There is a village called Varvand on the Pune-Solapur National Highway at a distance of 61 km from Pune. Gopinātha temple (18.447411, 74.404269) is an east-facing tridala (with three garbhagṛihas) type temple situated on a hill to the west of this village. This temple belongs to Śiva, and one of his devotees, Gopinātha Mahārāja, took samādhī here. Hence this temple came to be known as ‘Gopinātha Temple.’ Fencing walls from all four sides surround the temple and have a large entrance on the east. Its lower part shows the original construction and has ardhastambhas on both sides. There is a staircase to reach the top of the entrance. After entering through this gate, the main temple can be seen.

Gopinātha temple.

Architecture: The general plan of the temple consists of nandīmaṇḍapa, gūḍhamaṇḍapa, antarāḷa, garbhagṛha, and two sub-garbhagṛhas.

Nandīmaṇḍapa: The structure of nandīmaṇḍapa is independent, 563 cm long, and 572 cm wide. Four pillars of the nandīmaṇḍapa are 230 cm high and in their original form. There are two sculptures of Nandī in the center of the maṇḍapa. Among those, a smaller Nandī was in the original maṇḍapa. But the villagers have carved a new stone Nandī since it is broken.

Gūḍhamaṇḍapa: Next is the 540 x 540 cm sized gūḍhamaṇḍapa. There is a Gaṇeśa sculpture at the entrance of the maṇḍapa. A small plinth of the samādhī of Gopinātha Mahārāja is in the center of the gūḍhamaṇḍapa. Except this, there is a Gaṇeśa and one more image in the gūḍhamaṇḍapa. Both images are smeared with red lead. All the garbhagṛhas of the temple have antarāḷas. Through the antarāḷa on the left, which is 190 cm long and 140 cm wide, we reach the garbhagṛha measuring 136 x 136 cm. There is a Viṣṇu image in the form of Vāsudeva in the garbhagṛha. The antarāḷa on the right is 186 cm long and 129 cm wide, while the garbhagṛha is 140 cm long and 149 cm wide. An east-facing image of Mahiṣāsuramardinī is placed in the garbhagṛha. It should be 100-200 years old.

Antarāḷa and Garbhagṛha: The antarāḷa of the main garbhagṛha is 170 cm long and 235 cm wide. Recently, the north-south walls of the antarāḷa have been demolished to create two doorways. There is a sculpture of Gaṇeśa at the entrance of the main garbhagṛha. The main garbhagṛha is 280 cm long and 268 cm wide, with a śivaliṅga installed in the center. An image of Pārvatī is behind the śivaliṅga. The stone ceiling of the garbhagṛha is simple. The exterior of the temple is flat. The exterior of the garbhagṛha seems to be in its original structural form. Abhiṣekapātra and praṇālaka are seen outside. 

Original Nandī in nandīmaṇḍapa.

Exterior of the temple.

Loose Stones: At the backside of the temple, there are eight vīragaḷas, one inscribed ass curse, and two hands of satī in a corner. A total of ten vīragaḷas can be seen on this temple premises. Among those, the tallest vīragaḷa is 153 cm, while the shortest is 107 cm high. They are mainly engraved with scenes of cattle protection. A legend related to a cow is prevalent in this area. It is as follows,

Village Legand: According to the story told by the local priest, there is a temple of Bhānobā in Kusegaon, 10 km from Varvand. Bhānobā used to protect the cows. His native place was the village ‘Koyali’ near Alandi. He was expelled from Koyali village due to some reason. Afterward, he started living in his maternal uncle’s village at Kusegaon. His māmā (maternal uncle) had thousands of cows. He used to take care of them. Once, thieves raided the village. Bhānobā fought bravely. But finally, he died a heroic death. The people of Rāmośī and Mātaṅga communities regretted this. It is said that Bhānobā began to appear in the dreams of his killers and their descendants. Some people used to faint after being possessed by Bhānobā. Rāmośī people created his mask. Today there is also his temple in Kusegaon. Big fairs are held in Koyale and Kusegaon on December 9th and November 24th, respectively, in the name of Bhānobā.

Other Aadhegal (ass-curse) in the temple premises is 154 cm high and 40 cm wide. The inscription is much faded. Around nine lines written in Devanāgarī script are visible. There is a dīpamāḷa and a few samādhīs outside the fencing wall of the temple. In front of the temple, across the highway, a bārava is seen. There are also two Satī slabs on the temple premises. One is 67 cm, and the other is 65 cm in height. Hands and sun-moon are engraved on these satī stones.

Vīragaḷas

Satī stones.

Concluding Remarks: Based on available inscriptions and architectural elements, it's evident that the temple underwent two major phases of construction. The original structure likely dates back to around the 14th century CE, as suggested by the features of the nandīmaṇḍapa. Subsequent renovations appear to have been made during the Marāṭhā period, particularly noticeable in the gūḍhamaṇḍapa, where the pillars are smaller and simpler in design. Some of the images in the temple have been coated, altering their original forms. The temple is well-maintained, with Śri Shiv Mahesh Kakade (Gurav) serving as the priest.

The Gopinātha temple is the focal point for a grand yātrā held on Tripurārī Kārtika Pourṇimā. On this occasion, the village Pātīl prostrates at the temple, a practice followed by women and other villagers. The temple owns 32 acres of land. It generally sees a surge in devotee visits during special occasions like the annual festival, the yātrā, the month of Śrāvaṇa, and Mahāśivarātrī. On Tripurārī Kārtika Pourṇimā, the deity is paraded through the village in a palanquin, attracting people of all castes from the village and nearby areas.