Ancient Kolhaleshwar temple, kolhar, Rahata, Ahilyanagar

Situated on the banks of the Amrutvahini Pravara River on the Ahilyanagar-Manmad highway in the Rahata taluka of Ahilyanagar district, the village of Kolhar is famous for the ancient Kolhaleshwar Temple, Vitthal-Rukmini Temple, Hanuman Temple, and Bhagwati Mata Temple. The village derives its name, Kolhar, from the Kolhaleshwar Temple. It is said that during his exile, Lord Shriram himself installed a sand-based Shivalinga here. The Kolhaleshwar Temple is ancient, and its spire stands at a height of 90 feet.

According to legend, the village of Kolhar is associated with the distribution of the nectar (Amrit) obtained from the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), which took place at nearby Nevasa. The demons created a massive uproar (Kolahal) over the distribution of this nectar, from which the village derived the name ‘Kolahal-Kolhal-Kolhar’. To quell this uproar, Lord Mahadev appeared here and instructed Goddess Bhagwati to destroy all the demons. Since then, this place has been known as Kolhaleshwar. According to another legend, during their exile, Shriram, Lakshman, and Sita stayed on the banks of the Pravara River. At that time, for his daily worship, Shriram installed a Shiva Linga made of river sand and performed rituals. Lord Mahadev appeared and told Shriram that He would reside here. Since then, the temple was named Kolhaleshwar, and the village likely took the name Kolhar from this temple. It was at this very spot that Goddess Bhagwati gave a divine vision to Shriram and blessed him to destroy the wicked. According to references in some texts, Saint Dnyaneshwar and his siblings stayed at Kolhar during their journey from Nevasa to Alandi and departed from here.

The Kolhaleshwar Temple, situated on the banks of the Pravara River, is a magnificent structure built in the Hemadpanti style. While the original temple dates back to the 16th century, it acquired its current form after renovations carried out between 2016 and 2020. This temple, which is a replica of the Trimbakeshwar Temple, has a spacious complex. The temple premises are enclosed by a boundary wall, and outside it, on a large platform, is the shrine of Shani Dev. One enters the temple courtyard through an arch in the boundary wall after climbing 15-20 steps. The complex is spacious and includes six other temples dedicated to Ganpati, Shri Dattatreya, Keshav-Govind (a pillar-like Shivalinga carved in sandalwood), Radha-Krishna, Parvati Devi, and Rameshwar. The temple structure consists of a Nandi Mandap, Sabha Mandap, and Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum). Upon entering, one sees a large stone statue of Nandi, featuring exquisite craftsmanship. It is said that there is a tunnel behind this Nandi that leads to the village’s Bhagwati Devi temple. The first entrance to the tunnel is beneath the Shivalinga in the Mahadev temple. The Sabha Mandap is spacious, and beyond it, in the Garbhagriha, lies the ancient sand-based Shivalinga of Mahadev. There is a small door in the Garbhagriha that allows one to exit directly outside the temple. The outer walls of the temple feature distinctive carvings and numerous sculptures.

During Shravani Mondays and Mahashivratri, the Kolhaleshwar area takes on the atmosphere of a fair. Thousands of devotees visit for darshan at these times. This is a ‘Jagrut Devasthan’ (an awakened/living deity site), and devotees believe that observing the ’16 Mondays’ fast here fulfills one’s wishes. Devotees can have darshan of Kolhaleshwar from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM. In 2022, the Sainath Mitra Mandal Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal from Kannamwar Nagar, Vikhroli, Mumbai, created a replica of this Kolhaleshwar Temple, for which the Mandal received an award from the Mumbai Police Department.

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