Sasvad is a small city situated 32 km away from Pune. Changdev temple is at a distance of about two km away from Sasvad City. The temple is named after Changdev, a great Natha-yogi of the 13th century CE. The temple premises is situated on the bank of river Karha; a brook flows into the river next to the temple, which makes the atmosphere scenic and charming. There is flat land around the temple, which is being cultivated. All over the premises of the temple is peaceful and full of trees.

Changdev temple

Legend:  A board informing the legend about this temple is placed near the temple. It says, “Cangadeva used to carry out all the activities during the four months of cāturmāsa (the auspicious period of four monsoon months from Śrāvaṇa to Kārtika) during the rainy season by observing silence and wearing blindness, i.e., closing his eyes. He used to worship the pārthiva (earthen) liṅga every day. His disciple would create a liṅga by kneading black clay and he would ritually worship it, placing it on his left hand. One day, the disciple got tired of the continuous rain and patted a little clay on a bowl and prepared it as pārthiva liṅga. When Cangadeva finished his daily bath and chanted an invoking mantra to the pārthiva liṅga, it did not move. He opened his eyes and tried to move it but all in vain. That immovable swayaṁbhū liṅga appeared to Cangadeva. He built a small temple and continued worshipping that swayaṁbhū liṅga. Due to this incident, the temple gets its title Cangā Vaṭeśvara.”

A board informing the legend about this temple

Architecture: Changdeva temple is a grand and well-preserved temple of the Maratha period. Plan of the temple consists of garbhagṛiha-antarāḷa-sabhāmaṇḍapa-mukhamaṇḍapa.

Garbhagṛiha: The doorway of garbhagṛiha has a stambhaśākhā and a latāśākhā. Flowers are carved in the center of the stambhaśākhā. There are two kīrtīmukhas carved on the threshold of the door. Gaṇapatī is engraved on the lalāṭabimba. Decoration of bilvapatra can be seen on the uttrāṅga. 

The śivapiṅdī is present in the center of the garbhagṛiha. There are three devakoṣhṭhas in the garbhagṛiha. An image of Gaṇapatī in the middle one is most prominent. It seems to belong to the late Marāṭhā period. It is caturbhuja. It holds ekadanta, paraśu, aṅkuśa and laḍū/modaka. Around thirty niches can be seen on the temple walls. Śivaliṅga is not visible in the piṅdī of the garbhagṛiha. There is only śāḷuṅkā. But in the niche of the right corner, a śivaliṅga is visible. Gomukha is also carved outside that niche so the water released on the śivaliṅga should pass away. The roof of the garbhagṛiha is dome-shaped. 

Antarāḷa: There are four ardhastambhas at the four corners of the antarāḷa. Sculptures of Mārutī can be seen on the initial ardhastambhas. Capeṭadāna Mārutī is seen on the left, and Dāsa Mārutī on the right pillar. The rest of the stambhas have floral carvings at the center. There are two niches in the antarāḷa. The roof of the antarāḷa is dome-shaped.

Ground plan of the temple

Doorway of garbhagṛiha

The roof of the antaraja

Sabhamaṇḍapa: The artistic elements of the sabhāmaṇḍapa doorway begin with two flowers carved onto the threshold. Above them, on the lalāṭabimba, Gaṇapatī is prominently featured, flanked by two additional flower motifs. The doorway is further enhanced by a stambhaśākhā.

Inside the sabhāmaṇḍapa, there are four pūrṇastambhas and 12 ardhastambhas, all intricately designed. The bases of these pillars feature engravings, which show some influence of Indo-Islamic art. The pillars themselves are adorned with various-sized floral motifs, and in some instances, gemstones are also engraved. Circular chain motifs add to the complexity of the carvings. The maṇḍapa is designed in the navaranga style and features a kūrmaśilpa at its center. Above this kūrmaśilpa, the vitāna takes on a dome shape, while in other areas, it remains flat. The sabhāmaṇḍapa has doorways located at both the south and north ends. To facilitate lighting, stone niches are carved into the walls at 12 different points within the maṇḍapa. The Nandī is place in the mukhamaṇḍapa.

Sabhāmaṇḍapa

Mukhamaṇḍapa: In the mukhamaṇḍapa, kakṣāsanas are prominently featured, providing seating arrangements for visitors. The maṇḍapa incorporates four pūrṇastambhas and is further complemented by 10 ardhastambhas located on the kakṣāsanas. At some locations, these ardhastambhas are grouped in pairs, while at the corners, they are arranged in sets of four. The architectural style of the mukhamaṇḍapa follows the navaranga design. Elsewhere the vitāna is flat. Flowers are carved in some places on the columns. There are two devakoṣhṭhas in the mukhamaṇḍapa. Gaṇapatī is on the left devakoṣhṭha and Mārutī is on the right one. Both the devakoṣhṭhas have śikhara-like carvings, and the bilvapatra engraving is visible in the upper part. Occupying the central focus of the maṇḍapa is a grand Nandī, meticulously detailed. Engravings on Nandī's body include a chain, a bell, and two snakes, each element contributing to its decorative allure. Above Nandī, the roof takes a dome shape, adding to the architectural finesse of the space.

Mukhamaṇḍapa

Nandī

Sculptures: As for the sculptures on the pillars, they are arranged in a specific sequence, moving from left to right, each one representing unique artistic expressions and themes.

1. Ardhastambha 1 – Flower, dancer, two female figures, wrestling scene, creeper, man-woman, baby, man-woman, and tree.
2. Ardhastambha 2 – Battle scene of Mahiṣāsuramardinī and four deities with asuras, battle and female figure, flowers, flowers.
3. Ardhastambha 3- Flowers, flowers, gemstone, three human figures (mostly one of them is Kriṣṇa), flower, śarabha.
4. Ardhastambha 4 – All the frames have floral carvings.
5. Ardhastambha 5 – All the frames have gemstone carvings.
6. Ardhastambha 6 – All the frames have floral carvings.
7. Ardhastambha 7- The southern frame has male and female figures and the other frames have floral motifs.
8. Ardhastambha 8- All the frames have floral carvings.
9. Ardhastambha 9 – One frame has gemstones, and the other frames have floral carvings.
10. Ardhastambha 10 – Garuda, flower, gopikā churning buttermilk, flower, flower.

Ardhastambha 1

Ardhastambha 2: Battle scene of Mahiṣāsuramardinī and four deities with asuras

Ardhastambha 10: Gopikā churning buttermilk

The temple has a total of four pūrṇastambhas. Information about the sculptures on them is as follows:

Pūrṇastambha 1 – It has flowers and gemstones.

Pūrṇastambha 2 – Flower, Two monkeys, Two peacocks, and snakes in their beaks, flower.

Pūrṇastambha 3 – Two Peacocks, Two kīrtīmukhas, flower, gemstone.

Pūrṇastambha 4 – Gemstone, flower, creeper, creeper

Two monkeys

Two peacocks and snakes in their beaks

Two peacocks

Two kīrtīmukhas

The outer side of the temple: The temple is on a high-built platform. This platform is constructed with dressed stones and bricks. The main temple is on adhiṣṭhāna. The mukhamaṇḍapa has some carvings from outside. Below the ardhastambha 2 are couples of śarabhas carved from the outside. Sculptures of a rhinoceros and an elephant are carved below the ardhastambha 9. Flowers have been carved on the janghā in some places. On the south, north, and west of garbhagṛiha, devakoṣhṭhas have been arranged. There is a gomukha in the northern side adhiṣṭhāna of the garbhagṛiha. No special carving is visible on the northern-southern doorways of the sabhāmaṇḍapa. A śilpathara of decorative motifs like bilvapatra is carved on the temple wall exteriors.

A high-built platform of the temple.

Sculptures of a rhinoceros and an elephant

Śikhara: The śikhara of the temple is constructed with bricks and lime in the Marāṭhā style. The gajathara is visible on the śikhara. Apart from that, there is an image mounted on a peacock. It might be of Kārttikeya. Also, there are images of meditating ascetics and some deities. Above is the āmalaka. It is carved as if a coconut is kept on a kalaśa in mango leaves. A little circular śikhara is on garbhagṛiha, square on the sabhāmaṇḍapa, and circular on the mukhamaṇḍapa. 

Prakāra (Fencing wall): The temple is on a high plinth. This plinth looks like a rampart. There is a fencing wall of approximately two feet around the temple; an arrangement of platformed apartments is at the backside.

Gateways: The main entrance of the temple is in the east. There is another entrance door in the south. Two dīpamāḷas are in front of the temple. They are on hexagonal platforms having floral and other engravings.

Śikhara of the temple

Śikhara

Main gateway to the temple.

Dipamala

Structures around the temple:  There is a damaged satīśiḷā near Devī temple out of the fencing wall. Towards the south of the temple, there are two restored vriṅdāvanas. Those are said to be of Janābāī and Muktābāī. There is a Mahādeva temple behind. A Nandī is outside. The locals told that if the main temple is crowded, devotees visit here. A temple of Capeṭadāna Mārutī is close by. A Devī temple is out of the fencing wall in the south. There are two samādhīs downwards. A bit further away, out of the fencing wall on the east side, there is a temple of Umā-Maheśvara. This temple also belongs to the late Marāṭhā period. Its śikhara is beautiful. It has a kuṇḍa outside.

Two restored vriṅdāvanas.

A view of the temple

An unknown image.

Unknown images.

Concluding Remarks: The Cangā Vaṭeśvara temple stands as a significant monument of late Marāṭhā period art and architecture, shedding light on the affluence of the era. Its grandeur finds parallels in the Sangameśvara temple, which makes it instrumental in understanding the artistic and architectural practices of the time. The array of sculptures adorning the temple provide insights into the prevailing religious beliefs and deities worshipped by the people. There is a large number of devotees visiting this temple on occasions of Śrāvaṇī Somavār and Mahāśivarātrī.

To enhance public awareness and appreciation, an informative board could be installed near the temple premises. This would serve as a quick reference for visitors, detailing the temple's historical and architectural importance. Moreover, the site could be incorporated into heritage walks, attracting those keen on temple art and architecture, thereby contributing to cultural preservation and education. This temple is already very popular among young couples for pre-wedding photography shoots. 

Reference: Shivajirao Ekke, ‘Śrī Kṣhetra Bhuleśvara Ānī Mandire’.