26th April 2024, Friday - 5

26th April 2024, Friday

Our itinerary for April 26th, 2024 warned us it would be the busiest day for travel and sightseeing. Knowing this, we all made a pact the night before to set extra early alarms. After all, it was midsummer, and we wanted to beat the heat by starting our adventures before the sun got too high.

Our alarms went off at 4 am, and we sprang into action. After a quick shower and some time to freshen up, we had a little extra time before our driver arrived. We decided to grab some tea at a local shop, and on our way back, something interesting caught my eye!


 

This sign instantly brought back a childhood story about Muktabai. She was the youngest of four siblings and the only sister to her elder brothers Nivrutti, Gyandev, and Sopan. One day, Muktabai wanted to make sweet buns for them, but she needed a clay plate from the village potter. Unfortunately, a mean leader named Visoba stopped her and told the potters not to help. Poor Muktabai went home crying. When her brother Dnyandev saw her tears, he knew something was wrong. He told her to prepare the dough, and then did something amazing! He bent down, touched the ground with his hands, and heated his back up until it was red hot. He told Muktabai to use his back to cook the buns! She did, and her brothers were so happy. We were fortunate to stumble upon the place where this story is believed to have happened!


 

By the time we finished exploring this spot, our driver, Bablu, called. We told him to meet us there and hopped in the car. Our next official stop was Theur Chintamani, one of the Ashta Vinayak temples. But Bablu suggested a quick detour to Tulapur. There, we could visit the samadhi (tomb) of Sambhaji Maharaj and the ancient Shree Sangameshwar Mahadev Temple, which sits right where the Bhima and Indrayani rivers meet!


 

Feeling refreshed after a beautiful morning darshan at Lord Sangameshwar Mahadev, we continued our journey to Theur. Nestled by the Mula River, the Chintamani Temple, which means "wish-fulfilling gem," is a popular spot known for its captivating architecture and peaceful atmosphere. Thankfully, Ganesha must have been looking out for us again because there wasn't much of a crowd. We finished our darshan by 8 am and noticed a special floral decoration on the idol that we would likely see repeated throughout the other Ganesh temples we planned to visit that day.


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