Jejuri

The Pune district of Maharashtra is famous for having several religious places. There is Dehu and Alandi, both of which are very close to the city of Pune. They are the birthplaces of Saints Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar respectively. Just 50 kilometers away from Pune, there is yet another religious place that is known as Jejuri. Apart from the religious significance, there is a touch of history to this place as well.

The temple of Khandoba, the warrior God of the Marathas is situated at Jejury. It has been subjected to incessant onslaught by the Muslims during the reign of Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor. However, when in 1690 he attempted to destroy the temple for the second time and his army almost besieged it, God Khandoba apparently took matters in his own divine hands to protect the temple. Thousands of hornets fell upon the besieging Mughal soldiers, making them flee for life.

The incident so pathetically stunned the mighty emperor that he reportedly forked out one hundred and twenty five thousand silver coins to appease God Khandoba and buy peace. That’s the magic of this place. You can certainly visit Jejuri to pay your homage to the God Khandoba. It is very close to Pune. You can reach Jejury in just about an hour, provided you manage to avoid the Pune traffic. Don’t worry. At most, it is going to take you ninety minutes. It is certainly worth the trouble. The trip to Jejury on any weekend is worth it. Historically, Jejuri is important too, as this is where Shivaji and his father Shahaji met after a long time.

How to reach: You can take a bus from the Swargate ST stand in Pune. Buses leave for Jejuri all the time. Or if you want, you may also drive yourself to visit this religious place. Alternatively, you can take the train too and get down at Jejuri itself. You should take an auto-rickshaw from here.

Most people visiting Jejuri come on day trips from Pune. However if you like, you can stay here as well for a night or two. There are some hotels in Jejuri, and home stays in Jejuri. You will find many “dharmashalas” too.