Update on Bhigwan’s Disappearing Temples

Bhigwan Palasnath Temple 2024 Update

The article I wrote on the Disappearing Temples of Bhigwan attracted quite a lot of interest. Bhigwan is a small town in Maharashtra which is known to attract thousands of migratory birds, especially flamingos. I went for the birdwatching but a surprise waiited for me. I discovered the Palasnath temple, of Palasdeo village, which was submerged by the waters of the Ujani dam. It only surfaces in summer heat when the waters are low. I wrote about it last year and now I have an update.

My friend Sudhir Shingare, whom I met right there in Bhigwan, visited it this year. He said most of the flamingos had left but the water level was so low that the entire temple was visible. He sent me photos of this timeless beauty and was generous enough to let me carry them. So here is a rare look at a scene which is usually invisible – thanks to Sudhir.

When I and my sister visited last year only the spire of the Palasnath temple was visible above the water. In this delightful picture you can see it from the ground up.

Most of it was underwater when I visited. The water touched the bottom of the small niche on the left of the shikhar. The pillared structure on the ground to the left was entirely submerged. This is a side view.

I notice someone has put the sacred flag on top – a lovely gesture.

The above beautiful picture is the entire main temple flanked by another structure to the left. Was that another temple? This photo faces the entrace so you could walk in from here and find yourself in the courtyard and then the empty shrine, the garbha gruha. The Shivling has been reconsecrated in a new village temple. The rocky ground around it shows how far the waters have receeded.

A closer view shows the mandap, the hall in front of the shrine. This is a side view. You can see the stumps of the carved pillars which must have enclosed the parikrama path to circle the shrine. Water is still collected within. This is a rare close up view.

Here is a view of the main entrance looking directly in towards the murti. On the left is a Hanuman like dwarpal figure and a small Nandi with its back to us faces the empty altar. Since all the other murtis have probably been relocated I suppose this pair are the eternal guards at the bottom of the waters, standing strong even after the deity has been removed. Clearly Palasnath’s resident Heron uses both as a summer perch from where to keep watch over the waters..

Palasnath temple is approached by boat. As you come close the first thing you see is a long line of stones just topping the water. That is the outer wall of what must have been a large complex. The walls appear to run right around it and are not just built of solid bricks but also have long broad corridors along their entire length.

This kind of structure is common to large communities or temples which had gurukuls attached. A lot of the old temples were community centers and schools as well. I wonder if that was the case here. There may have been other buildings which did not survive.

Note how long the corridors are. This was no small complex. It must have been the hub of the community for centuries.

Last but not least, here is lovely photo of the stump of a pillar, intricately carved with sages, dancers, musicians and warriors. Temple pillars are usually carved to reflect the four aims of life – dharma, artha, kama and moksha – the pursuit of dharma – knowledge, governance and action, artha – wealth and business, kama – pleasure, sex, family and finally moksha – spiritual understanding or realisation.

Some of the ruins do not look as if they were destroyed by water. I wonder if the temple had been attacked in its lifetime, as so many were. I could not find much history on it but its possible that parts of it were already broken when the water from the dam flooded temples, villages, roads and all.

After some hunting in this journey to an unforgettable sunken temple, I was able to locate the relocated temple on Google Earth which appears much smaller that what the original must have been. It stands on the shore, surrounded by schools, next to the relocated Palasdeo village and probably within sight of the old temple..

This is the second and last article on the sunken temple. At least for now.

One last thing to add –

To end, let me add one thing. So many people commented that these temples should be preserved or relocated or restored. That is easy to say when you don’t realise how vast India really is and that India really is a land of temples. Figures on the web said there are 6,48,907 temples in India. Some say the number goes over 7 lakhs. I wonder if that even covers all the tiny picture perfect shrines found in every field.
In my state Maharashtra alone there are 77,283 temples, exceeded only by Tamil Nadu’s 79,154. My city Mumbai has 4641 temples – its a very large metropolis but a very young one compared to most cities in India. And all these numbers are the ones which remain today after centuries of targeted destruction. How do you preserve them all? Thankfully, somehow, over millenia and centuries, we have done just that, without which I would not be writing this and you would not be reading it.

All the photos are taken by Sudhir Shingare.

Also read – The Disappearing Temples of Bhigwan