Weathered by the wind and sun for centuries, one such splendid black-stone temple is Sri Gondeshwar at
the north east of Sinnar town. The place is 26 kms from Nashik and 190 kms from Mumbai. This place is
mentioned in the history by 1069 A. D.This temple is of the numerous shrines in Sinnar, the ones sacred
to Gondeshvar and Aieshvar are the most significant as also antique. To the north-east outside the town
stands the splendid black-stone temple of Gondeshvar weathered by the wind and sun of centuries. It is
still the largest, most complete and the best preserved example of mediaeval temples of the Deccan built
on a variation of the Indo-Aryan style, which had penetrated into a part of the Deccan during the middle
ages. It is a Shaiva Panchayatan, or a group of five temples, within a large enclosure, the central shrine
being dedicated to Shiva, and the remaining four around it to Parvati, Ganapati, Surya and Vishnu.
Tradition ascribes the founding of the town (Sinner) to a Gavali (Yadava) chief by name Rav Shinguni,
perhaps Seunendu of the copper-plate about 800 years ago. His son Rav Govinda is supposed to have built
the great temple of Govindeshvar or Gondeshvar at a cost of 2 lakh of the currency of that period .
It may have been named after Govindaraja a Yadava Prince of the 12 th century .Yet another tradition
assigns the building to Govindaraja, a Yadava king who ruled about the beginning of the twelfth century
A. D. Be it as it may, it is still the largest, most complete and the best preserved example of mediaeval
temples of the Deccan built on a variation of the Indo-Aryan style, which had penetrated into a part of
the Deccan during the middle ages
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