| Temples & Legends Of
Maharastra |
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| Temples Of India |
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BHIMASHANKAR |
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| The temple is
one of the numerous shrines that benefited directly or indirectly from the Maratha rule.
Large scale renovation or reconstruction of the temple was under taken. Two important
bankers of Poona seem to be responsible for most of the reconstruction. An inscription in
Marathi on the mandap of the temple states that it was constructed by one Chimanaji Antaji
Bhide Naik, a famous banker and money-lender. The date is 1737 A.D. References in the
diaries and correspondence of another banker family by name Dikshit-Patwardhan show that
they were also contributing substantially towards the cost of the reconstruction work. They also caused to be built the tank near it around 1736. This
patronage continued right up to the end of the Peshwa rule. Raghunathrao Peshwa
constructed a well while the shikhar of the temple was completed by Nana Phadnavis at a
cost of fifty thousand rupees. This definitely relates to the Indo-Aryan shrine as seen
to-day. The earliest mention of a historical character about this kshetra comes from the
time of Shivaji. He had granted the village of Kharosi to the temple. The daily worship
was to becarried out from the revenues of this place. The grant was confirmed and
continued by the Peshwas. Apart from such grants and occasional aids from the
government, individual devotees donated quite liberally to this temple. One Abhyankar from
Nagar donated the costs of the daily rudra ekadashini. |
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