Pataleshwar Cave Temple, Pune

Pataleshwar Cave Temple, Pune

📍 Pune, Pune City, MaharashtraVerified
🧭 Get directionsIn-person counter only
Open
● Open
Closes in 5h 9m
Next aarti
Evening
19:00 · in 189 min
Crowd right now
Moderate
Weather
40°C ⛅
0% rain

Today at this temple

ಶನಿವಾರ, ಏಪ್ರಿಲ್ 25, 2026Sunrise 06:10 · Sunset 18:54
Tithi
navami
shukla
Nakshatra
Ashlesha
Yoga
Ganda
Abhijit muhurta
12:08–12:56
Today's darshan timeline
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
🔥 Rahu kaal 09:21 – 10:56

Quick facts

Primary deity
Shiva
Tradition
shaiva
Year founded
8th century
Founder
Built in the 8th century CE by the RASHTRAKUTA DYNASTY — a rare surviving rock-cut cave temple in the heart of modern Pune. Dedicated to Shiva ("Pataleshwar" = "Lord of the Underworld"/"Subterranean Lord"). Carved entirely from a single basalt rock; central sanctum with Shiva-Lingam and surrounding rock-cut pillars; a distinctive-CIRCULAR-NANDI-MANDAPA (unique-feature). ASI-protected National Monument
Managing trust
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) — with active devotee-worship permitted
Daily footfall
1,500-3,000 daily
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

Translation verification in progress. Showing EN version. Help translate →

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

Sun
06:00–21:00
Mon
06:00–21:00
Tue
06:00–21:00
Wed
06:00–21:00
Thu
06:00–21:00
Fri
06:00–21:00
Sat
06:00–21:00
  • 06:30
    Morning
    30 min · Morning aarti
  • 19:00
    Evening
    30 min · Evening aarti

Plan your visit

✈️ Nearest airport

Pune (PNQ) — 12 km

🚆 Nearest railway

Shivajinagar (SVJR) — 0.5 km

🚌 How to reach locally

Street parking limited; use public transport

🅿️ Parking

Street parking limited; use public transport

🏨 Where to stay

Pune central hotels (2 km)

🍽 Prasad & food

Pune local restaurants

🧘 Best time to visit

Year-round. Mahashivratri (2026 approximately 7 March 2026) peak; Oct-Feb ideal

🎒 What to carry
  • Modest attire, bilva-patra
  • Combine with Pune Manache-5 walking-tour + Shaniwarwada

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

  1. 8th century CE

    Built by Rashtrakuta Dynasty as a rock-cut cave-temple dedicated to Shiva

  2. 9th-16th century

    Continuous Shaiva-worship through medieval period

  3. 17th-18th century

    Shivaji-Maratha and Peshwa-era patronage during Pune's emergence as Maratha-capital

  4. 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

  • Mahashivratri
    Annual
    Signature

Location & nearby temples

Scriptural references

Shiva Purana
Classical Shaiva text
Shaiva theological foundation

Sources & credits

✓ Verified by 2026-04-25. ASI + Wikipedia. 8th-c. Rashtrakuta dating scholarly-consensus. Video metadata intentionally empty.

  • ASI — Pataleshwar Cave Temple — source · Govt. open data
  • Pataleshwar Temple — source · CC-BY-SA 4.0
✓ Last verified 2026-04-25
en