Pabal is a village with a rich history, located about 55 km from Pune City. To get here, one can take the Pune-Nagar State Highway and head towards Shikrapur before proceeding to Pabal. There are several interesting structures and ruins to explore here, including the Nāgeśvara Temple, Bhairavanātha Temple, Mastānī's Samādhī, the village gate, a fortress, and a Jaina Temple.

There is an interesting story behind Mastānī's Samādhī in Pabal. In 1728, Nawāb Muhammad Baṅgaś, a governor of the Mughals, attacked Chatrasāl's kingdom in the Bundelkhand region, defeated him, and laid siege to his capital. Secretly, Chatrasāl wrote to Bājīrāo Peśavā, asking for his assistance. Receiving assistance from Bājīrāo Peśavā, Muhammad Baṅgaś was defeated near Kulpahar in present-day Uttar Pradesh, and in gratitude, Chatrasāl gave Bājīrāo the hand of his daughter Mastānī. Bājīrāo then built a fortress at Pabal for Mastānī. In 1740, Bājīrāo passed away, and it is believed that Mastānī died by swallowing a diamond or consuming poison. She was cremated at Pabal, and a mausoleum was built in her honour.

Mastānī's Samādhī.

Mastānī's Samādhī.

The Nāgeśvara temple and the Stepwell (18.83324, 74.05291)

There is an eastern-faced temple of Nāgeśvara in Pabal. Even today, the temple is worshipped, and on Mahāśivarātrī, there is a big festival. The temple consists of a Nandīmaṇḍapa, sabhāmaṇḍapa, and a garbhagṛha. The temple's exterior is flat, and the garbhagṛha has a simple Śikhara (spire). It seems that the original temple has been partially restored. The original Nāgeśvara temple is estimated to have been built in the 13th century CE, as evidenced by the presence of a stepwell and remaining idols on the premises.

A pillar before Nāgeśvara temple.

Stepwell: Before the temple stands an age-old stepwell, hewn from the living rock, whereas the remainder is constructed from stones and rubble, this form of stepwell, chiselled directly from solid rock, is a unique specimen in Maharashtra. Atop the stepwell rests an ornate shrine adorned with stambha and ratna branches. A segment of the stambha is stationed before the Garbhagṛha. It is believed that the vacant niches in the stepwell once housed idols of deities. Adjacent to the stepwell lie two idols of Viṣṇu and a fragmented Śivaliṅga. Notably, one Viṣṇu idols is depicted in the Śeṣaśāyī pose. Time and immersion in water have led to the erosion of these statues. The stepwell can be accessed from the south of the temple through an entrance. Within the temple complex, an imposing ancient pillar asserts its presence.

An age-old stepwell, hewn from the living rock.

Śeṣaśāyī  Viṣṇu.

Idols in the stepped well.

Mahādeva Temple: In Pabal town, there is another temple of Mahādeva and a stepwell right in front of the village gate. The temple has undergone restoration recently. Inside the Garbhagṛha of the temple, there is a Śivaliṅga, and at the back, there is an idol of a person sitting in Ardhapadmāsana. The temple features a Devanāgarī inscription with two elephants above it and a snake in the middle. As per the inscription, the temple was built on Caitra Śuddha 1 in Śaka era 1816, equivalent to 1894 CE.