Nageshwar Temple – Pune
This exquisitely renovated 14th-century temple is one of Pune’s most important historical landmarks and holds its own even in its more urban surroundings.
The Nageshwar Mandir, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located in Pune’s Somwar Peth, just one of the city’s famous peths (localities). The people who resided in this area, which was originally named Shahpura, were known as Gosavis and used to serve as moneylenders before banks came into existence. The peth is known for its famous landmarks: Shahu Udyan, Shahu Talav, and the Apollo Theatre.
The Nageshwar Mandir, with its foundation dating back to the 14th century, takes its name from the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, a temple mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit text Shiva Purana, Nageshwar (the god of serpents) being another name for Lord Shiva and Jyotirlinga signifying a radiant form of the god. The temple’s stone gabhara (the innermost holy shrine) suggests that it was built during the reign of the Yadavas, while the wooden structural design is in the Peshwa style. Therefore, it is difficult to pinpoint the time of the temple’s formation based on its architecture.
The temple premises used to have a kunda (water reservoir), popularly called Nagatirtha or Nagendratirtha. Some devotees believed its water cured leprosy. Before visiting the Ganga in Benares, followers used to visit the Nageshwar Mandir, and, on returning, they would pour water from the Ganga into the kunda. This reservoir, which covered a huge portion of the temple grounds, was sealed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) a few decades ago. This temple is surrounded by four other temples devoted to Ram, Vitthal, Maruti, and Vishnu.
Saints like Sant Namdev and Sant Tukaram are closely associated with the Nageshwar Mandir. Sant Namdev’s writings have frequent mentions of the temple and its sanctum sanctorum, which he referred to as Shivakshetra in many of his verses. It is believed that Sant Tukaram’s in-laws stayed in a village called Lohegaon near the Nageshwar Mandir. Whenever he visited them, he used to host kirtans (devotional songs) at the shrine. These performances were so popular that they drew crowds from surrounding villages.
