Amruteshwar Temple

About Amruteshwar Temple

This ancient Shiva temple, over 1200 years old, stands as one of twelve temples commissioned by King Jhanjha during the Shilahara dynasty's reign in the 9th century CE. Located in the remote village of Ratanwadi near Bhandardara in Ahmednagar district, the temple measures 61 meters by 36 meters and is surrounded by a low parapet with an eastern entrance. The structure follows traditional temple design with a mandapa, antarala, and garbhagriha, crowned by a shikhara and amalaka. The sanctum houses a distinctive Shivling that emerges from a rock cavity and is topped with three stones arranged in a kalasha shape. The temple features beautifully carved pillars, detailed sculptures of dancers and celestial beings, and perforated windows in shallow recesses. A Nandi statue faces the eastern back door from the western gate, with two additional eroded Nandi figures on the porch. Local legends attribute the temple's name to Sage Agastya's penance here, where nectar allegedly flowed, while another tradition credits the Pandavas with sculpting the Shivling overnight during their exile.

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