PLACES

BRAHMAPURI

A village in Mangalwedha taluka is situated on the Bhima sixteen miles to the south-east of Pandharpur and has, as per the Census of 1971, a population of 1,859 souls. The village has a post and a telegraph office. The river Bhima forms the main source of water-supply. Primary schools conducted by the Zilla Parishad and the English High School cater to the educational needs of the village populace.

The village is famous for the temple of Siddheshvar enclosed in a paved courtyard. Located on the bank of the Bhima this old temple is a Hemadpanti structure. After descending a few steps from the courtyard, at the gate of the sabhamandap are four dipmals, one to the left and others to the right. The sabhamandap has about 18 pillars with many embedded in wall. On turning to the left inside the sabhamandap is the inner shrine containing the linga. In front is a nandi image.

In 1695, Emperor Aurangzeb, annoyed at the continued Maratha raids in the north Deccan, encamped with his large army at Brahmapuri where he established his chief store and built cantonment where he held a court. A fanatic as he was known to be, as per an anecdote, he ordered a few of his lieutenants to break the linga. When it was attempted, swamps of large black bees suddenly appeared on the scene and forced them to flee. The next day, the Emperor, thinking that the Hindu god should be pacified, made an offering of beef to the god. The dish was covered by a piece of cloth. On approaching the shrine, when the towel was removed the dish was found to contain white flowers and the place came to be known as Mas nur, mas meaning flesh and nur meaning appearance. Thus the place where the flesh was changed into flowers came to be known as Masnur and subsequently as Machnur. It is known from the local populace from what they have gathered through generations that the Emperor Aurangzeb after the incident quoted earlier made two yearly grants-one of Rs. 480 and the other of Rs. 6 to the temple. The temple even to this date gets this amount of Rs. 486 from the Government. The temple has an inam land of about 50 acres, the income from which is utilized towards the worship of the deity.

An annual fair is held, on the day of Mahashivaratri, in honour of god Siddheshwar. About 3,000 people attend the fair. Besides Mahashivaratri, a number of devotees visit the shrine on every amavasya (no-moon day) and on Mondays in the month of Shravana.

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