PLACES

DEVRASHTRE

Temples and Cells.

Devrastre in Khanapur, a village of 3,181 inhabitants, about  19.31 km (twelve miles) south-west of Vite, has a curious cluster of temples and ancient monkish cells. These He about a couple of kilometres north-west of the village and a good roadway made and planted with trees by the devotees of the place leads to the bare round-topped hills near which the village lies. There is now a regular bus service to the village. The temples lie in a hollow about half-way down a small, gently sloping but rocky pass through an opening in the bills which forms the communication between the Khanapur and Valva talukas. They are perhaps more easily accessible from Takari village in the Valva taluka which has an irrigation bungalow good to serve its a starting point. A walk north-east of about 1.60 km (one mile) along a path running between the Satara-Tasganv road and the range of hills which runs parallel to it leads to a ravine opening to the north up which the path turns. The rocks on each side are bare and rugged and the ground much broken by deep stream beds. A little scrub grows here and there. A mile of this and the ravine closes in. The path begins to ascend slightly, and after a rise of about 15.24 metres (50 ft.) reaches the hollow where are the temples. The hollow is about 50.16 m² (60 sq. yds.) and quite shut in by low rocky hills and broken ground, but contains no less than forty-three temples large and small nearly all of the same pattern, a square shrine with a vestibule and a spire of brick, all in honour of Mahadev and containing no image bur the ling. The chief temple is in the centre, and, though modernised by restoration, is apparently older than the rest. It is dedicated to Samudresvar or Sagaresvar Mahadev or Mahadev of the Sea and the antiquity and sanctity of the place is derived from this temple and its accompanying cells. Entering from the south in a row on the left or west are three temples and on the right or east are the cells, seven in a row running from west to east and then, at right angles, seven more running from south to north. These buildings are undoubtedly old and are said to have been inhabited by seers or rsis; As there is no inscription it is difficult to fix the exact date. But legends connect the place with a Raja of Kundal, where are a large number of Brahmanical caves, and these cells, therefore, are probably of about the same age. They look as if they were an unfinished part of a cloistered quadrangle for a temple. The position of the temple of Samudresvar to the north of the end of the cells would not suit with this theory, but there is a small shrine made into a modern temple in a place almost corresponding to the centre of the quadrangle. The cells are each 1.52 x 1.21 metres (6' x 4') and about 1.72 metres (5'—8") high. They have pillars with shafts at each corner and square dome-like tops closed in with rough flat slabs. The cells all open inward and are separated by stone partitions 0.304 metres (a foot) thick, which give some support to the quadrangle theory. They are closed at the back by a solid stone wall about 0.60 metres (two feet) thick and about 2.13 metres (seven feet) high including a slightly raised coping. This gives a fall for the centre roof which slopes inwards down to the broad eaves in the old Hemadpanti style. These eaves are 0.48 metres (one foot seven inches) broad, curved, and turned up at the front margin. They are kept in their places by the heavy roof slabs which overlap them some 0.15 metres (six inches). The rest of the roof is made in the same fashion, the upper slabs overlapping the lower. The coping stones at the top are about 1.52 metres (five feet) long and 0.55 metres (one foot ten inches) wide with wedge-shaped incisions apparently for the insertion of dovetailing blocks to hold them together. Each roof slab, where it overlaps the one below, and the eaves, is faced with mouldings and crochets. No mortar is used throughout the structure, which is of large blocks of trap finely cut. Old slabs mouldings and shafts of various fashions are scattered about different parts of the place and are worked here and there into the new temple buildings.

Immediately in front of the seven cells running north are five temples in a row opening west. In a line with these cells are three more temples or rather modern chambers opening west and turning west of them are four more opening south. Facing the east row of cells are four temples in a row opening east, a dhurmasala or rest-house and then another temple. In the centre is a small temple above alluded to, north of it another, and north of this last the temple of Samudresvar. It has a mandap with, the old style of pillars and a brick spirt but no signs of antiquity. 18.28 metres (20 yds.) north of it are three masonry tanks about 3.04x1.82 metres (ten feet long and six feel broad), one below the other for different castes, always full of beautiful clear water with about nine small temples surrounding them. East of these is the road leading up to Devrastrc and bevond the road the sacred tank generally dry but when filled with water used for ablution. Its waters are supposed to have miraculous powers and to have originally cured the Raja of Kundal who built the cells. The legend is that a sage named Suta told the great sage Vyas that he had been to all sacred places and yet had not been satisfied. Vyas then informed alt the rsis that there was a sacred spot named Samudresvar which would become known in the days of Raja Satyesvar. Raja Satyesvar once went to hunt in the Ambika country. He shot an arrow at his quarrv but missed and in following it arrived at the forest of Nibid. He was in great difficulty for water and came to where the sage Sumitra was sitting. He asked him for water. But the sage was rapt in divine contemplation and would not answer him. The Raja then flew in a rage and threw some lice, which were on the ground, at the sage. At that moment the sage awoke from his trance, saw Satyesvar and visited him with the curse that vermin would come out all over his body. The Raja begged for merey. on which the sage said the plague should occur only at night and disappear in the day. and after twelve years the sanctuary of Samudresvar would be discovered, and his sins be cleansed there by the devoted worship of his wife. The Raja went home and bis wife passed the appointed time praying for him and cleansing him day by day of the vermin that appeared on him at night. He then went to hunt in the same part of the country and was again in difficulties for water, when he saw a small rill trickling from a rock in the Sahyadris. It's water he took in his hand, washed with it his eyes and when he got home his wife noticed at night that his hands, eyes and mouth were free from the vermin plague. The wife then suggested that he should go to the spring wherewith he had washed. He made a large tank where the rill had appeared, and washed his whole body, when the vermin entirely disappeared. On inquiring for the origin of this sacred water he was told by Kartik Svami that it came from the head of Sankar, The reason of its appearance and the name Samudresvar are thus explained: Sankar killed a gigantic sea demon called Jalandara. The sea or samudra, delighted at this, worshipped Sankar and asked Him to manifest Himself at some spot where samudra would put up the ting in his honour. Sankar consented and out of his head sprang a branch of the Ganga which was the rill Satyesvar found and hence the name Samudresvar. Sankar promised to favour this spot as he did Banaras itself. The legends contain no account of how the cells were built. The other shrines here were built in honour of various manifestations of Sankar and kindred deities. A prince named Bil Raja erected one and Somanath of Sorath, a name which seems to have some reference to the celebrated Kathiavad temple destroyed by Muhammad of Gazni, is another. Another prince mentioned is Giri Raja, but there seem to be no historical personages corresponding to these names. The cells are said to have hem built by Hingandev, the king; who is said to have built the well at Mhasunie or Hingan Khadi in Khatav; while the village of Hingan gad close by in the Khiinapur taluka is perhaps named after him. His place of residence is said to have been Kaundanyapiir which is said to be the same as Kundal, the Pant Pratinidhi's village about 6.43 km (four miles) to the south-east.

Devrastre has two primary schools, a high school run by the Yasvant Education Society, a post office, a multi-purpose co-operative society and a wool-weavers' co-operative which is engaged in the manufacture of blankets from the indigenous wool. The village has. a Mahila Mandal. and a Tarun Mandal which conducts a well equipped gymnasium. Devrastre is the birth place of late Ramabi Ranade, wife of Govind Mahadev Ranade and Shri Y. B. Chavan. the present Home Minister of India.

TOP