This small 8th century temple is located in the heart of the
city at Shivaji Nagar at Jangali Maharaj Road . It is a perfect
example of rock-cut architecture. This wonderful temple resembles
the grand rock temple at Elephanta but unfortunately was never
completed. The Pateleshwar temple includes a “cave” in its
vicinity and thereby it is also known as, “Patleshwar Cave
Temple”.
The rock-cut cave is actually a Shiva temple wherein most of the
rocks date back to 700-800AD. The rock has been cut into pillars,
seating areas and similar rooms. The temple is fairly simple with
just a few ornate carvings on the black rock. The heart of the cave
includes, a cube-shaped room about 3-4 meters on each side, which
also includes a lingam. Along with lord Shiva there are statues of
Sita, Rama and Laxmana. This makes this place visited by a large
number of Hindu devotees, specially devotees of lord Shiva and his
bull, Nandi.
Just near to Patleshwar Temple is Jangli Maharja temple dedicated
to Hindu ascetic who died here in 1818. There is also a museum which
exhibits a grain of rice, with 5000 characters engraved, recorded in
Guinness Book of World Records. The temple opens daily from 08:00am
till 05:30pm. Many local rickshaws operating, are the easiest way
reach Patleshwar Cave temple.
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