TRISHUND TEMPLE: The Antique Peace

Have you ever wondered, what if you find peace amidst the chaos; inactivity in fuss or stillness in bustle? This paradoxical duo is found in places, things, and beings that appeal to almost everyone; a perfect of which is the Trishund Mayureshwar Ganpati Temple.

According to scriptures inscribed on the walls of the confined structure, this gem has been hiding in plain sight in the heart of Pune for over 250 years. According to inscriptions over the wall, the construction started on 26 August 1754, which was completed in 1770 under the governance of Bhimjigri Gosavi from Ddhampur.

The temple has a unique fusion of Rajasthani, Malwa and South Indian architectural style built with Deccan Stone Basalt. The facade has carvings of Goddess Laxmi with two elephants; Lord Vishnu and peacock on the top. The entrance is guarded by carvings of Dwarpals (doorkeepers).

The right wall has carvings of rhinoceros tied using an iron chain by the British soldiers and two elephants below them which depicted the history. After the Battle of Plassey in, 1757; Britishers captured Assam and Bengal. The rhinoceros represents Assam, whose lands have been mapped by rhinos, that have never set foot in Pune.

The entrance leads to a capacious hall with additional carvings and a statue of Shivaji. The right-side stairs open on to basement which opens once a year at the time of Purnima. It is cleared and drained so that people can commend to prominent saint Gosavi's samadhi, it is flooded for the rest of the year.

The capacious hall further leads to a passage in front of the sanctum where the antique murti (idol) of Ganesha is placed. Ganesha has three trunks and six hands sitting over a peacock. The name comes from Tri-Shund that means three trunks. Two more inscriptions are chiselled, one is from The Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit other one is in Persian.

Many people are unaware of the backside of this temple. From the left side of the entrance, you can outreach to the temple's back where you will find the sculpture of Natraj and a carving depicting Lingodbhav story.

This place is one of those hidden gems with which India is blessed, discover the peace here which you can't find at the corner of your home.