Temple Description

The Shri Laxmi Narsimha Temple, also known as श्री लक्ष्मी नृसिंह देवस्थान in Marathi, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Narasimha, a manifestation of Vishnu. Situated in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India, the temple lies at the confluence of the Bhima and Nira rivers, in the southeastern part of Pune district, within Indapur taluka.

**Architecture and History**

The temple is located at the ghat where the Bhima and Nira rivers meet. The construction of the ghat was finished in 1527. The present temple structure was completed in 1787 with contributions from Sardar Vitthal Shivdev Dani, at an estimated cost of £45,000 (Rs. 4,50,000). It was constructed in the Peshwa architectural style using black stone, and its completion took about twenty years.

The temple features three main entrances facing east, north, and west. The western entrance is fortified similarly to Shaniwar Wada and is accessed by thirty-three steps. Inside, there are two murtis (icons) of Narasimha: one made of sand and the other of black stone. The original murti was replaced with a replica due to concerns about Aurangzeb’s influence.

Near the west door, there is a large bell that originally belonged to a Portuguese church in Vasai. In 1739, Bajirao Peshwa’s brother, Chimaji Appa, captured Vasai from the Portuguese and brought four church bells to Pune. One of these bells was later donated to the temple by Diwan Sadashiv Mankeshwar, the inamdar of Tembhurni village.

The temple complex houses several smaller temples dedicated to Laxmi, Prahlad, Ganesh, Dattatreya, Bhimashankar, Vitthal Rukmini, Raghavendra Tirtha, Shakambhari, Kashi Vishweshwar, Bhairava, and Rameshwar.