Tour to Ambarnath Shiv Temple, Lonad caves, Lonad Shiv Temple

Journey Date : 9th Jul, 2023
Mode of Transport : Train, Two Wheeler

Travel Experience

    In Maharashtra, especially during the monsoon season, seasonal trekkers become active to experience the beauty of the Sahyadri ranges. While the green hills appear stunning during this time, the risk is equally significant. Many tourists lose their lives after falling from cliffs, drowning in waterfall pools, or due to landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. This year, the Irshalgad hill collapsed, and the Irshalwadi village at its base was buried under a mudslide. Just two days later, there was news of another mountain collapse in Raigad district, which led to the destruction of a fort bastion. To prevent further mishaps, even the Maharashtra government advised against trekking during the monsoons. So, we decided to cancel all monsoon treks. Instead, we planned to visit ancient temples and caves. After discussing it with Vinayak, as we usually do, we decided on visiting the ancient Ambernath Shiva Temple, the Lonad Caves, and the Lonad Shiva Temple. While sharing the same plan with my friend and uncle, Vilas Parab, he suggested visiting the Birla Vitthal Temple, which is near the Ambernath Shiva Temple. So, we included the Birla Temple in our itinerary.

Ambernath Shiv Temple

     We usually travel by public transport, but since this time we were heading to a remote area with very limited information about public transport available on Google, we decided to travel by bike. As Vinayak was familiar with the road network of Navi Mumbai, he took the initiative to plan the route. I began my journey from Goregaon at 6:00 am and reached Vinayak's house in Dombivli around 8:20 am. Vinayak had recently bought a new house and had invited me for the housewarming ceremony, but for some reason, I couldn’t attend it. This visit also gave me a chance to see his new home. Vinayak's mother served "Kande Pohe" for breakfast. After breakfast, we set off towards the Ambernath Shiva Temple around 8:50 am. We stopped at a petrol pump to refill the fuel tank when it suddenly started raining. Though both of us had brought windcheaters, I faced difficulty as I was wearing jeans instead of track pants. We waited for about 10 minutes for the rain to stop, but there was no sign of it letting up. Not wanting to get delayed, we decided to move on. After riding some distance in the rain and getting completely soaked, the rain finally stopped, and I felt a sense of relief! The temple was 13 km away, and with the help of local people and Google Maps, we reached there in about 30 minutes, around 9:30 am.

    Amazed by the surroundings and the grandeur of the temple, we went inside, had darshan of Shiva Shambhu, and then came out. The Ambernath Shiva Temple is believed to have been built in the 11th century by the Shilahara king Chittaraja. It is located on the banks of the Valdhuni River, about 2 km from Ambernath Railway Station (East). This temple was constructed in 1060 AD. When it comes to ancient temples, the most fascinating aspect is the intricate carvings. We took a round of the temple to admire the carved idols, and the craftsmanship was truly astonishing. The spire of the temple is also incredibly beautiful, a true marvel of sculpture. The architecture of this temple is a blend of the Bhumij and Nagar styles. Temples with similar spires can be found in Maharashtra—for example, the Amriteshwar Shiva Temple in Ratanwadi, the Gondeshwar Shiva Temple in Sinnar, Nashik, and the Nilkantheshwar Shiva Temple in Madhya Pradesh. These temples were constructed by various kings during the Shilahara dynasty in different periods. Many people say that the spire is incomplete because the temple was not completed, but this is not the case, and the fact that the spire of this temple was destroyed during the Islamic invasion is deliberately hidden. The spire was actually destroyed during the Islamic invasions. A similar fate befell the Kopeshwar Temple in Khidrapur, Kolhapur, where the original spire was broken and later replaced with a round dome. After spending some time admiring the idols carved on the temple walls, we decided to move on to our next destination—the Birla Vitthal Temple.

Carvings on Ambernath Shiv Temple

    Birla Vitthal Temple is located 7 km from the Ambernath Shiva Temple. We reached the temple in just 20 minutes, around 10:15 am. There was a slight sense of disappointment as photography was not allowed inside the temple premises. In the courtyard, right in front of the temple, there is an idol of the Birla couple offering salutations to Vitthal and Rakhumai. A plaque beside the idol provides information about Shri Birla and the temple; we read it and then proceeded inside. The temple is truly beautiful, with carvings made using modern techniques that resemble those of ancient temples. The idols of Vitthal and Rakhumai in the sanctum are as stunning as the temple itself. The attire and jewelry adorning the idols further enhanced their divine appearance-it felt as though we could go on gazing at them endlessly. After circumambulating the temple, we prepared to leave for our next destination. However, it suddenly began to rain, so we stayed inside the temple, waiting for it to stop. After about 15–20 minutes, the rain subsided, and we resumed our journey towards the Lonad Shiva Temple.

    With the help of Google Maps, we entered through the Bhiwandi Bypass and reached Lonad village via an unpaved road. After a long journey, the temple finally came into view, and we felt a wave of joy—only for it to fade quickly upon seeing the ruins of the temple scattered all around. A large tarpaulin had been placed over the temple to shield it from rainwater—such is the state of our Hindu temples! We had darshan of Mahadeva from outside, choosing not to enter the sanctum, and instead took a walk around the temple to observe the carvings. While walking, certain things became clear, and we began to understand how such a beautiful temple had fallen into this state of neglect. Multi-storey buildings, two to three floors high, have been constructed just 4 to 5 feet away from the temple. During their construction, the temple must have suffered damage, and many ancient remnants from the temple appear to have been used as filling material in these nearby houses. Behind the temple, there is a lake where villagers have buried temple pillars and used them as barricades. While the temple was originally damaged during the Islamic invasion, the ignorant actions of the local residents have caused further harm. Witnessing all this, I couldn't help but silently curse the negligence of the Archaeology Department.

Note : Historical information of the temple given below is taken from the website of Maharashtra Times, written by Mr. Praveen Kadam. link : History of Lonad Shiv Temple

    Annapayya, son of Mangalayya, chief of Silahara king Aparaditya, etc. Copper plate dated 997 A.D mentions that the revenue of Bhadane village was assigned for this temple. From this it can be said that this temple is at least 1 thousand 24 years old. A temple in Chaudharpada village, one kilometer from Lonad village, has an inscription called Gaddhegal (Gardhab Shapavani). In this inscription dated January 24, 1240, the name of Lonad is written as Lavnetat and the temple is mentioned as 'Lonaditya'. Transcription and translation of this inscription by Dr. It can be read in Dawood Dalvi's book 'Ase Hale Thane'. Etc. of Aparaditya II related to Lonad temple. S. An inscription dated 1184 is in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum. The inscription has moon, sun and Shiva linga engraved on it. In the article, it is written that the houses of two nobles of Lonad village were exempted from duty. The Lonaditya temple is sculpted to be on Gajaratha. It feels like the elephants are carrying the burden of the temple on their backs. Many ruins of the temple can be seen in a scattered state. Many elements like Ganapati, Lajjagauri, Mithun sculptures, mridanga players, dancers, Yaksha-Kinnars, sky couples showering flowers are seen in it. The Lonaditya temple is facing east and it is built in tridal style. The ruins that exist today give an idea of ​​its original scale and beauty. There is a Shiva Pindi in the core, a space and an assembly hall outside it. The top of the nave has been destroyed and part of the roof remains. A lot of collapsed carved parts, Amlaks etc. are visible around. As the Shivlinga is installed one and a half meters down in the core, one has to go down the steps. The entire structure is dry jointed with eight feet high stone walls. The doorway has nine sculptures with lalatbimba and the ceiling is decorated with a lotus figure. Sculptures of Mahishasur Mardini and Gajasur Vadha can be seen outside the temple. To the west of the temple is a large pond of one acre area. A ghat may have been built over this tank earlier, its stones are now found in a disturbed state. There is a Shiva temple in Chaudharpada village near here. At present this temple is called Rameshwar temple but its name should be Someshwar or Shompeshwar. Silahara King Mallikarjuna's Ee from Vasai. S. An inscription dated 1162 mentions the restoration of a temple. There is a record of donating a wadi at Lonavatak for the temple. The idol of Shiva Parvati and the body of Shankara in this temple belong to the Lonaditya temple and may have been shifted there in the past. This architectural cave in the beautiful but ruined state of the Shilahar period is a must-see.

Lonad Shiv Temple

    After visiting the Shiva temple in Lonad, we continued walking to see if there was anything else worth exploring in the village. Construction of houses and buildings was underway in several parts of the village. A little further ahead, we came across a newly built temple of Goddess Kali. As we approached to see the idol of the Goddess, a dog tied at the entrance began barking at us, preventing us from going any closer. So, we took darshan of the Goddess from outside and then proceeded towards the Lonad Caves.

    Once again taking help from Google Baba, we set off towards the caves. Leaving the asphalt road behind, we took a right turn onto an unpaved path. Just then, we heard someone calling out to us, trying to stop us. "The way to the temple is from here, go this way," said an elderly man, who had rightly guessed that we were headed to the temple (the caves). No matter how smart Google Baba is, the guidance of local people is always essential. The road leading to the caves was narrow, suitable only for bikes. With a valley on the left side, we had to ride slowly and carefully. After covering a distance of about one to one and a half kilometers, we reached the caves.

    The caves were quite crowded, mostly with villagers. Since these caves aren’t very well-known, they don’t attract many tourists. The village youths were busy preparing food; a goat was tied up in front of the caves, and a large vessel was kept nearby. Meanwhile, some groups were seen preparing ingredients using a mixer. That day, the villagers had planned to sacrifice a goat to the goddess and cook mutton.

Lonad Caves

    Lonad caves are located just north of Kalyan on the outskirts of Thane district, near a village called Janwal. These Buddhist caves sculptures date back to 5th to 8th century AD. The external verandah is damaged because of land sliding and dynamite blast nearby areas. The cave is now converted into a temple of godess Khandeshvari, but the carvings and inscriptions bear testimony to its Buddhist origins. There is an outer verandah with four pillars of which one is broken. Just above the pillars, there is a series of carved panels that depict the Jataka tale of Vishwantara (Vessantara), the benevolent and charitable Bodhisattva. Vishwantara was born in the kingdom of Jetuttara ruled by King Sanjaya. He was born along with a white elephant named Pacchaya, with magic powers to make rainfall. Renowned for being extremely charitable, Vishwantara gave away the elephant to eight Bramhins from a neighboring kingdom who deviously came to seek his help for saving them from a drought. The people of Jetuttara were upset at losing the magic elephant, and forced King Sanjaya to banish Vishwantara to the forests. On the right wall outside the pillars, there is a large carved fresco that also depicts a scene from the Vishwantara jataka tale. This is the scene of King Sanjaya who banishes Vishwantara in response to the complaints from his subjects. From the verandah, three openings lead to the internal chamber. The opening in the center looks like the main entrance, and the ones on both the sides are also big enough to enter through. The chamber is largely bare. In the center a rectangular yagna kund or holy fireplace that seems to be constructed in recent times. Towards the left end of the chamber, there are two mounds of rock that seem to be the remnants of some statue or structure In the center of back wall of the outer chamber, there is a door in the center that leads to the sanctum. On the two extreme ends of the back wall on either side of the central door, there are rectangular cut-outs with idols of Gods. On the right is the idol of Ganesh with a large mouse. The inner chamber is a small sanctum with dieties of Khandeshvari Devi and Mahishasura Mardini. The idols are placed on a platform that seems to be a new construction. Having explored the inside of the cave, we noticed a water tank on the extreme right on the outside.

Waterfall near Lonad Caves

 

   After exploring the caves, we observed some visitors are coming from jungle, so we moved ahead towards the jungle to see if any more ancient things to explore, but we reached at the small waterfall or can say a water stream. we spent 5 -10 minutes over there and decided to start return journey. We reached home (Vinayak's home) at around 1:20 p.m. Vinayak's mother had prepared a special dish "Patodyachi Aamti" for lunch, had a hearty meal and with fond memories I started my journey towards my home Goregaon.

Tungareshwar and Ghodbunder Tour

Mode of transport: Bike
Travel date: 25-Mar-2024


    Every year on the occasion of Holi, we go for a walk, visit placess near Mumbai. This year too, we decided to go, but the place was not decided. The day before Rangpanchami, Shailesh Dada and I decided to visit Sanjay Gandhi National Park, so we left home at 7:00 am on our two-wheeler. In just twenty minutes, we reached the gate of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. We were disappointed to see the gates closed. When we asked the security guard, he said that the park was closed today because it was Monday. The park, which is always open on public holidays, was closed today, so what other place should we choose?

        Sitting at the gate, we decided to visit the Vasai Fort and headed towards the Vasai Fort, but on the way, we remembered that today was Rangpanchami day. The people in the settlement near the fort would be celebrating today, so we decided to go to Tungareshwar as we did not want them to bother us and they did not want us to bother them. We reached the forest department post of Tungareshwar around 9 am. Since it was Rangpanchami , the post was closed. However, you have to pay the forest department entry fee to enter. It took us 35 to 40 minutes to cover such a short distance from the forest department post to Tungareshwar temple because the road here is unpaved and we had to be very careful while riding a bike.

    We parked the scooty in the parking lot and reached the temple of Mahadev. The aarti had just finished, due to which there was a big queue for darshan, so we decided to go ahead and come when the crowd had thinned. There is a deepstamb (light poll) at the entrance of the temple, looking at this lamp, it is clear that it was built in the 21st century. The beauty of the lamp in the ancient temple was not visible in this lamp. This lamp was small and looked like a chimney built on a mill. Many new constructions have been done in the Tungareshwar area and the natural beauty here is destroyed due to the tiles installed in the name of beautification. We continued climbing the mountain on the newly built footpath, crossed the bridge built over the stream and reached the temple of Goddess Durga. We took the blessings of the goddess and spent some time there. 

    Tungareshwar is a collection of five mountains, where Lord Parashurama is said to have killed a demon named Tunga. This temple was built in honour of Lord Parashurama. Lord Parashurama performed penance at this place. It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya meditated at a place near Shuparaka, which is now called Sopara or Nalasopara.

Tungareshwar Mahadev Temple

    While resting, Shailesh Dada said, when he came here a few years ago, there were many Veergals (hero stone) placed on the banks of the stream, now they are nowhere to be seen, I thought they must have been taken away while beautifying. Some tourists were seen going to the back of the Durga Devi temple, we also went to see what was behind the temple, and when we saw that the Veergals we were discussing about had been brought here. We went down to see the Veergal and had darshan of Mahadev. Veergal means a stone built in memory of a soldier who achieved heroism in war. Many battles must have taken place here and it is mainly remembered how important this place was in the past.

Virgal

    We had darshan of Mahadev and set off to visit Sadanand Maharaj's monastery on the top of the hill. We originally wanted to do a short trek. When we went further, we saw a forest department board and barricades there . It was forbidden to go further, so we were disappointed here too. We sat there and decided to spend some time, but just then, Shailesh Dada's mother called and came to know that he had forgotten to take his morning medicine! So, without wasting much time, the goal was to reach the chemist and buy the medicine. We rested there for ten to fifteen minutes and then started our return journey.

    While returning , we saw a path on the left, we parked the bike there and continued along that path. After going some distance, we saw a stream, there was no water in the stream. We got into the water steam path, spent some time there and saw a surprising thing, a tree on the bank had fallen, but the vine on its side was holding the fallen tree tightly. It was as if they were inseparable .

 

Love for nature - A bond for lifetime

    We spent some time there taking photographs and eating the puranpolis that had been brought from the box. We took pictures of some flowers there. Due to the sudden gust of wind, the dry leaves on the trees started falling, but we missed capturing this moment on camera. While coming out of the forest, we saw small red ants' nests. Shailesh Dada gave me valuable information on how to use these nests as a guide, which is as follows.

    "When ants build their nests, the soil is wet, and they need plenty of sunlight to dry them out as quickly as possible. Therefore, when building nests, the flat areas face east and west, so that the sun's rays fall on the nests throughout the day. This helps us find the right direction if we get lost in the forest".

 

Ant Hill

    We came out of the forest and sat on our two-wheelers and came near the forest department post. There was a watering place there, filled our empty water bottles and headed towards the main road. When we reached Virar Mumbai highway, we saw a chemist but the medicine we wanted was not available there, so we headed towards Mumbai. When we reached near Fountain Hotel, Shailesh took a left turn and turned the scooty towards Ghodbunder Road. He wanted to see Gaimukh Bandar and Gaimukh Temple, but before that it was very important to find a chemist.

The colors of nature seen on a Rangpanchami

    While going towards Gaymukh Port, we saw a chemist but the entrance was closed. While we were looking for a way to enter, a local person came and called the boy in the chemist and asked for medicines. Shailesh Dada also asked for medicines and took his share of the medicines. Both of us were now relieved. Within the next ten minutes, we reached Gaymukh Port. It is now very well decorated. There is proper seating available for tourists. We spent some time there and walked further to see the two statues of horses erected by the Thane Municipal Corporation. As we were walking, our eyes fell on an ancient structure on one side. There, the Archaeological Department had written that no garbage should be thrown here. Later, we came to know that this is an ancient post resembling a fort to keep an eye on Gaymukh Port. The Deadwood officers of the Archaeological Department had completed their work by putting up a board, and Its conservation and beautification have been left to fate. A restaurant has been built right next to the ancient structure, how did they get this permission? We went ahead and took pictures of the horse statues.

Newly built Gaimuk Port

Ancient Gaimukh Chowki (Fort)

    In the past, high-quality Arabian horses were traded here, so this place was named Ghode Gaon, later it was renamed Ghodbunder. The statues of horses erected by the Thane Municipal Corporation are in memory of that. This was an important route on the trade routes through the Arabian Sea, from here all the goods used to reach Junnar via Kalyan, Vasai, Naneghat. It is recorded in history that the Portuguese built a total of 11 forts and outposts around this trade route to protect it. One of these 11 forts and outposts is Gaimukh Fort (outpost). Today, due to political interests and the neglect of the Archaeological Department, this structure is counting its last elements. As a reminder, we took a photo of this outpost and went in search of Gaimukh Temple.

Horse statues

    The location of Gaimukh Temple was shown on a hill on Google Maps, but we did not know the way there at the time, we reached there with the help of local people. Gaimukh Temple is on a small hill and the current temple is newly built and the remains of the ancient temple are no longer visible. From this hill, the area of ​​Ulhas River is completely visible. We had darshan of Mahadev in Gaimukh Temple and started searching for an old knowledgeable person to know the history of this temple and the place, but we realized that the person with the information we wanted was not here and we started towards our return journey. We reached home around 2 pm.

Gaimukh Shiva Temple