Pandare is a small village situated on the Nira-Baramati road. It is 9 km from Baramati City and 102 km from Pune City. There are several temples in the Village, such as Soneśvar temple, Adaleśvar temple, Śiva temple, Khanḍobā temple, Bhairavnātha temple, Devī temple, Dawal Malik temple, etc. Among them, Siddheśvar temple (18.137798, 74.463015) is beautiful and has multiple old an exquisite sculptures, though all of them coated in heavy paint.

Nandīmaṇḍapa

Architecture: The temple, facing east, occupies a prominent position on a natural mound outside the village, retaining what appears to be its original structure. Elevated on a substantial plinth, its architectural design includes a nandīmaṇḍapa, guḍhamaṇḍapa, antarāla, and garbhagṛha. Indications suggest that the temple underwent construction in two distinct phases. The original temple was probably established in the 14th-15th century CE. Subsequently, towards the close of the 19th century (śake 1836), Narayana bua, presumably a follower of the Nātha sect, undertook the restoration of this temple, in conjunction with refurbishing other temples in the vicinity. This is inferred from a combination of tangible evidence, inscriptions, and oral traditions from the locals. Adjacent to the north of the Siddheshvar temple stands a modern temple dedicated to Dattātreya. To the south, a smaller shrine venerates Kārtikeya, housing an idol of the deity.

Nandīmaṇḍapa: The nandīmaṇḍapa was most likely restored during the 19th century CE. Its architecture appears to be of the late Maratha period. There is an image of Nandī belonging to a later period in the maṇḍapa.

Sabhāmaṇḍapa: After ascending three steps, which were constructed in the 19th century CE, one can access the square-shaped sabhamaṇḍapa. This chamber features an external entrance flanked by two projections situated at its corners. Interestingly, it seems the entrance to the maṇḍapa was altered or removed during subsequent restoration efforts. The temple boasts a kakṣāsana wherein erotic sculptures are intricately carved. Initial observations suggest that these artworks might have originally been positioned outside and were perhaps relocated indoors during a restoration. Within the kakṣāsana are two embellished pilasters, with select sculptures gracing their central sections.

The maṇḍapa houses four primary pillars, supplemented by eight pilasters. These central portions of the pillars are adorned with carvings of deities, narratives from the epics, images of yogis, and other diverse scenes. The foundational component of the main pillar is a base stone, succeeded by a vertical shaft. Above this shaft, there are three distinctive octagonal sections separated by two intervening cornices. The pillar's center showcases another octagonal configuration. Ascending further, one notices a rounded, tapering segment above the cornice, followed by a square shaft. Culminating this intricate design, the bhāravāhaka section crowns the structure at the stambhaśīrṣa. Crowning these four pillars are beams that support a simplistic vitāna overhead. This vitāna prominently displays a Gajāsura saṁhāra depiction.

Sabhamaṇḍapa

Bhāravāhaka

Śaiva dvārapāla

Antarāḷa: The antarāḷa showcases four pilasters, each positioned at its respective corner. Notably, the temple lacks devakoṣhṭhas, and the roof of the antarāla is kept plain and unembellished.

Garbhagriha: The garbhagṛha entrance is adorned with five śākhās. These, starting from the innermost and moving outward, follow the sequence: Ratna/puṣpa, gaṇa, stambha, latā, and vyāḷa śākhā. Given the presence of these five dvāraśākhās, the entrance can be classified as a Nandinī type. At the base, one can see sculptures depicting Gaṅgā and Yamunā, śaiva dvārapāla, cauri bearers, surasundarī, and nidhī, moving from the innermost to the outer section. Beneath the pedyā (including mandāraka), intricate carvings of ratnas and kīrtimukhas are evident. The lalāṭabimba displays a Gaṇeśa image. Furthermore, the uttarānga has five miniature shrines, and two of them are graced with carved ratnas. Descending five steps leads one into the garbhagṛha. Positioned in each of the four corners of this sanctum are pilasters, while the central focus is the Śivalinga. The ceiling of the garbhagṛha is kept minimalistic and unadorned.

Entrance of the garbhagṛha

Śivalinga in the garbhagṛha

Temple exterior: The entire exterior of the temple is flat, probably because it has been restored in the 19th century CE. It has neither decoration nor devakoṣhṭhas. Some ventilators have been created in the wall at the north-south side of the temple. At the northern side of the temple, a tank is constructed to accumulate the water released from the gomukha. The portion of the śikhara seems to be restored recently. There is a śikhara on the gūḍhamaṇḍapa too. Four images of ascetics have been kept in its four corners. The temple has a fencing wall.

Exterior of the temple

Gateways to the complex: There is a huge doorway to enter the Siddheśvara temple premises. A stone face of an ascetic is installed at the center of this gate. We can reach the nandīmaṇḍapa by climbing 16 steps from the entrance. On both sides of this huge entrance, some sculptures allied with the original temple can be seen installed in the later period.

An erotic panels on the gateway.

An erotic panels on the gateway.

Iconographical Description:

Images inside the temple: Sculptures are carved on the four pillars of the gūḍhamaṇḍapa, the lower part of the kakṣāsana, and the two pillars above it. On the lower parts of the kakṣāsana are mainly erotic sculptures. Among those are the maithuna śilpas in which man-woman and also donkey-man are involved, as well as initiation ceremonies, etc. The lower portion of this śilpapaṭṭa is adorned with sculptures of shrines, elephants, lions, and vyāḷas. Some of the kāmaśilpas in this area have been covered up due to later restoration. It is then clear that these sculptures must have been moved from their original place some time and then positioned upside down in the same place.

An erotic sculptures on the kakṣāsana.

Erotic sculpture on the kakṣāsana.

Sculptures on the northern side of ardhasthambas of the hall: On the eastern part of the 1st ardhasthamba (dwarf pillar), there is a composite sculpture (three persons); on the south, a battle between a Garuda and a nāga, a four-handed deity on the west, and a meditating ascetic on the north are engraved. On the eastern side of ardhasthamba no. 2, a dancer, an ascetic in a bandha on the southern part, whereas female dancers have been sculptured in the western and northern areas.

A combat between Garuda and Naga.

Meditating ascetic

Ascetic 

Sculptures on Pillar 1 in sabhāmaṇḍapa: Camunḍa on the middle of the eastern side, Nṛitya Gaṇeśa on the south, Harīhara (probably) on the west, Saraswati (?) on the north side are visible.

Nṛitya Gaṇeśa

Camunḍa

Sculptures on pillar 2: A person holding two birds, each on one hand, is shown in the middle of the eastern side. The scene of Kāliyā Mardana is engraved on the southern side. Kāliyā’s wife is also seen along with it. On the western side, Govardhandhārī Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa in the form of Viṣṇu, along with his cows, playing the flute on the northern side as well. A mace is also seen in his left hand.

A person holding two birds

The scene of Kāliyā Mardana

Govardhandhārī Kṛṣṇa

Kṛṣṇa in the form of Viṣṇu along with his cows

Sculptures on pillar 3: Bhairava on the middle of the eastern side, whereas the battle scene of Vali-Sugriv is on the southern side. A kīrtimukha in the west and the life of some unknown person are depicted in the north. Probably his family is shown. He is also shown with a veena at the end. Maybe this śilpapaṭṭa is based on a particular individual though he is unidentified.

Bhairava

An unidentified panel.

Sculptures on pillar 4: Naṭeśa in the middle of the eastern part, Yoga Narasimha in the south, the image on the west is difficult to identify while Saraswati is in the north. 

Yoga Narasimha

Loose images: There are no sculpture on the exterior wall of the temple. However, some ancient loose sculptures are visible behind the temple and near the main entrance of the premises, suggesting the antiquity of the temple. They are associated with the temple. Since some of the temple’s kakṣāsana is collapsed, the sculptures might have been laid here. They include Gaṇeśa, Viṣṇu, and some erotic sculptures.

Gaṇeśa

An erotic sculpture

Vīrgaḷas: There are seven Vīrgaḷas (hero stones) on the temple's premises. Among Vīragaḷas, one is related to cattle rearing and another seems to be of a high-ranked person. Four Vīrgaḷas are behind the temple, while three have been kept under a pipal tree outside the temple premises.

Vīrgaḷas (Hero stones)

Herostones

Hero stones

Inscription: An inscription has been carved on the bell in the gūḍhamaṇḍapa. It is unpublished and reads as:

|| Śrī|| ° See raca

Gu * Hāribāvā Ma.

* Sa Nārāyan Bā

Vā Yanī Kelā

Sake 1820 śrā: su:

An inscription carved on the bell

Concluding remarks: The Siddheśvara temple stands as the most ancient among the temples in Malegaon Budruk, Malegaon Khurd, and Pandare villages, with indications suggesting its construction around the 14th century. This predates the Kāśī-Viśveśvara and Nāgeśvara temples in Malegaon Budruk, even though the architectural designs and layouts of these three temples share similarities. However, the Siddheśvara temple boasts unique elements, such as the Bhāravāhakas featured on the pillars of the gūḍhamaṇḍapa. Additionally, carvings can be seen on the octagonal sections of the pillars.

Another distinguishing feature is the elevated dvāraśākhā of the garbhagṛha compared to other temples. One of the most intricate carvings in the temple is the depiction of Gajāsurasaṁhāraka on the vitāna of the gūḍhamaṇḍapa. It's likely that high-quality basalt from nearby areas was utilized for the temple's construction. Kṛṣṇa Līlā carvings adorn the temple's pillars. However, the application of contemporary paints has marred and obscured some of the temple's sculptures, making it challenging to identify certain figures.