The village of Kendur, located in the Shirur tehsil of Pune district, is renowned for the 13th-century Vārakarī saint Kānhūrāja (Kānhā Pāthaka), who was a contemporary of Jñāneśvara. Situated 44 km away from Pune city and 18 km from Shikrapur, the village has the ‘Veḷa River’ flowing from its edge, while small hills cover part of its outskirts. Kendur has several temples and archaeological sites, including Māṇakeśvara Temple, Viṭṭhala Temple, Sāyaṁbā Temple, Kendrāī Temple, Kānhūrāja Mahārāja Samādhī Temple, Hanumāna Temple, Cintana Pāra, and more. Besides, there are ‘Navanātha’ and ‘Jālindharanātha’ temples on the village outskirts. The village was likely named ‘Kendur’ due to the temple of ‘Kendrāī Mātā,’ and there are also some dargāhs in the middle of the town. ‘Cintana Pāra’ is under construction on the banks of the river ‘Veḷa’ and is becoming a popular place of the Vārakarī sect. The Government of Maharashtra has granted Kendur village a ‘C’ pilgrimage status, which in Governement speak implies a place where more than 1 lakh devotee visit annually. 

1. Māṇakeśvara Temple

The Māṇakeśvara Śivā temple (18.782880, 74.035007) is located at the centre of Kendur village and near the house of Kānhā Pāthaka. The temple faces east and appears to have been renovated sometime earlier. Its structure comprises Nandīmaṇḍapa, Sabhāmaṇḍapa, and Garbhagṛha, with a total of eight simple pillars in the Sabhāmaṇḍapa (hall). The hall has two hero stones installed on the roof wall in one corner. Gaṇeśa is carved on the front of the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum, while a Kīrtimukha is carved on the ‘Uduṁbara’ below. Small shrines of Gaṇeśa and Hanumāna are on both sides of nandīmaṇḍapa, decorated with vermillion. The entire temple has a fencing wall and a relatively large entrance to the east with two ‘Śarabs’ carved on both sides. A spire-like Bengali roof is present at this entrance, and a wooden chariot is located near the temple, which is transported to Pandharpur. The temple seems to have been built around the 18th-19th century CE.

Temple Legend: Next to the Māṇakeśvara temple, a tall Piṁpala tree is visible, and ‘Deuḷavāḍā’ is located next to it, associated with Saint Kānhūrāja Pāṭhaka, who was a Brāhmiṇa of the Yajurvedī clan. According to legend, during the Samādhī of Jñāneśvara, Saint Nāmadeva could not perform the kīrtana due to his deep sorrow. So, all the saints asked Kānhūrāja Pāṭhaka to perform the kīrtana of Jñāneśvara’s Samādhī. ‘Sadgurū Nāgeśa’ gave him a vision and ordered Kānhūrāja to go to the forest and do sādhanā. Accordingly, he used to do penance sitting on a rock by the stream in the ‘Pimpalkhore forest near Kendur village. He gained several supernatural powers from it. Later, he went to study Vedānta in a teacher’s home and completed his studies there quickly due to his keen intellect. He had two marriages and wrote a book called ‘Gītāsāra’ and other poems in his name. The ancestors of Kānhūrāja Mahārāja still live in Kendur, and his mask and Viṭṭhala idol are in this temple. A trustee committee, called ‘Śrī Santaśreṣṭha Kānhūrāja Mahārāja Pratiṣṭhāna,’ has been formed, and Mr. Sanjay Kulkarni is the priest of this temple. Usually, 15 days before every Āṣāḍhī Ekādaśī, Saint Kānhūrāja Mahārāja’s palanquin leaves for Pandharpur.

The main gate of the Māṇakeśvara Śivā temple

The Māṇakeśvara Śivā temple

The Sabhāmaṇḍapa of Māṇakeśvara Śivā temple

‘Deuḷavāḍā’

2. The Kendrāī Temple

The Kendrāī Temple (18.781884, 74.037522) is home to the village (Grāma-daivata) deity Kendrāī Mātā. The temple has been completely restored, with no visible remains of the old construction. Inside the sanctum sanctorum, visitors can marvel at the famous stone mask of Kendrāī Devī and a Tuḷasī-Vṛndāvana. Nearby, a temple of Hanumāna stands in a wooden hall. 

Kendrāī Mātā

3. Sāyaṁbā Mahārāja Temple

On a small hillock in Kendur, visitors can find the Sāyaṁbā Mahārāja Temple (18.784089, 74.036275). The temple’s structure includes a sanctum sanctorum and a wooden hall at the front, with carved Gaṇeśa and Kīrtimukha at the entrance. Inside the sanctum sanctorum, visitors can see small idols of Sāyaṁbā Mahārāja and two women on a high platform, along with a large mask of Sāyaṁbā Mahārāja. The wooden hall in front of the temple is also worth seeing, and every year, the Kendur holds the ‘Sāyaṁbā Mahārāja Yātrā.’

Sāyaṁbā Mahārāja

4. The Viṭṭhala temple

The Viṭṭhala temple (18.783460, 74.035639) is a short walk away from the Māṇakeśvara temple and is surrounded by a fencing wall with two entrances. Visitors can see carvings, shrines, lines of bilvapatras, and human sculptures at the western gate. To enter the temple, visitors must go through the eastern gate. The temple has a sanctum sanctorum, three arched halls in front, and a wooden assembly hall. Inside the sanctum sanctorum, visitors can see idols of Śrī Viṭṭhala and Rukmiṇī on a high pedestal, along with two gatekeepers/servants and a brass mask. The entrance to the sanctum sanctorum is simple, with a Gaṇeśa sculpture on the front and a human face on the threshold below.

The Viṭṭhala temple

The three-arched hall adjacent to the sanctum sanctorum is beautiful, with carvings of various leaves, birds, creepers, and flowers. The hall is made of stone, with a flat roof and impressive carvings. Visitors can see a Kūrma in the center, along with two pillars and four pilasters. The wooden assembly hall in front of the three-arched hall has a strong and attractive architectural design, with handicrafts made of wood in some places. The sanctum sanctorum has a brick pinnacle with idols on all sides, including Daśāvatāra, Garuḍa, Hanumāna, other gods and goddesses, and human figures. The plaster on the peak is currently being restored, and visitors can see small nails in the idols to keep them in place.

The three-arched hall

One can see an inscription in Devanāgarī script carved on the southern exterior of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The inscription reads “Śrī Viṭṭhala, śake 1810, Imalava (?) nāma Savachara,” meaning that the temple was built in the Śaka era in 1810, corresponding to 1888 CE. However, the incorrect coloring of the letters may cause some reading errors. The Viṭṭhala temple also has a trustee committee named ‘Svakula Sāḷī Samāja Śrī Viṭṭhala Mandira Trust,’ and pilgrims should ensure that the temple is maintained properly.

An inscription in Devanāgarī script.

5. The Kānhūrāja Mahārāja Samādhī and Bhāgirathī Kuṇḍa

In a field located a distance from the village, lies the mausoleum of Kānhūrāja Mahārāja. The mausoleum is a temple with a sanctum sanctorum and a peak above it. The entrance of the mausoleum features sculptures of Gaṇeśa and Kīrtimukha, while the sanctum sanctorum houses idols of Viṭṭhala-Rukmiṇī. The temple’s brick spire has undergone recent restoration and has two layers of mini-peaks at the top, with a ‘Kalaśa' above all. In front of the mausoleum stands a grand step well with steps on all sides. This step well appears to be more ancient than the temple and is accompanied by a Tulasī-Vṛndāvana and a Nandī.

The mausoleum of Kānhūrāja Mahārāja.

The Bhāgirathī Kuṇḍa

6. Reṇukā Hill

Nearby, on the banks of the river, is the ‘Reṇukā Hill,’ where a temple of Kānhūrāja Mahārāja (18.788965, 74.044678) has been built, featuring a modern statue of him. In the same area, there is a small temple of his Guru Nāgeśvara (Nāganātha) and Reṇukā Mātā, with the famous legend of Reṇukā coming to this place via Kanhesar village.

7. Temples of Nātha yogis

On the outskirts of the village, along the Kendur-Alandi Road, are a few temples of Nātha yogis (18.766530, 74.014682). These temples are all white-painted. On the route from Kendur to Chinchoshi village, one can see a distinct hill with the Kāniphanātha temple (18.759089, 74.013975) is at the top. The temple has white paint on it. Bullock cart racing is a big event that takes place during the Kāniphanātha Yātrā festival (Raṅga Pañcamī). Additionally, the settlement of Chinchoshi has two mausoleums, an ass curse stone, a Śivā temple, and other temples.

The Kāniphanātha temple on Kendur-Chinchoshi road.

On the route between Kendur and Kanhesar is a Jālindharanātha temple (18.811678, 74.021435). He was a teacher of Kāniphanātha. The temple’s sanctum sanctorum is still in fine shape. The sanctum sanctorum has Jālindharanātha’s turabata. Most current buildings in and around Kendur village are from the 18th and 19th centuries. On the other hand, the two hero stones in the Māṇakeśvara temple were created before the 18th century CE. Numerous Varakarī devotees and residents from neighboring villages frequently come here for the worship of Kānhūrāja Mahārāja. Despite the water scarcity and the arid temperature, this region is becoming a popular destination for pilgrims.