| Temples & Legends Of Maharastra |
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| Temples & Legends Of India |
KHANDOBA - JEJURI |
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| The kshetra consists of two separate shrines, one known as Karhe-pathar and the other as Gad-kot. The former is supposed to be the more ancient of the two. It is some four miles to the south-west of Jejuri proper, on the same range of hills as the Gad-kot but on a higher level than Jejuri. The Gad-kot means a fort and this name has been given to the temple firstly because it stands atop a hill and secondly because it is enclosed within strong stone walls not unlike the ramparts of a fort.The chief thoroughfare in the town is the one that leads to the foot of the hill. Two flights of steps have been constructed for the ascent on the hill, out of which the eastern one has long since fallen in disuse and only the northern one is used. Although the flight consists of steps of well-dressed stone, the ascent is by no means quite easy. However, it is relieved by various factors, the most important of which is the existence of a veritable forest of dipmalas around the steps and the numerous entrance arches that span over the route. There are nearly three hundred and fifty of these dipmalas on either side of the flight. The archways and the dipmalas are said to be gifts donated in fulfilment of vows- navasas -taken by the devotees of Khandoba. Most of the archways seem to belong to the Maratha period i.e. the eighteenth century. Similarly scattered around are several stone slabs bearing carvings of human figures either singly or in couples. These are known as virs and are memorial stones. At present many of them have been covered with 'sindur’ (red- lead) and turned into images of this or that deity in whose name begging can be carried on. | |
