Sinnar Gondeshwar Mandir, also known as Govindeshwara
Temple, is located around 26 kilometers from Nashik near the Sinnar town on
Nashik – Pune Road. Sinnar Gondeshwar Temple is a Panchayatana type temple. The main temple is
dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is surrounded by four other temples dedicated to
Vishnu, Ganpati, Surya, and Devi.
Shiva is worshipped here in the form of a Shivling. The
other murtis are small in size.
History of Sinnar Gondeshwar Temple
During the medieval period, Sinnar was known as Sindinagar
or Seunapura and was ruled by Bhillama III of the Yadava family. In 1025 AD,
the Mahasamanta Bhillama III was ruling his hereditary province of Seunadesa,
at this capital Sindinagar, as a feudatory of the Western Chalukya King Jayasimha
II.
Later the area lost its prominence was founded again by a
Gavli chief (Yadava) Ravi Singuni during the 11th or 12th century AD.
Gondeshwar Temple was built by Rav Govinda the son of Ravi
Singuni in the 12th century AD.
Sinnar Gondeshwar Temple - Architecture
Sinnar Gondeshwar Temple is one of the most impressive and
architecturally unique stone temples in Western parts of India, especially in
Maharashtra.
At the main entrance of the temple stands the Nandi
pavilion.
The temples stand on a rectangular podium. The temple
complex is surrounded by a wall, with two gateways on the south and the east.
The height of the temple is 50 meters high and 21 meters in
length.
Some of the impressive features of the temple include
decorated pillars, the elephant band in the basement, deep porches, pilasters
and lozenge-shaped flowers, and dwarf sidewalls. Attached to the pillars of the
porches are ornamental bracket figures of females. There are panels dedicated
to stories from Puranas the most impressive is the churning of the ocean or the
Samudra Manthana.
Ceilings of the porches are formed of rings of cusped
ornaments with a central pendant. On the face of the octagonal band are little
figures representing processions, entertainment, musicians, dancers, and
instrumentalists. The sculptures also include sages, warriors, cultural life
and erotic scenes.
The main sculptors in the temple are on the outer walls.
These are above the gargoyle on the north side and under the large niche on the
south side of the mandir.
One sculpture is that of Brahmi with three faces and a goose
below her.
The entrances have sculptor of Gaja Lakshmi carved above the
cornice.
The lower niche on the south side is empty but the upper one
has a sculpture of Shiva performing Tandava.
The Gomukh, the ornamental gargoyle through which water from
the shrine passes out, upon the north side of the temple is in the shape of a
Makara (crocodile). It is an impressive sculptural work.
Four central pillars support the central dome. The pillars 3
meters in height are elaborately carved. The pilasters are plainer in design.
The central dome rises in height of 6 meters and is noted
for its simple but impressive design.
The main courtyard is about 100 meters in length and 80
meters in width.
There is a temple tank in the east of the temple complex,
which may have resulted from quarrying of stones for the construction of the
temple.
Like hundreds of other Hindu temples, the shrine is in a
dilapidated condition and is under ASI (Archeological Survey of India).