पाताळेश्वर गुहा मंदिर, पुणे
Today at this temple
Quick facts
- Primary deity
- शिव
- Tradition
- shaiva
- Year founded
- 8th century
- Founder
- राष्ट्रकूट राजवंशाने 8व्या शतकात बांधलेले; संपूर्ण खडकातून कोरलेली गुहा शिव मंदिर
- Managing trust
- ASI; सक्रिय भक्ती
- Daily footfall
- 1,500-3,000 दररोज
- Photography
- outside_only
- Non-Hindu policy
- all_welcome
- Dress code
- Modest attire; photography permitted outside
- Accessibility
- 👴
- VIP darshan
- —
- Typical visit
- 45–90 min
Sthala Purana — the story
Historical site (Rashtrakuta-era) rather than Puranic. "Pataleshwar" (Lord of the Underworld) reflects the cave's underground-character
References: Shiva Purana Classical Shaiva text
Darshan & aartis
- 06:30सकाळ30 min · Morning aarti
- 19:00संध्या30 min · Evening aarti
Plan your visit
Pune (PNQ) — 12 km
Shivajinagar (SVJR) — 0.5 km
Street parking limited; use public transport
Street parking limited; use public transport
Pune central hotels (2 km)
Pune local restaurants
Year-round. Mahashivratri (2026 approximately 7 March 2026) peak; Oct-Feb ideal
- Modest attire, bilva-patra
- Combine with Pune Manache-5 walking-tour + Shaniwarwada
Gallery & media
Deity & iconography
- Height of murti
- 90 cm
- Vahana
- Nandi — in the distinctive circular Nandi-mandapa
- Adornments
- Shiva-Lingam approximately 90 cm in the rock-cut sanctum. The circular Nandi-mandapa (a rare architectural-feature among Indian rock-cut temples) houses a massive-stone-Nandi facing the sanctum. Entire-complex carved from living-basalt; Ellora-comparable carving-technique
- Consorts on panel
- Parvati in subsidiary rock-cut panel
- Favored bhoga
- Bilva-patra, Gangajal, dhatura, coconut
- Mantras chanted here
- Om Namah Shivaya · Mahamrityunjaya Mantra
- Worship purpose
- Ancient heritage-Shaiva pilgrimage in central Pune; Mahashivratri observance; Shravan Monday tradition; walking-distance from Shivajinagar Pune railway station
Architecture & art
8th-c. Rashtrakuta rock-cut monolithic cave with central sanctum, circular Nandi-mandapa
- Style
- 8th-c. Rashtrakuta rock-cut cave temple — monolithic construction carved from single basalt rock; central sanctum + circular Nandi-mandapa; ASI-protected. Compound small (approximately 30m × 30m) in the heart of modern Pune at Shivajinagar
- Built of
- Natural basalt rock — entirely carved in-situ
- Notable features
- 8th-century RASHTRAKUTA-era rock-cut cave temple · Rare surviving ancient-cave-temple in central Pune · CIRCULAR NANDI-MANDAPA (distinctive architectural-feature) · ASI-protected National Monument · Walking-distance from Shivajinagar Station · Contemporary-with-Ellora-Kailasa-construction-era
- Protection status
- asi_protected
History timeline
- 8th century CE
Built by Rashtrakuta Dynasty as a rock-cut cave-temple dedicated to Shiva
- 9th-16th century
Continuous Shaiva-worship through medieval period
- 17th-18th century
Shivaji-Maratha and Peshwa-era patronage during Pune's emergence as Maratha-capital
- Post-1947
ASI-protected National Monument; active-worship-continuity; modern Pune-heritage-tourism inclusion
Special phenomena
Rare Pune-city rock-cut cave-temple
One of only-few ancient-rock-cut-cave-temples within a major modern Indian city center
Poojas & sevas offered here
No bookable poojas listed yet
Festivals & signature events
- Signatureमहाशिवरात्रिAnnual
Location & nearby temples
- ओंकारेश्वर मंदिर, शनिवार पेठ, पुणे1.2 km · Pune
- श्री कसबा गणपती मंदिर, पुणे1.5 km · Pune
- श्री तांबडी जोगेश्वरी देवी मंदिर, पुणे1.6 km · Pune
- श्रीमंत दगडूशेठ हलवाई गणपती1.8 km · Pune
- श्री त्रिशुंड मयुरेश्वर गणपती मंदिर, पुणे1.8 km · Pune
- श्री भिकारदास मारुती मंदिर, सदाशिव पेठ, पुणे1.9 km · Pune
Scriptural references
- Shiva Purana
- Classical Shaiva text