Once upon a time, the area of Ganeshkhind near Savitribai Phule Pune University was considered the northwestern border of the city. The word khind means a gorge or a hill pass. There is a 17th-century temple of Lord Ganesh here. It is called Parvati Nandan Ganpati Temple. Parvati Nandan means Son of Parvati. Lord Ganesh is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Ganpati is another name for Lord Ganesh. The temple is also known as Khinditla Ganpati (which translates to Ganpati of the Khind).
This temple is mentioned in several historic accounts and lists of old temples from the city. It is believed that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s mother Rajmata Jijabai carried out the restoration of this temple during those times. Later, during the Peshwa era, another restoration was done. It is believed that a treasure was found in the temple’s well during that era. The treasure was submitted to the royal treasury and from the interest amount generated from the deposit, several temples were restored and maintained using those funds.
Since this area was once on the border of the city, it was a thickly wooded area and there were several incidences of highway robberies around, during those days. It is said that people used to take shelter within this temple complex as the robbers didn’t come here. The temple offered protection to the public from such incidences. Today, the area of Ganeshkhind comes well within city limits and is surrounded with commercial and residential spaces.
The gabhara (inner sanctum) displays Yadav architectural style while the sabha mandap (assembly hall) has Peshwa architectural style. One of the arches within the complex has a curious wooden design, which looks like a castle’s portcullis. In recent times, the temple was carefully restored and was recognized by UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation with an Honourable Mention.
Like many other temple complexes in the city, it sits in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by houses on all sides. There is a distinctive old-world charm in such courtyards as it feels like stepping back in time.
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