Travel - We were looking for an offbeat place near Saswad for a day trip. Sightseeing was not in mind and it was a drive trip planned at runtime. Me and wife Renuka were the passengers of this journey.
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| Sangameshwar Temple, Saswadi |
There are two ways to reach Base Saswad. One is Pune - Kothrud - Warje Bypass - On Bypass Highway turn right towards Katraj - don't go on Navale flyover - take the road on the left and take left for Ambegaon - Katraj - at Katraj Chowk, right for Katraj-Kondhwa and immediate Left Turn Road - Bopdev Ghat - Saswadi
Another route is Pune - Swargate - Connect with Pune-Solapur Highway - Hadapsar - Don't take flyover after Magarpatta Chowk - Turn right on flyover to Saswad Road (new flyover completed to take right) - Dive Ghat - Saswad .
03 September 2017: Pune - Saswad - Panwadi Village - Pune
Late Saturday evening, we decided to go on a day's road drive trip. Monsoon took a break and everything was covered with a green shade. We got up at 6 am and left Pune at 7 am. The journey to Saswad village via Bopdev Ghat was pleasant. There is a better route to go from Dive Ghat but we didn't drive from Bopdev so we prefer that route.
From the dive ghat you can see Mastani Lake. Mastani was the second wife of Peshwa Baji Rao I. It is said that she was a beautiful and brave woman. It is believed that while in Pune, Mastani used to take her bath in a lake made by Bajirao, especially for Mastani. The true story is that when Mastani went to the Saswad area, the villagers requested her to build a lake for farming purposes. The king was not a city and the approval process was quite difficult as she was not treated as a queen in the kingdom. She spends her money to build a lake. The village named the lake as Mastani Lake in his honor.
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| Mastani Lake, Dive Ghat |
We reached Saswad village and went to Sangameshwar temple. It is situated on the banks of Karha and Chameli rivers. The temple was built by the Yadavas and still retains its old charm. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. You have to climb about 12-15 steps to reach the temple. Once you enter the temple, you can see the old Nandi idol in black stone. There is open space around the temple. The shikhara of the temple is curved with many small sculptures.
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| Sangameshwar Temple, Saswadi |
Upon entering the sabhamandapa (small hall), you can see a huge statue of colorful Nandi. Carved Ganesha on the wall. The gabhara (main hall where the idol is kept) of the temple houses a Shivling. The area near the temple is beautiful and not too crowded in the morning. Loved the ancient temple.
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| Nandi at Sangameshwar Temple, Saswadi |
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| Nandi at Sangameshwar Temple, Saswadi |
Our next destination was the Changa Vateshwar Temple. It is also commonly known by the name of Vateshwar Temple among the local people. It is a beautiful ancient temple few km away from Saswad and on Saswad-Narayanpur road. Details about Changdev and the history behind the temple are written on the board. There is a Deepmal temple outside the temple. You can see Nandi and Shivlanga inside the temple. The temple was built in the Hemadpanthi style and slightly renovated.
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| Changa Vateshwar Temple, Saswadi |
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| Nandi at Changa Vateshwar Temple, Saswadi |
There are few other places, which you can cover with Saswad Yatra
Thanks for reading this travel blog. Happy trip
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