Degaon Agnivrush (Agnivrish) Temple, Maharashtra

Address

Degaon Agnivrush (Agnivrish) Temple, Maharashtra

Degaon,

Maharashtra 415004

Moolavar

Agnivrush (Agnivrish)

Introduction

The Pateshwar Shiva temple complex was a completely unknown location, where this small temple is located inside the complex. At a distance of 14 km from Satara, 67 km from Mahabaleshwar and 59 km from Panchgani, Agnivrush (Agnivrish) Temple is an ancient temple situated at Degaon in Satara district of Maharashtra. It is one of the popular places to visit in Satara. The Shiva temple is one of the major attractions of Pateshwar. Built in 16th century AD, this temple is now in slightly depleted condition but the statues and the carvings are still intact.

Puranic Significance

According to Sayanacharya (a Vedic and Sanskrit scholar who lived during the reign of the Vijayanagara Kings), the four horns of Agni are the four Vedas. The three feet are the three daily sacrifices (morning, noon and evening). Others say they refer to the three fields of time (past, present and future). The two heads are the Brahmaudana and the Pravargya ceremonies (others say day and night). The seven hands are the seven meters of the Vedas (others say the seven rays of light). The three bonds are the three lokas, or planes of existence; bhuh (earth), bhuvah (atmosphere) and svah (heaven).

Some scholars interpret the 4 horns, 3 feet, 2 heads, and 7 hands as the period of 4,320,000,000 solar years, the duration of a single day in the life of Brahma. Encountering something like this in such a remote location, almost hidden away from the outside world, only adds to the whole experience. Just behind the Agnivrish are a further set of two carvings of Brahmini, Vaishnavi, and Maheshwari on the floor of the temple.

Special Features

Retrace your steps down to the main tank, turn right and continue on the path you were previously on for a short while, heading east once again. Before long you will reach the Agnivrush Temple, and a cluster of four cave temples set behind.

The outer wall of the Agnivrush temple has a statue of Hanuman, and it’s interesting that whilst clearly this is a standalone building, the interior does very much have a cave-like feeling to it. But it is the interior that houses an interesting and unique sculpture that is both spellbinding, mysterious, and quite unlike anything in India.

This mysterious Agnivrish appears to manifest the seven hands of Lord Agni along with the body of a bull (Vrishabha). Agni is describing in the Vedas as having two heads, seven hands, and three legs. If you observe the deity from the front you can identify all of these aspects. Can see two faces (one human and one bull), seven hands, and three legs (with two human legs and one bull leg).

Just behind the Agnivrish are a further set of two carvings of Brahmini, Vaishnavi, and Maheshwari on the floor of the temple. The cave temples behind are well worth exploring for the volume and variety of both Shiva pinds and other sculptures. The fact that these are partially cave temples with a stone built frontage may lead to speculation that the origins of Pateshwar stretch much further back in time. In these caves you will find sculptures of Navagraha (the nine planets; Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu),
Sursundari, and avatars of Vishnu (Narasimha, Waman, Sriraam, Parashuraam, Balaraam, and Rushabh).