Sutradhara’s Tales: The temple inscriptions mention Pune as “Punyanagari Puri”

The sabha mandapa of Trishundya Ganapati temple in Somwar peth is domical with faceted corners on four sides. The now empty niches must have had sculptures of Hindu deities. The entrance to garbhagriha interestingly shows jatadhari Shiva (Shiva in dreadlocks) with two shaktis on both the laps, trishula and naga, and has their respective vehicles Nandi and lion on both the side. Thus, this lintel reveals the true Shaivaite affiliation of the temple.

The shikhara of the temple today looks domical, but in all probability, it might have been left incomplete. There might have been an attempt to make this temple three-storeyed. There is a small tortoise carved in the upper portion which marks this attempt.

The circumambulation path (pradakshina marga) is nirandhara (open to light).

Garbhagriha (sanctum) houses striking image of six handed, three trunked Ganesha seated on peacock. It has serpent in his beak! It’s usually vehicle mouse is also seen at the base. The unusual mount as peacock makes it Mayureshwar. This is a Shakti Ganesha as one sees its consort seated on its right lap and has Ganesha’s trunk touching her chin. This along with other attributes (Pasha, Ankusha, Trishul and Beejpurak) in its arms helps us identify the image as “Mayureshwar”. Devi Yantra and Sheshshayin Vishnu are seen engraved on the back wall. Gosavis are seen adorning the back wall and acting as attendants.

According to the Ganesha Purana, Ganesha incarnated as Mayuresvara, who has six arms and a white complexion. His mount is a peacock. He was born to Shiva and Parvati in the Treta Yuga, for the purpose of killing the demon Sindhu.

Sindhu was the son of Chakrapani – the king of Mithila and his wife Ugra. Ugra conceived due to the power of a solar mantra, but was unable to bear the extreme heat radiating from the foetus, so she abandoned it in the ocean. Soon, a son was born from this abandoned foetus and the ocean returned him to his grieving father, who named him Sindhu – the ocean.

Parvati underwent austerities meditating on Ganesha – “the supporter of the entire universe” – for twelve years at Lenyadri (another Ashtavinayak site, where Ganesha is worshiped as the son of Parvati). Pleased by her penance, Ganesha blessed her by the boon that he would be born as her son. In due course, Ganesha was born to Parvati at Lenyadri and named as Ganesha by Shiva. Little Ganesha once knocked an egg from a mango tree, from which emerged a peacock. Ganesha mounted the peacock and assumed the name Mayuresvara.

Sindhu was given the ever-full bowl of amrita (elixir of life) as a boon from the Sun-god. The demon was warned that he could drink from the bowl as long as it was intact. So, to protect the bowl, he swallowed it. Sindhu terrorised the three worlds, so the gods asked Ganesha for help. Ganesha defeated Sindhu’s army, cut his general Kamalasura into three pieces and then cut open Sindhu’s body, emptying the amrita bowl and thus killing the demon.

The temple exteriors are carved with various forms of Shiva representing mythical stories. Of the outer niches, one depicts Harihara, a syncretic form represented with attributes of Shaiva and Vaishnava sect such as damru, trishula and shankha. The image on other side is that of Natesha Shiva in dancing form. The back of sanctum has a peculiar image of Shivlinga with depiction of a hamsa (swan) and a varaha (wild boar). This is depiction of the mythical story of Lingodbhava Shiva occurring in Linga Purana and Shiva Purana.

Once, while the lord Vishnu and lord Brahma contested for superiority of who is the creator, a self-emanating and light emitting column of light appeared in front of them. Both Vishnu and Brahma were intrigued and took upon themselves the challenge to find the source of this endless and limitless light column (jyotirlinga). Lord Brahma took the form of his mount swan and flew in upward direction while lord Vishnu, took the form of varaha, the wild boar and started digging in downward direction. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the source, and while Vishnu conceded his defeat, Brahma lied and said he had found the pinnacle and presented flower as evidence.

Angry at this, lord Shiva revealed himself and effectively demonstrated his superiority. Shiva took the form of Bhairava and took apart one of the five heads of Brahma and in punishment, Shiva ordained that Brahma would never have temples on Earth in his worship. Lingodbhava is an iconic representation of Hindu god Shiva and the panel here depicts the legend of the origin of the linga.

Important piece of evidence is the Persian and Sanskrit inscription carved on the back wall of garbhagriha. It mentions Pune as “Punyanagari Puri” and salutation mentions Ganapati, Saraswati and Dakshinamurti Shiva. It also offers salutation to Datta and mentions one verse shloka each of Mahinma, Durga Saptashati and Bhagwat Geeta. The temple is mentioned as “Rameshwar” in the Sanskrit portion of inscription while Persian inscriptions mention it as “house of Guru Dev Dutta”. Both the inscriptions provide us with date 1757 as date of temple building. The Dakshina list of Bajirao II (1810-11 CE) mentions it as “Dalpat Gosavi Samadhi temple”.

Trishundya Ganesha temple is included as Grade I protected monument in Heritage list of Pune Municipal Corporation.

With fine carvings in basalt, the main temple of Trishundya is one of the most beautiful temples of Pune. It serves as an eclectic reminder of the important connections of Gosavi sect of 18th century who made Pune, their permanent home.

Saili Palande-Datar is an indologist, environmentalist, history researcher and farmer. She can be reached at [email protected]