Chandika Devi (Patnadevi) Temple

Patnadevi Temple is celebrated for its historic Hemadpanti stone architecture and as a site of legendary learning. It is said that Bhaskaracharya II, one of India’s greatest mathematicians and astronomers, lived and taught here, composing his magnum opus, the Siddhanta Shiromani. His legacy is celebrated at the temple through inscriptional evidence and the Bhaskaracharya Nature Education Center operated by the Maharashtra Forest Department

Architecturally, the temple is built on the banks of the Dongari River, measuring 75 ft by 36 ft by 18 ft in height, with intricate sculpted walls and two impressive deepa-stambhs (lamp towers) guarding the approach. Entering the temple complex via a scenic stone staircase, visitors encounter the samadhi of Govind Swami, a mythical devotee, alongside a stone Nandi statue.

The main sanctum features a towering nine-foot-tall idol of Chandika Devi, depicted as Mahishasuramardini with eighteen arms seated on a tiger, flanked by Ganesh and a smaller goddess. The subsidiary shrines house Shiva Lingam, and idols of Ganesh, Riddhi-Siddhi, and Vishnu. A secondary shrine for Kalika Devi showcases the temple’s sculptural excellence.

An important Shakti Peeth, the site is connected to legendary tales from the Devi Bhagavata Purana—where Sati’s right palm fell after Lord Vishnu’s intervention, becoming the Varad Hasta Shakti Peeth. Local stories recount the goddess’s descent to the plains out of compassion for a devout aged worshipper, Govind Swami.

Epigraphic discoveries by Dr. Bhāu Daji Lad confirm the temple’s significance with a 13th-century inscription detailing endowments, monastery establishments for mathematical learning by Changdev (Bhaskaracharya’s grandson), and Yadava-era land grants. The temple is surrounded by picturesque crescent-shaped mountains and forest paths leading to other ancient sites—including Hemadpanthi Mahadev Temple, Kedareshwar Temple, unique standing Ganpati idol, and the famed Pitalkhora and Sita caves