The Pataleshwar Cave Temple is a rock-cut cave temple, dedicated to Lord Pataleshwar, carved out in the 8th century. It was originally situated outside the Pune, but the city limits have expanded so that it is now located on the downtown Jungli Maharaj Road.
The temple, made of basalt rock, is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The sanctum - a cube-shaped room about 3-4 meters on each side - houses a linga - the symbol of Shiva and there are two smaller cells on each side. In front of the cave is a circular Nandi mandapa, its umbrella shaped canopy. It is supported by massive square pillars and it is one of the peculiar structures of Pataleshwar.
The temple was left incomplete, possibly because of a fault line found at the back of the sanctum sanctorum, which made the further sculpting unsafe, or political upheaval resulting in loss of patronage. Still in use, the linga is anointed with ghee and yogurt. A brass temple bell hangs outside the basalt entryway.
The brass bell hanging outside the basalt entryway of the temple adds to its magnificence.
