Khandoba Temple, Jejuri, Hindu temple in Jejuri, Maharashtra
Khandoba Temple, Jejuri is a Hindu pilgrimage site in Maharashtra state, around 50 kilometers from Pune. The complex rises over several levels on a hill, with a path of two hundred stone steps lined by columned halls, sheds for offerings and hundreds of resting spots for pilgrims.
The shrine was expanded from the 12th century by local rulers and later by the Peshwa maharajas from Pune in the 18th century. The queen Ahilya Bai Holkar sponsored several additions and renovations in the early 19th century, including new shrines and the paving of the approach paths.
During religious ceremonies, devotees throw turmeric powder on the deity and each other, creating a distinctive yellow atmosphere throughout the temple.
Climbing the steps is tiring, but there are rest benches at several levels and stalls selling water and small meals. Visitors who have difficulty walking can hire a palanquin carried by four men up the hill.
A giant brass tortoise stands in front of the inner shrine, cast as an offering and now considered a good luck symbol. An open arsenal displays old swords and tridents once used in festival competitions, when young men lifted the blades to prove their strength.
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