Baneshwar temple, Nasrapur, Hindu temple in Nasrapur, India.

The Baneshwar temple is a Shiva temple in Nasrapur, about 36 km southwest of Pune. Its lower wall is dark grey-blue, the upper sections orange and yellow, and the roof carries a tall yellow conical spire with horizontal rings on the left and a smaller yellow domed tower on the right, both topped with finials. A ladder leans against the tall spire, and three recessed arched niches with dark interiors are framed in yellow and orange on the facade, above a low orange and yellow base with steps.

Baneshwar temple was built in 1749 by Balaji Baji Rao, son of Peshwa Bajirao I, at a recorded cost of 11,426 rupees, 8 aane and 6 paise. Its architecture follows medieval models. Chimaji Appa's 1739 victory over the Portuguese at Bassien brought the 1683 bell with a cross that hangs here, one of five such bells distributed to temples.

The name Baneshwar combines "ban", forest, and "Ishwar", God, for a shrine standing inside a dense green patch. The temple holds a bell bearing the year 1683 and a cross, taken by Chimaji Appa after his victory over the Portuguese at Bassien in 1739; four similar bells are kept at Bhimashankar, Omkareshwar in Pune, the Shiva temple at Menavali-Wai and Ramling temple at Shirur.

Baneshwar lies about 36 km southwest of Pune; MSRTC buses run regularly from Pune to Nasrapur, from where local transport covers the last stretch. The best months are August to February, and summer is best avoided. A waterfall stands behind the temple, and red-eared sliders and soft-shell turtles live in the holy pond.

A large bell from 1683 marked with a cross hangs in the temple courtyard, taken from Portuguese forces during regional conflicts. This bell tells a story of the area's military past and serves as an unexpected artifact in this sacred space.