Siddhanath Temple, Mhaswad

This temple in the town of Mhaswad, in Satara district, honours Siddhanath, regarded as an incarnation of Shiva and as one of the Kshetrapal, the regional guardian gods of Maharashtra. Mhaswad lies roughly 56 km from Pandharpur. The Chalukya rulers who once held the Maan region are credited with raising the temple in the 11th century for what they considered an ancestral deity. In 1738 Dubal of Karad, a Chalukya descendant, added the other half, and members of the Dubal family are present for every ritual to this day. The area later passed to the Mane, a Maratha noble clan.

Mhaswad is known for its yearly yatra in honour of the god. During the festival a chariot bearing Siddhanath is drawn through the town, devotees are covered in pink gulal, and lakhs of people arrive from across India for the celebrations and the fair that goes with them.