Pataleshwar Cave Temple – One of the Lesser Heard Wonders of India
A typical rock-cut cave temple in Pune is the Pataleshwar Cave Temple which is an ancient temple that dates back to the 8th century during the Rashtrakuta period.
It is said that the Pataleshwar Cave Temple has been carved out from a single rock. It is also dedicated to Lord Shiva and Nandi. There are also statues of various Hindu Gods and Goddesses such as Goddess Sita, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ram, Lord Lakshman, and Lord Ganesh. A majestic shivalingam is also built under its roof, at the main shrine of the temple. This temple has huge pillars, adding on to its magnificence.
The construction of this temple, which was inspired by the Elephanta caves, was left uncompleted. Owing to this, there is no marked entrance to Pataleshwar Cave Temple. One of the way to enter it via an open area next to a majestic banyan tree.
