Loni-Bhapkar is a village at a distance of 75 km from Pune. The temple of Kāḷabhairava (18.226682, 74.386010) is an excellent example of Marāṭhā temple architecture. This south-facing temple is in the east of the village and is still standing in good condition. Other temples in the village are Mallikārjuna and Mahādeva.

The Kāḷabhairava temple

Temple gates and premises: The temple is surrounded by a large fencing wall having gateways on the west, north and south sides. Of these, the western gate is the main one and it is grand. There is a tulasī vriṅdāvana in front of this mahādvāra. Pairs of vyāḷas have been carved along with other carvings on the back and front sides of this mahādvāra. Also, there is a room on the mahādvāra with three windows each at the back and front and one at the east and west sides.

After entering through this doorway, there is a Portuguese bell on the right side. The Roman year ‘1685’ can be seen engraved on it. Especially, there is an arrangement of stone steps to go up to the bell. There is a bārava on the left side of the mahādvāra. After that, we come near the two very tall dīpamāḷas standing in the front yard.

The main gate of the Kāḷabhairava temple.

A Bārava.

A close view of the temple.

Sabhāmaṇḍapa: The plan of this temple consists of sabhāmaṇḍapa, antarāḷa and garbhagṛha. The sabhāmaṇḍapa is 715 cm long and 740 cm wide and has four carved stambhas. The height of the stambhas is 235 cm.

The sculptural carvings such as scenes of hunting, musicians, kinnaras, floral motifs, elephants, coiled nāgas, kīrtīmukhas etc. are visible on the central portions of these pillars. There are kakṣāsanas at the beginning of the maṇḍapa. There are eight ardhastambhas of four each in this kakṣāsana. The sabhāmaṇḍapa has large devakoṣhṭhas on the east-west sides. Due to their structure, they can be called upagarbhagṛhas. At present there is no sculpture visible in them. There is a kūrmaśilpa in between the raṅgaśiḷā and antarāḷa. There are two other devakoṣhṭhas in the sabhāmaṇḍapa towards the antarāḷa.

The Sabhāmaṇḍapa of the temple.

A hunting scene.

Antarāḷa: The antarāḷa of the temple is 180 cm long and 230 cm wide and contains two devakoṣhṭhas. The entrance to the garbhagṛha is attractive and has pañcaśākhās. Out of them, stambha, gaṇa, puṣpa and latā śākhās are visible. There are sculptures of nidhīs, śaiva dvārapālas, cāmaradhāriṇīs under the śākhās. Interestingly, cāmaradhāriṇīs are carved here instead of Gaṅgā-Yamunā. Kīrtīmukha appears on uduṁbara. A sculpture of Gaṇeśa is on the lalāṭapaṭṭa and some other sculptures are on the uttarāṅga. Also, other carvings are seen at the entrance of the garbhagṛha.

Entrance to the garbhagṛha.

Garbhagṛha: The garbhagṛha (340 x 340 cm) has images of Kāḷabhairava and Jogeśvarī along the back wall. Besides, there is another sculpture which is believed to be Jyōtibā, but this sculpture resembles Kāḷabhairava.

Images of Kāḷabhairava, Jogeśvarī and Jyōtibā.

The platform on which the image is placed has beautiful wooden carvings. They include four-handed Veṇugopāḷa with two gopīs or cāmaradhāriṇīs on one side. He has two peacocks near his upper arms and two cows near his feet. Below it, there is a sculpture of Garuḍa holding two snakes in his two hands.

A wooden carving of Veṇugopāḷa, gopīs or cāmaradhāriṇīs and Garuḍa.

On the other side, there are carvings of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā and Hanumāna as shown below.

Wooden carvings of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā.

A brass Utsava-mūrtī (Umā-Maheśvara āliṅgana mūrtī?) is kept in this temple to be worshipped every Sunday. Śiva and Pārvatī are seated on a vyāḷa-like animal. Triūśḷa, damarū and nāga are seen in Śiva’s hands. He is holding Pārvatī with his left hand. There is a makaratoraṇa above and kīrtīmukha in its upper part. Pārvatī holds a lotus flower in her left hand and her other hand is around Śiva’s waist. This image is owned by Bhapkar Sardars.

A brass Utsava-mūrtī

Exterior: The exterior of the temple is flat. On the exterior, there is a praṇālaka to drain out the water of the garbhagṛha. A Śarbha sculpture also graces the exterior. The śikhara over the sanctum stands in its original form. In addition to the main śikhara, there are other architectural features like a śukanāsikā and another śikhara over the sabhāmaṇḍapa. Mināras at the corners suggest an Indo-Islamic architectural style, blending different cultural influences seamlessly.

Adding to the visual richness of the temple are various frescos or stuccos made from lime-soil that adorn the top of the structure. According to local sources, all these sculptures are original to the temple. Over time, the villagers have undertaken repairs to preserve these elements. The motifs include a diverse range of subjects such as the Daśāvatāra, an array of Gods and Goddesses, Navanātha, Yogīs, saints, and laypeople.

śikhara of the temple.

Additional Information: The temple premises feature a variety of sculptures, one of which is a balīpīṭha, a significant element in Hindu temple architecture used for ritual offerings. The practice of offering Gulāla to Kāḷabhairavanātha is also observed, indicating the intricate rituals associated with the temple. Architecturally, the temple shows influences from the Yādava period, a dynasty known for its contributions to art and architecture.

The chronological context for this temple is suggested by a date found in the inscriptions: śake 1630, which corresponds to 1708 CE. This offers a reasonable time frame for when the temple may have been constructed. Given that the structure is well-maintained, there doesn't appear to be an immediate need for conservation work.