Offbeat and majestic Gondeshwar Temple - Lost in time

India indeed is land of many miracles and one such miracle is the Lord Shiva temple in Gondeshwar ,Sinnar (Nashik District). The temple is believed to be built around 11th Century and is made up of black basalt stone found locally. The temple has rich heritage and holds great importance in the area. The temple is under the Archeological Survey of India (and honestly the temple can be maintained bit better than what it is right now)

So I was just relaxing the previous night and checking online for offbeat locations near my place which can be done in a day. Honestly nothing much crosses your search as definition of "offbeat" has been changed drastically and it no more identifies with what is genuinely offbeat :)

So I spent my time checking google maps and zooming in on locations which can be done in a day (owing primarily to COVID) and found this treasure tucked neatly in small town of Sinnar (close to Nashik). There are no boards or markers to identify the temple route (however google maps will take you to right place) I was initially wary of road conditions, but to my surprise the roads were in good condition and made the road trip worth while.

Once at the temple you really feel you are in time machine and travel back into history. The entrance is humble and the main temple complex sits on an elevated patch. Central temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and four surrounding temples are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Lord Surya and godess Parvati. Intrinsic carvings adorn the temple complex and it will fascinate you

Enjoy few pictures as they should help you understand the beauty of this place and why even a solo drive from Mumbai can be so much fun

General Information:

Road conditions: Very good for the main highway and also the diversion I took from Ghoti and follow state highway to Sinnar

You can drive through to Nashik Naka and take a right from under the flyover and follow the route through to Sinnar (toll road but a long route if you coming from Mumbai)

Lot of eateries available throughout the route (Ghoti to Sinnar, you will find eateries but far fetched)

Note:

Please do not litter and carry your garbage with you

Do not sit on temple walls

Wear proper clothes to the temple (its place to worship and not selfie point)

Maintain silence and immerse yourself in goodness of the architecture

Finally a note to ASI to start actually maintaining the complex and start entry fees