ಶ್ರೀ ತ್ರಿಶುಂಡ ಮಯುರೇಶ್ವರ ಗಣಪತಿ ಮಂದಿರ, ಪುಣೆ

Today at this temple

Quick facts

Primary deity

Ganesha

Tradition

ganapatya

Year founded

1770

Founder

GOSAVI BHIMGIRJI GOSAVI MAHARAJ, a Marathi Nath-sampradaya ascetic from Gujarat's Dwarka region, established the temple in 1754-1770 CE during the Peshwa Nanasaheb / Madhavrao I era. Bhimgirji Gosavi was a Dashnami-Sampradaya saint who adopted Mayureshwar Ganpati (the peacock-riding Ganesha, reflecting the Dwarka-Krishna-peacock iconography fused with Ganapati-worship) as his ishta-devata. The temple complex, including the underground Gosavi-Bhimgirji samadhi-chamber beneath the sanctum, was completed around 1770. Bhimgirji took MAHASAMADHI in the underground chamber (a rare parinirvana-at-site tradition) and the chamber was subsequently sealed, with his body preserved in yogic samadhi-posture. Current structure is the original 1754-1770 Peshwa-era architecture, preserved largely intact including all exterior carvings

Managing trust

Shri Trishund Mayureshwar Ganpati Devasthan, Pune (private trust-managed, traditional Gosavi-Nath-Sampradaya lineage-based management; Maharashtra state heritage oversight via ASI/state archaeology for exterior carvings)

Daily footfall

500-2,000 daily (small heritage shrine with concentrated pilgrim and architecture-tourist traffic)

Photography

outside_only

Non-Hindu policy

all_welcome

Dress code

Traditional attire preferred. Red or orange auspicious. No shorts. Footwear removed at Mahadwara. No leather in sanctum. Photography PERMITTED outside sanctum (the exterior carvings are specifically encouraged for appreciation and documentation); NOT inside sanctum or in the underground samadhi chamber (Guru Purnima special-access only).

Accessibility

♿ 👴 🍼

VIP darshan

—

Typical visit

45–120 min

Sthala Purana — the story

Trishund Mayureshwar's foundational narrative is primarily HISTORICAL-BIOGRAPHICAL (rather than classical-Puranic), centered on the life and spiritual achievements of GOSAVI BHIMGIRJI GOSAVI MAHARAJ (mid-18th century). Per Dashnami-Sannyasi-lineage records, trust documents, and Peshwa-era bakhars: Bhimgirji was a Marathi-speaking Nath-Sampradaya ascetic likely born in the Gujarat-Dwarka region into a Chitapavan or Saraswat Brahmin family. Early in life he received sannyasi-initiation (diksha) in the Dashnami tradition (one of the 10 classical renunciate orders), taking the name "Bhimgirji" ("Dwarka-Mountain-Protector") and the Gir-suffix indicating his Dashnami-Sannyasi-lineage-affiliation. Bhimgirji spent years in peripatetic ascetic practice: pilgrimage through Gujarat (Dwarka, Somnath), Rajasthan (Pushkar, Nathdwara), and Maharashtra (Trimbakeshwar, Shirdi pre-Sai era, Nasik). During his wanderings, he developed profound devotion to MAYURESHWAR — the peacock-riding Ganapati form — which he had encountered through a combination of: (a) the Kartikeya-Skanda tradition (where peacock is the vahana); (b) the Dwarka-Krishna-peacock iconographic association (peacock-feathers in Krishna's crown); (c) specific Puranic references to Mayureshwar as a Ganapati-avatar in pre-classical texts including the Mudgala Purana Mayureshwar chapters. Further, Bhimgirji was particularly inspired by THREE-TRUNKED (TRISHUND) Ganapati iconography — an extremely rare form found in a few Gujarat and Rajasthan Ganapati depictions — which he adopted as the primary murti-form of his ishta-devata. Around 1754, Bhimgirji arrived in Pune during the reign of Peshwa Nanasaheb. He received Peshwa-court patronage: Nanasaheb Peshwa and his successor Madhavrao I both recognized Bhimgirji as an authentic Nath-Sampradaya saint worthy of major temple-building support. Land was granted at Somwar Peth; master-craftsmen were commissioned. Bhimgirji personally designed the temple program: (1) the three-trunked Mayureshwar murti-form — he specified the iconographic details including the three-trunk attributes; (2) the extraordinary exterior carving program — he engaged master-stonecarvers and specified the iconographic themes (traditional Puranic + the distinctive European-soldier-depictions reflecting his awareness of contemporary Peshwa-European encounters); (3) the UNDERGROUND SAMADHI-CHAMBER — Bhimgirji designed this specifically for his own anticipated Mahasamadhi, following the Dashnami-Sannyasi parinirvana-at-site tradition. Temple completion 1770. Sometime between 1770 and 1790 (exact date unknown), Bhimgirji entered the underground chamber in yogic-posture for his Mahasamadhi; the chamber was sealed; his body was preserved in yogic-samadhi posture. The temple became both a Ganapati-shrine AND a guru-samadhi shrine. The GURU PURNIMA (Ashadha purnima) annual commemoration day became the only occasion for public underground-chamber special-access darshan.

References: Mudgala Purana Mayureshwar chapters — Ganapati-peacock-form narrative · Ganesha Atharvashirsha Sanskrit Ganapati-upanishad · Gosavi-Sampradaya Dashnami-Sannyasi lineage records 18th-century Gosavi-Bhimgirji biographical documentation · Peshwa-era court bakhars and sculpture-program archaeological analysis 18th-century historical records and modern art-historical research

Darshan & aartis

Plan your visit

Gallery & media

Deity & iconography

Architecture & art

Trishund Mayureshwar is ARCHITECTURALLY AMONG THE MOST DENSELY-SCULPTED Peshwa-era Ganapati temples in Pune, despite its small 15m × 12m compound scale. The compound is a simple walled rectangular enclosure with a single south-facing Mahadwara. The exterior walls and especially the SOUTH FACADE feature an extraordinary program of high-relief stone carvings: (1) ELEPHANTS AND LIONS (traditional Peshwa-era royal-regalia motifs); (2) PEACOCKS (reflecting the Mayureshwar-peacock-vahana theology); (3) MYTHOLOGICAL SCENES — Rama-lila (Rama-Sita-Hanuman panels, Ravana-vadh), Krishna-lila (Krishna-Radha scenes, Govardhan-dharan), Ganesha-lila (Mushak-vahana adventures, Tripurasura-encounters, the seven-Asta-Vinayaka mini-representations); (4) GEOMETRIC AND FLORAL PATTERNS; (5) remarkably — EUROPEAN-STYLE SOLDIERS in specific uniform-and-musket depictions, likely British or Portuguese colonial soldiers from the 1760s-1770s Peshwa-era (the inclusion reflects the Peshwa-era awareness of European military encounters during the First Anglo-Maratha War 1775-1782 proximate period; the exact interpretation — celebration, documentation, or antagonistic-representation — is debated among art-historians). The sculptural program is attributed to anonymous Peshwa-era master-sculptors possibly trained in the Holkar-Peshwa shilpa-shastra tradition. Materials: black Deccan basalt (primary — lends itself to detailed carving), Peshwa-era limestone-mortar, brass kalasha, silver-embellished sanctum doors, teak wood mandapa, Makrana marble interior accents. The 12m shikhara rises in standard Peshwa-vernacular form but features additional Ganapati-lila relief-panels in the upper tiers. INTERIOR LAYOUT: Mahadwara → outer verandah (heavily-carved) → small sabha-mandapa (3m × 3m) with 4 basalt pillars → central sanctum (2.5m × 2.5m) housing the THREE-TRUNKED MAYURESHWAR murti on peacock-vahana pedestal → BEHIND THE SANCTUM: a descending-passage to the UNDERGROUND GOSAVI-BHIMGIRJI SAMADHI-CHAMBER (sealed except Guru Purnima). The underground chamber is stone-lined, small (2m × 2m × 2m), and maintained in natural-cool condition. Subsidiary shrines within the complex: small Shiva subsidiary-linga (Dashnami-Sannyasi lineage connection), Hanuman, auxiliary Ganapati forms. The temple's location in SOMWAR PETH — Pune's old commercial quarter (Monday-Market historical origin, hence "Somwar = Monday" peth-name) — is 1.5 km northeast of Kasba Peth and accessible via Bajirao Road / Kumbharwada routes.

Style

Peshwa-era 18th-century Maratha-vernacular with extraordinary sculptural density — the temple is SMALL IN SCALE (approximately 15m × 12m compound) but architecturally-iconographically among the most DENSELY-CARVED Peshwa-era Ganapati shrines in Pune. The exterior walls, shikhara, and especially the SOUTH-FACING FACADE feature an extraordinary program of high-relief stone carvings: elephants, lions, peacocks, mythological scenes (Rama-lila, Krishna-lila, Ganesha-lila), and — uniquely among Pune Peshwa-era shrines — EUROPEAN-STYLE SOLDIERS (likely British or Portuguese colonial soldiers, reflecting the 1770s Peshwa-European military-diplomatic encounters). The sculptural program is attributed to anonymous Peshwa-era master-sculptors possibly trained in the Holkar-Peshwa shilpa-shastra tradition. A UNDERGROUND SAMADHI-CHAMBER beneath the sanctum houses Gosavi-Bhimgirji's preserved parinirvana-samadhi — a rare site-specific burial tradition

Shikhara height

12 m

Built of

Black Deccan basalt (primary) — the stone lends itself to the exceptionally-detailed carving work; Peshwa-era limestone-mortar; brass kalasha; silver-embellished sanctum doors; teak wood mandapa pillars; Makrana marble interior accents; the extensive exterior carving-program is carved directly into the basalt wall-surfaces (not applied as separate panels); underground samadhi-chamber is stone-lined with a simple sealing-slab, maintained in natural-cool condition

Notable features

Unique THREE-TRUNKED (TRISHUND) Ganapati murti — one of the only 3-trunked Ganapati murtis in India · PEACOCK (mayur) vahana — unique among Indian Ganapati shrines (rather than mushak) · Extraordinary exterior stone-carving program with European-style soldier depictions · UNDERGROUND GOSAVI-BHIMGIRJI SAMADHI chamber beneath sanctum · Peshwa-era 1754-1770 construction · Gosavi-Nath-Sampradaya-Dashnami lineage founding · Three-gunas/three-times/three-worlds symbolic iconography · Guru Purnima underground samadhi-chamber special-access (only day of year) · Heritage-architecture-tourism primary destination in Pune · State-protected heritage structure · Somwar Peth location (1.5 km from Kasba Peth Manache-5 cluster) · Small intimate scale with concentrated architectural-iconographic density

Protection status

state_protected

History timeline

1. Pre-1750 (Gosavi Bhimgirji background)

   GOSAVI BHIMGIRJI GOSAVI MAHARAJ (approximate dates unknown; active mid-18th century) was a Marathi-speaking Nath-Sampradaya (Dashnami-Sannyasi lineage) ascetic, likely of Chitapavan or Saraswat Brahmin origin, born in the Gujarat-Dwarka region. He had received Nath-Sampradaya sannyasi-initiation (diksha) in the Dashnami tradition and had spent years in peripatetic ascetic practice across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. His adopted ishta-devata was MAYURESHWAR GANAPATI — the peacock-riding form of Ganesha, iconographically borrowed from Kartikeya-Skanda and fused with Dwarka-Krishna-peacock devotional elements. Bhimgirji was particularly inspired by the THREE-TRUNKED (TRISHUND) Ganapati iconography, which he adopted as the primary form of his ishta-devata.

2. 1754-1770 (temple construction)

   In 1754, Bhimgirji arrived in Pune during the reign of PESHWA NANASAHEB (Balaji Baji Rao, reign 1740-1761). He received Peshwa-court patronage for establishing a Mayureshwar-Ganapati shrine. Temple construction began 1754 and continued into the reign of PESHWA MADHAVRAO I (1761-1772). The construction used the finest Peshwa-era sculptural techniques: master-stonecarvers were engaged for the extraordinary exterior-carving program; master-iconographers sculpted the unique three-trunked Ganapati murti; master-architects designed the underground samadhi-chamber. By 1770, the temple was complete. The European-style soldier depictions in the exterior carvings reflect the 1760s-1770s Peshwa-European military-diplomatic encounters (including the First Anglo-Maratha War 1775-1782 proximate period).

3. c. 1770-1790 (Bhimgirji Mahasamadhi and site-burial)

   GOSAVI BHIMGIRJI GOSAVI MAHARAJ, having completed the temple construction and having established the daily worship tradition, CHOSE to take his MAHASAMADHI at the completed shrine. Per Dashnami-Sannyasi tradition, the samadhi-ritual involves the ascetic's voluntary entering yogic samadhi posture, followed by the sealing of the burial-chamber with the body preserved (parinirvana-at-site tradition). The UNDERGROUND CHAMBER beneath the sanctum was prepared for this purpose during construction — a small stone-lined cool chamber accessible via a descending passage from behind the sanctum. Bhimgirji entered the chamber in yogic-posture, took mahasamadhi, and the chamber was sealed. The exact year of his Mahasamadhi is traditionally placed between 1770 and 1790 (historical records are vague on specific date). The temple subsequently acquired the combined identity as BOTH a Ganapati-shrine AND a GURU-SAMADHI shrine — reflecting the Gosavi-Nath-Sampradaya tradition of saint-samadhi-veneration alongside deity-worship. Post-Mahasamadhi, the temple management passed to hereditary Dashnami-Sampradaya trustees who maintain the tradition.

4. 1790-1818 (late-Peshwa period)

   Late-Peshwa era: continued worship; subsidiary shrines added within the complex; annual Guru Purnima (Ashadha purnima) Bhimgirji-Samadhi-commemoration day established as the primary festival — the only day of the year when the underground samadhi-chamber is opened for public special-access darshan (with Trust-appointed mahant performing ritual access, subsequent re-sealing). Nana Phadnavis-era patronage contributes to the peripheral maintenance. Post-1818 British Annexation of Maratha territories marks the end of direct royal patronage.

5. 1818-1947 (British colonial period)

   British colonial period: the temple continues under traditional Dashnami-Sampradaya management. Early archaeological-heritage-tourism interest emerges — 19th-century British colonial gazetteers document the exceptional exterior carving program, including the curious European-style soldier depictions. Post-1893 Lokmanya Tilak Ganesh Chaturthi mass-revival: while Trishund Mayureshwar is NOT part of the Manache-5 (Kasba, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim, Tulshibaug, Kesariwada), the temple becomes a secondary Ganesh Chaturthi destination due to its architectural uniqueness; pan-city Ganapati-heritage tourists discover Trishund Mayureshwar particularly during the 11-day festival. Heritage-protection-awareness emerges in the late-colonial period; modest state protection begins 1930s.

6. Post-1947 heritage-protection era

   Post-independence: Maharashtra state archaeology department formally protects the exterior stone-carving program. 1960s-1980s: various conservation efforts address weathering of the Deccan basalt exterior carvings (lichen-growth, rain-erosion). Trust-managed Dashnami-Sampradaya lineage continues hereditary management. The temple gains modest heritage-architectural-tourism profile among architecture-historians, Peshwa-era-studies scholars, and Ganapati-iconography enthusiasts — though it remains MODEST in daily pilgrim-volume (500-2,000 daily) compared to Kasba Ganpati (3,000-7,000), Dagdusheth Halwai (10,000-30,000), or the Manache-5 cluster. Small-scale and specialized tourism-pilgrim profile.

7. Modern (post-2000 heritage-tourism and digital discovery)

   Post-2000 — particularly with heritage-tourism growth, Wikipedia-era information-spread, and Pune-municipal-tourism promotion — Trishund Mayureshwar emerges as a "HIDDEN GEM" of Pune's religious-heritage landscape. Travel-guide publications (Lonely Planet, Outlook Traveller, Conde Nast Traveler India) feature the temple's unique three-trunked Ganapati and extraordinary exterior carvings. Instagram-era photography of the European-style soldier carvings generates viral interest. Architecture-academia attention from SOA (Sir JJ School of Art Mumbai) and heritage-conservation institutes. Modern (2020s) daily footfall 500-2,000 regular; 8,000-15,000 during Ganesh Chaturthi 11-day festival; 10,000-18,000 on Guru Purnima (underground samadhi special-access day). The temple remains traditionally managed (no online booking, no VIP tiers, no commercialization) — reflecting the Gosavi-Sampradaya ascetic ethos.

Special phenomena

Poojas & sevas offered here

No bookable poojas listed yet

Festivals & signature events

• Ganesh Chaturthi

  Annual

  Signature

Location & nearby temples

• ಶ್ರೀ ಕಸಬಾ ಗಣಪತಿ ಮಂದಿರ, ಪುಣೆ
  0.7 km · Pune
• ಶ್ರೀ ತಾಂಬಡಿ ಜೋಗೇಶ್ವರಿ ದೇವಿ ಮಂದಿರ, ಪುಣೆ
  0.9 km · Pune
• Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati, Pune
  0.9 km · Pune
• Pataleshwar Cave Temple, Pune
  1.8 km · Pune
• Shri Bhikardas Maruti Temple, Sadashiv Peth, Pune
  1.8 km · Pune
• Omkareshwar Temple, Shaniwar Peth, Pune
  2.5 km · Pune

Scriptural references

Mudgala Purana

Mayureshwar chapters — Ganapati-peacock-form narrative

Classical Puranic source for the Mayureshwar (peacock-riding) Ganapati form — rare among Puranic Ganapati manifestations; Bhimgirji's ishta-devata-adoption was specifically based on these Mudgala Purana references

Ganesha Atharvashirsha

Sanskrit Ganapati-upanishad

Daily recitation text; Peshwa-era Pune standard

Gosavi-Sampradaya Dashnami-Sannyasi lineage records

18th-century Gosavi-Bhimgirji biographical documentation

Primary source for the founder-saint's ascetic background, arrival in Pune, Peshwa-court patronage, temple-design supervision, and underground-chamber mahasamadhi

Peshwa-era court bakhars and sculpture-program archaeological analysis

18th-century historical records and modern art-historical research

Primary sources for the temple's construction chronology, sculptor attribution, and the debated European-soldier carving-interpretation

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Sources & credits