Papadandeshwar Temple

Gadepimpalgaon, Taluka Parli, District Beed

Beed district is blessed with a rich heritage of ancient Shiva temples. Along with Parli Vaijnath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, many ancient Shiva temples such as Amaleshwar, Uttareshwar, Kholeshwar, Sakaleshwar, Jatashankar, Pananeshwar, and Rameshwar can be seen in the district. Many legends that directly link these temples to the Ramayana era are prevalent among the people. In ancient times, this region was famous by the name Dandakaranya. Within this sacred land, the ancient Shiva temple of Papadandeshwar, established by Lord Shriram, is particularly famous. Notably, devotees believe that bowing and passing under the horizontal stone slab located at the entrance of this temple cures physical ailments.

Historians suggest that this temple, with its stone construction in the Hemadpanti style, dates back approximately seven to eight hundred years. It is estimated that the stepwell behind the temple also belongs to the same period. The legend regarding the temple states that in ancient times, this place was a dense forest. When Lord Shriram, Lakshman, and Sita were in exile, they stopped on the banks of the Papanashi River here. At that time, for his daily worship, Shriram established a Shiva Linga here. Due to the banks of the Papanashi River and its location in Dandakaranya, the name Papadandeshwar became popular for this temple.

This temple, situated along the main road, has a strong fortification. The grand entrance of the temple is two-storied. There is a Nagarkhana on the upper floor. The door frames of the entrance feature vertical carved patterns, and there is a sculpture of Lord Ganesha on the lintel. On the arch of the entrance, circular carvings are visible on both sides. The entrance has ornate wooden doors. Upon entering through the entrance, one enters a newly constructed two-storied Darshan Mandap. There are beams resting on square pillars in the Darshan Mandap. Above these beams is a ceiling, and above the ceiling is the second floor. The middle part of the ceiling is open, with a balcony of the second floor above it. The balcony has iron safety railings.

Further ahead, one reaches the entrance of the Ardha Mandap of the ancient temple, which has a structure consisting of an Ardha Mandap, Sabha Mandap, Antarala, and Garbhagriha. To the left of the entrance is a small temple containing idols of Vitthal and Rukmini. In front of the entrance is a platform, and in front of the platform are three steps. At a height of about two feet in the entrance, there is a log-shaped horizontal stone. It is believed that if one bows and enters the temple from under this stone, physical ailments disappear. The original structure of the Ardha Mandap and Sabha Mandap was semi-open, but after the renovation of the temple, they have been enclosed. There are stone benches for devotees to sit in the Ardha Mandap and Sabha Mandap. Ventilators have been provided for air and light in the enclosed Sabha Mandap. There are four rows of four ornate pillars each in the Sabha Mandap. The outer pillars are part of the stone benches. All pillars stand on square bases. There are circular carvings on the ceiling. In the space between the four pillars of the Sabha Mandap, there is a circular stage. In ancient times, programs like dance, drama, and singing were organized on this stage for the entertainment of the deity. Currently, there is an idol of Nandi on this stage.

In the Sabha Mandap, on both sides of the entrance to the Antarala, there are ancient vermilion-smeared idols in niches. Further ahead, in the Antarala, there are two ancient idols in the niches on the left and right walls. All niches have ornate dwarf pillars on both sides. Above them are ornate arches. On the door frames of the Garbhagriha, there are sculptures of gatekeepers at the bottom, while there are lotus flowers and pillar carvings above. There is a Ganesha sculpture on the lintel and an arch of temple spire sculptures on the upper frame. In the Garbhagriha, there is a Shiva Linga in the center on the floor. A brass cobra holding a canopy is over the Shiva Linga, and a copper vessel for pouring water is hung from the ceiling. In the enclosed Garbhagriha, there are four ornate pillars in all four corners. There are circular carvings on the octagonal ceiling here.

There is a circumambulation path around the exterior of the temple. On the roof of the Garbhagriha, there is a three-tiered square spire in the Dravidian style. In the spire, there is a Kut and Shala structure at each level, and there is a finial at the top. A Kalash and a flag are visible on the finial.

Chaitra Purnima is the main annual festival here. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm. On this occasion, a Harinam Saptah is organized. During this time, programs like bhajans, kirtans, discourses, music, and Mahaprasad are held in the temple for seven days. On the day of the full moon, the deity is placed in a palanquin and taken for a village procession. Hundreds of devotees from the surrounding area participate in this ceremony amidst the sound of drums and the throwing of gulal. Thousands of devotees come for the darshan of the deity and to fulfill their vows during Mahashivratri and the month of Shravan. On both these occasions, a Harinam Saptah is organized in the temple. There is a special crowd of devotees in the temple on days like Monday, Pradosh, Purnima, and Amavasya.

Useful Information:

• 20 km from Parli
• 82 km from Beed
• ST bus service is available from Parli
• Private vehicles can reach the temple
• Accommodation and breakfast facilities are available in the area