To read the previous blog click here.
Day 02: Part 2
Since it was the day of Ganpati visarjan, we had decided to all sight seeing outside Solapur so that we don’t get stuck in traffic. So, after visiting the marvelous Naldurg Fort, we went to Shri Khandoba Banai Vivah Sthal.
Shri Khandoba Banai Vivah Sthal, Mailarpur
As the name suggests, the marriage of Lord Khandoba and Banai is believed to have taken place at Mailarpur (also known as Mailar), near Naldurg in Dharashiv district. This sacred place is known for commemorating the wedding of Lord Khandoba, an incarnation of Shiva, and his second wife Banai, a shepherd girl. The site houses an important temple and is closely linked to the main Khandoba pilgrimage centre at Jejuri.
This is one of the most pet friendly temples I have even seen. There were two litters of 10-12 puppies each at the shacks near the entrance. There were 5-6 adult stray dogs as well/ Fortunately, I had dog food in my car. So I had fed the dog food to all of them . They were extremely malnourished. I saw another family who had carried chapatis for the street dogs. The shack owner told me that people just relocate and abandon litters in this temple.
In the Malhari Mahatmya of the Brahmanda Purana, dated to around the 15th–16th centuries, Lord Khandoba is portrayed as a warrior deity who rides a bull or a horse and is accompanied by a dog. The dog is shown as his loyal companion, aide, and guardian. In this tradition, dogs are considered sacred, with legends describing their role in assisting Khandoba during his battle with the demons Mani and Malla. There is a Copper statue of a dog inside old Khandoba mandir in Jejuri.
Khandoba Mandir, Mailarpur.
There is one more Khandoba temple located at a 3 minutes walking distance from the previous temple. This temple has a Maratha style shikhar constructed in bricks. It has an arcaded verandah at the entrance.
Bori dam mini waterfall
We followed the google map to find Bori (kurnur) dam mini waterfall. However, it was difficult to find it due to the road condition. We drove only till the point where the road seemed safe and wide. We parked the car on the kaccha road on the mountain and started walking towards the dam. It was a 15 mins walk and then we could witness this beautiful waterfall. We could see some visitors on the other side of the waterfall too. But we could not find any road on google map to reach the other side.
Since we went in the monsoon, the weather was gloomy. We were fortunate to witness the sunset at this beautiful site. My pet enjoyed playing in the shallow waters. There were no tourists at this waterfall apart from the three of us. This place is an absolute hidden gem in Dharashiv. There were green pastures all around the waterfall. This is a perfect palce to go for a small picnic with a thermos full of black tea.
After visiting this waterfall, we started the journey back to Solapur. This was a night drive on the Mumbai Hyderabad highway. There was absolutely no traffic and the roads are in good condition. We were extremely hungry but there is no descent restaurant/ eatery on the way. Finally we stopped at Bikaner sweets to have chai and samosa. We reached Solapur city at around 8:30 pm. Fortunately we did not get stuck in any Ganpati Visarjan processions on the way. The entire city was very quite as compared to the celebrations in Pune. The day ended with a simple dinner at Hotel Center Point, Solapur.
To read the next blog on Day 03: Solapur click here.
