Ancient Ashtabahu Gopalkrishna Mohadi, Dindori, Nashik

In Mohadi village, Dindori Taluka, Nashik District, there is an extremely rare Ashtabahu (eight-armed) sculpted idol of Shri Krishna. Carved from black stone, this idol is distinct and unique from all other ancient idols, and it is said to be the only one of its kind in the entire country.

Mohadi village is rich in hills, rivers, and lush greenery. This ancient village finds mention as ‘Mohamalli’ in the eleventh century. The village may have been named ‘Mohadi’ after the Mohadamalleshwar (Bhairavnath) temple located there. It is also possible that the name came from the large number of huge Moha trees in the area. The main temple in the village is dedicated to Ashtabahu Gopalakrishna, who is the presiding deity of the village.

The legend of this temple tells that many years ago, ‘Mohadamalla’ resided in Mohadi village. During his time, a sculptor, while traveling from Kanyakumari to Ujjain, stopped in Mohadi. There, the sculptor created an idol of Krishna. The next day, when he went to lift the idol, it would not move from its spot. In anger, the sculptor then struck the idol with an axe, but nothing happened to it. Therefore, he left the idol at that very spot. Thus, this historic idol of Krishna remained in Mohadi village. In Ujjain, there is a similar idol of Gopalakrishna made by the same sculptor, but that idol has only four arms. Therefore, the glory of this rare idol, depicting Krishna with eight arms, stands as an important heritage of Mohadi village.

The Ashtabahu Gopalakrishna temple is three-storied and ancient. This spacious temple, built in wood, is 5 ‘khan’ wide and 7 ‘khan’ long (one ‘khan’ is approximately 25 x 10 feet). Around 1950, the people of Mohadi renovated it through public contributions. It is mentioned that the wealthy Peshwas used to donate 144 rupees annually for the lamps in this temple.

The ground floor houses the assembly hall (sabhamandap), where programs like spiritual discourses (katha), devotional singing (kirtan), and lectures are held. Adjacent to it is accommodation similar to a धर्मशाला (dharmashala). The Janmashtami festival is celebrated here on a grand scale from Shravan Vadya Pratipada to Ashtami. A ‘Namasaptah’ (week of chanting divine names) is observed from Bhadrapad Vadya Panchami to Ekadashi.

In the sanctum sanctorum (gabhara) in front of the assembly hall, the idol of Gopalakrishna, carved from Shaligram stone, is in an Ashtabahu form. This idol is exquisite, proportionate, and artistic. It is enshrined in a rectangular frame of an ornate carved ‘makhar’ (altar). The idol, adorned with a beautiful crown, has the Govardhan mountain lifted on the little finger of one hand. On this mountain, Kalpataru (wish-fulfilling tree) and monkeys engrossed in ‘markat-leela’ (monkey play) are carved. In two of Krishna’s hands, there is a horizontal flute. Other hands hold weapons like the conch (shankha), discus (chakra), and mace (gada). This Gopalakrishna wears a loincloth (langot) and an ornamental belt around His waist. A scene is carved where Kaliya the serpent has coiled around Gopalakrishna’s body and is biting His ear. This scene is carved with great detail. At the feet of the idol, one Gopi plays the mridangam, while another plays the shehnai. Cows are engrossed in listening to the Lord’s flute. Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu, stands at His feet.

To date, many famous personalities have visited this temple and held public programs here, including the late L. R. Pangarkar, the revered Mamasahib Dandekar, Pandurang Shastri Athavale, as well as literary figures Acharya Atre, Kusumagraj (V. V. Shirwadkar), playwright Vasantrao Kanetkar, Vidyadhar Gokhale, and Vidya Vachaspati Vishnu ji Kshirsagar. It is a tradition of this village to invite renowned scholars to the festivals.

The temple’s administration is managed by trustees, all of whom are local. The temple priests are hereditary, and this system is maintained by the families of the late Gopalakrishna Kashinath Joshi and the late Lakshmikant Yagneshwar Joshi, who was well-versed in Vedic scriptures. The honor of narrating the Bhagavat Purana during festivals also belongs to this family, and they uphold it even today. Devotees can visit the temple and have darshan of Gopalakrishna from 7 AM to 8 PM.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery