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India is a country that is steeped in spirituality and religion. Some of the greatest monuments have been temples, dedicated to the gods and goddesses - a celebration of faith. Maharashtra, too has its fair share of religious shrines, encompassing the many religions that grace India. 

An association with Saint Dnyaneshwar halos Alandi, a township on the banks of Indrayani River, also called as Devachi Alandi. Dnyaneshwar, the author of Dnyaneshwari lived and attained samadhi in Alandi at the tender age of twenty-one. Two melas are held here annually: on Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi, the eleventh days of Ashadh and Kartik (Hindu months). Places of interest and worship are the sacred samadhi of Dnyaneshwar Siddhabet in Indrayani and the temple of Vithoba-Rakhumai Pune-Alandi is 21 kms. ST buses leave from Swargate and Shivajinagar in Pune for Alandi.

A Shiva temple, with beautifully carved sculptures and decorated pillars stands in the village of Anwa, 10 kms east of Golegaon, on the main road leading from Aurangabad to the Ajanta Caves. It was built in the 12th century, and consists of a sanctuary, a mandapa or open hall with decorated pillars. The niches have exquisitely sculpted images of Vishnu, Ganesha and other divinities.

Getting there: Close by to Ajanta, Anwa Temple can be reached by taking a well-marked diversion at Golegaon. Private car or taxi is probably the best mode of transport.

Vinayak is another name for Ganesh, the god loved and worshiped by Hindus all over. Lord Ganesh is the protector of his devotees. Eight (Astha) naturally-formed sculpted stone statues have been housed in old temples at the places where these statues were first found. The Ashta Vinayak temples are within the range of 20 to 110 kms of each other.

This site is revered by both Hindus and Jains. Devotees flock here to pay respect to the 28 feet tall marble statue of Bahubali and visit the temples of the 24 tirthankaras or saints. A Durgamata temple on the hill nearby is another place of pilgrimage.This place is 27 kms to the south of Kolhapur.

Bhimashankar is the temple containing one of the five jyotirlingas found in Maharashtra. Nana Fadnis, an eminent statesman of the Peshwa days, constructed the beautiful Shiva Temple at Bhimashankar. The wooden entrance of the temple is beautifully carved. On Mahashivratri day, over 20,000 devotees attend a special religious fair. Bhimashankar is endowed with beautiful scenery and an all-around vibrant atmosphere. 

Besides the Shiva Temple and the dense forest surrounding it, you can also visit Bombay Point, Gupta Bhimashankar: the origin of Bhima River, Hanuman Tank and Nagphani Point. Pune-Bhimashankar is 125 kms. ST buses play between Pune and Bhimashankar.

Near Pune, Dehu is an age-old town on the river Indrayani. Famous poet-saint Tukaram was born and brought up in Dehu. Abhang Gatha, his eternal creation has a proud place in Marathi literature. According to legend, the adversaries of the saint-poet mercilessly sank his entire collection of Abhangas in the river, but low and behold, to their surprise, the Gatha surfaced and was saved. You can visit the old temples of Shiva and Vishnu, Tukaram Vrindavan -- the birth place of Saint Tukaram, Gopalpura, Indrayani Doh, Bhandara Hill, and Bham-Chandra Dongar.

Getting there: Pune-Dehu by road is 24 kms. Frequent PCM, PCMT and ST buses are available.

Just half a kilometre from the Ellora Caves is Ghrishneshwar Temple. It enshrines one of the 12 jyotirlingas dedicated to Shiva. The temple walls are richly sculptured. Both the temple and its masonry tank were built by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, who ruled Indore from 1765 to 1795.

Near Mahalaxmi Temple, Mumbai, further along the seashore, at the end of a long pathway surrounded by sea water is the shrine dedicated to Haji Ali, a Muslim saint. Access is only at low tide via the pathway.

Jejuri is a well-known pilgrim center near Pune, Khandoba of Jejuri is the family deity of many Maharashtrians and is housed in the Khandoba Temple. Around 40,000 believers participate in the Jatra, the annual fair, held during November.

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