali Temple, at the point of origin of five holy rivers namely Krishna, Savitri, Gayatri, Koyna and Venna; and is thus called Panchganga Temple: ‘panch’ means five and ‘ganga’ river. It is believed that as a result of Savitri’s curse on trimurtis, rivers Krishna, Koyna and Venna are embodiments of Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. The temple has a beautiful stone carved statue of Gaumukhi (head of the Holy Cow) and the five rivers flow out from the mouth of this statue. The temple is host to specatacular Krishna idol. It is believed that Shivaji and his mother Jijabai visited this temple to seek spiritual guidance from a learned Brahmin living there.

This ancient temple was constructed by Raja Singhandeo, the ruler of Devagiri in the 13th century. Raja Chanda Rao More of Jaoli later repaired it in the 16th Century. In the latter part of the 16th century, on the ascension of the greatest Maratha king, Shivaji, the temple was renovated on a massive scale. Raja sahu again repaired it in early 17th century and finally in the 19th century the temple was rebuilt by Parshuram Angal, a wealthy banker of Satara.

Special Attributes

Dedicated to Lord Krishna, the Panchganga Temple lies adjacent to the Mahabali Temple, at the point of origin of five holy rivers namely Krishna, Savitri, Gayatri, Koyna and Venna; and is thus called Panchganga Temple: ‘panch’ means five and ‘ganga’ river. It is believed that as a result of Savitri’s curse on trimurtis, rivers Krishna, Koyna and Venna are embodiments of Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. The temple has a beautiful stone carved statue of Gaumukhi (head of the Holy Cow) and the five rivers flow out from the mouth of this statue. The temple is host to specatacular Krishna idol. It is believed that Shivaji and his mother Jijabai visited this temple to seek spiritual guidance from a learned Brahmin living there.

This ancient temple was constructed by Raja Singhandeo, the ruler of Devagiri in the 13th century. Raja Chanda Rao More of Jaoli later repaired it in the 16th Century. In the latter part of the 16th century, on the ascension of the greatest Maratha king, Shivaji, the temple was renovated on a massive scale. Raja sahu again repaired it in early 17th century and finally in the 19th century the temple was rebuilt by Parshuram Angal, a wealthy banker of Satara.

Nuisance

The site is peaceful and free of irritants.

Dressing restrictions

Dress conservatively and avoid short or revealing clothes

Connectivity

Buses, cabs and private cars.

Enjoyed by

All

Exposure

Minimal

Avoidable Season

Open through the year

Facilities

Basic, prepare accordingly.

Things Not Allowed

Liquor and shoes not allowed inside the temple

Tip

Try to cover your head with a scarf if possible.

Type of site

Temple