Kanakeshwar Temple

Kanakeshwar Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is situated on a hilltop in the village of Mapgaon, about 14 km away from the popular beach town of Alibag in Maharashtra’s Raigad district. The temple is one of most revered places of pilgrimage in the Konkan region. Shri Kanakeshwar is the family deity or ‘Kuldaivat’ of Date/Datye family. Thousands of devotees visit this temple on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri and during the annual Kartik Purnima fair.

Kanakeshwar Temple lies atop a steep hill that is about 900-feet high. One has to climb more than 700 steps to reach the temple and it takes an hour to complete this trek. Built in 1764, the 54-feet high temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala style of architecture. Inside the temple’s sanctum sanctorum is a 4-feet tall Shiv Linga. The temple complex also houses the shrines of Lord Ganesha, Lord Krishna and Lord Balram, Lord Hanuman and more. One of the main attractions of Kanakeshwar Temple is a water tank called Pushkarini, which has water almost all-year-round.

Along the hilly route towards Kankeshwar Temple are several landmarks such as ‘Nagobacha Tappa’ (A Place of Snakes), Devachi Payri (God’s Step), Gaymandi (Sculpture of a Cow), etc. The views of the Arabian Sea, Khanderi Fort and the entire region below from the top of this hill are absolutely spectacular. The area surrounding Kanakeshwar Tempe is also home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Many types of migratory and regional birds including raptors and reptiles such as snakes have been spotted at this location.