PLACES

MALLIKARJUN HILL

Mallikarjun hill in Valva, about 304.80 metres (1,000 feet) above the plain, is a point in the range of hills which breaks off from the Kandur spur at Yeupe about 19.31 km (twelve miles) south-west of Karhad and with a break at the joint boundaries of the villages of Itkare and Yede Nipani runs as far as Pokharni and Bavaci close to Aste. The hill is more or less conical in shape with a flat plateau of about 4.04 hectares (ten acres) on the top. The ascent can be made from Malevadi on the south or from Yede or Gotkhindi on the north from 3.21 to 4.82 km (two or three miles) either way. On the flat plateau at the summit are three large tombs of Musalman saints or pirs and several smaller ones much resorted to by devout Musalmans. The chief mausoleum is of Cand, a native of Bokhara in Tartary who is said to have lived here as a devotee and died some three or four and a half centuries ago. A hundred years later one Gavri built him the mausoleum which is a whitewashed stone building with a small dome about 1.85 m² (twenty feet square) and 6.09 (twenty feet) high. Another follower Badruddin of Baghdad in Turkey in Asia came some 130 years ago and his disciple one Satu, a Maratha from Sangli built his mausoleum. Annaji, son of Satu, built another to his father's memory adjoining Badruddin's and Annaji's son Naikji later used to live in attendance at the mosque. Naikji has built a Hindu temple to his father Annaji which lies on the south-east while ascending the northern slope from Gotkhindi. The temple of Mallikarjun lies about 213.36 metres (700 feet) off the plain. At less than a third of the way or about 60.96 metres (200 feet) from the plain is the Patal Ganga spring. From here a path with steps leads about 134.11 metres (400 feet) higher up to the first terrace which was built on to the side of the hill in mortared masonry by one Sidappa Gogre of Panhala about 1830. About 22.86 metres (75 ft.) higher is another and the chief terrace also built by Gogre about 18.28 metres (sixty feet) long by 6.09 metres (twenty ft.) broad and_ on a level with some caves which are dedicated to Mallikarjun. Round the north-east and west sides up to the various buildings is a parapet. The entrance is up some steps a little east of the centre. A little west of the centre and in the middle of the terrace are two lamp pillars or dipmals with a basil platform between.

Beginning from the east the first is a modern cave-like structure of two masonry arches and a flat roof built about 100 years ago by one Lingappa, a Vani. Close to it on the west is an old cave 7.62 metres (twenty-five feet) long by 2.74 metres (nine feet) deep and 1.82 metres (six feet) high with two arches and a partition in the centre forming a double cell. The roof is flat and the arched entrance modern. The third close by is a small temple of Kal-bhairav with a conical tower also modern. Adjoining this to the west is a large cave 6.09 metres (20 ft.) long by 5.48 metres (18 ft.) deep with two arches at the face. An open space of 1.21 metres (four feet) is followed by a masonry verandah of three arched divisions and evidently modern 6.40 metres (21 ft.) long and 3.04 metres (ten feet) broad. In a line with this is another verandah of four divisions a pillar supporting each. The verandah is not more than 1.82 metres (six feet) high, about 6.40 (twenty-one feet) long and 2.43 metres (eight feet) broad, built of masonry and against the face of the rock in which a small door about 1.52 metres (five feet) high by 0.609 metres (two feet) broad is cut. Inside is the main temple, a flat roofed chamber (2l'xl6'x5' x 10'=6.40 x 4.87 x 1.77 metres) the roof supported on four pillars in three courses two rectangular with a cylindrical one between them. The space between the pillars from east to west is about 3.14 metres (ten feet) and between the two southern pillars a vestibule 4.87 metres (sixteen feet) by 3.04 metres (ten feet) is made leading to a small door 1.21 metres (four feet) by 0.609 metres (two feet) which opens into the shrine or gabhara. The shrine is about 3.04x2.43 metres (ten feet by eight) and contains a ling of Som-nath Mahadev. Westward from the outer division of the mandap is a chamber containing the ling of Mallikarjun Mahadev, The roof here is very thin and a conical spire has been built upon the rock by some modern restorer. To the west of this again is a small stone basin. To the north and in a line with the verandah of the mandap is the nandi chamber also dug in the rock which projects here beyond the entrance of the mandap. Again upon the terrace and in front of this is another modern nandi chamber surmounted with a drum chamber or nagarkhana built 110 years ago by a Vani. He also built the verandah in front of the chief mandap. A little above and adjoining the pond next the nandi cave is a double flat-roofed cave 5.18 metres (seventeen feet) long east to west by 3.65 metres (twelve feet) deep and 1.82 metres (six feet) high and to the west of these are two more masonry cells built by Sakhoba a Vani, of sirala. The path to Malevadi leads past a small spring in a stone basin, the water of which however is not used. Further on the south side is another spring cons-tantly used about 201 metres (220 yards) from Mallikarjun's temple and about 27 metres more from the Musalman tombs above.

Nothing is known of the maker of the caves which are admitted to be ancient though artificial. The sage Agastya mentioned in the Karvir Mahatmya as the devotee of Mallikarjun is generally accredited with being the builder. Somnath is said to be the elder form of the deity. Its position would make it probable that it is the chief one but the only fair held here is in honour of Mallikarjun on the first and last Mondays of Sravana or July-August, when about 5,000 people assemble and the god's palanquin or palkhi is carried in procession. The temple is a favourite spot of worship with the Jains and Lingayat Vanis. Sidappa Gogre, the Vani of Panhala made extensive repairs and built the very fine terraces and his sons set aside a portion of their earnings for this purpose year by year. The pillars of the mandap are very curious and are sharply cut, while the roof and wall doors are the same. Except a little moulding the doors have no carving. There are no signs in any of the caves of stone benches or beds and the set is classed by Dr. Burgess as Brahmanical, the pillars being of about the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. [Cave Temples of India, pp. 427-428.]

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