Sangavi Sandas, situated 45 km from Pune City, offers a serene and spiritual escape. Accessible through Wagholi or Koregaon Bhima via the Pune-Nagar Road, it's a location steeped in cultural significance. Adjacent to Sangavi Sandas is Vitthalwadi, which lies just across the Bhima River. These villages are nestled at the confluence of Bhima and Vel rivers. Sangavi Sandas is home to a Viṣṇu temple located at coordinates 18.619510, 74.173325, the village has earned the moniker "Vishnupur" in honor of its presiding deity. Poised on the banks of the Bhima River, the temple's sanctity is amplified with the presence of a Śiva temple to its left and a Gaṇeśa temple to its right, creating a spiritual trifecta for devotees and visitors alike.

1. Viṣṇu temple stands on a 2-meter-high plinth, and the general structure of this temple includes a sabhāmaṇḍapa and a garbhagriha. There is a kūrmaśilpa in the sabhāmaṇḍapa and some niches and devakoṣhṭhas are visible on the side of the garbhagṛha. There is a Gaṇeśa sculpture at the entrance of the garbhagṛha. A beautiful image of Viṣṇu is in the garbhagṛha whose lower right-hand holds a gadā, upper hand holds padma; while a śankha is in his upper left hand and a cakra in his lower hand. The vitāna of the garbhagṛha is dome-shaped. Recently, a new maṇḍapa has been constructed in front of the temple.

Viṣṇu image.

Vitāna.

2. Gaṇeśa temple is on the right of the Viṣṇu temple. It has three steps to reach the sabhāmaṇḍapa. The sabhāmaṇḍapa has three arches, and a kūrmaśilpa is in the centre. There are Gaṇeśa sculptures in the doorway and in the garbhagṛha.

Gaṇeśa, Gaṇeśa temple.

3. A Śiva temple which is precisely similar in appearance to the Gaṇapatī temple is to the left of the Viṣṇu temple. There is a śivaliṅga in the garbhagṛha of this temple. The roofs above the garbhagṛhas of both temples are alike. The śikharas on all these three temples have been restored. There is a ghat in front of these temples, and from here, the Bhima riverbed looks very beautiful.

4. A Śrīnātha temple is on the other side of this village (18.619615, 74.171846). This temple was old but was recently demolished, and a new temple was built. A four-lined Marathi inscription from the original temple is affixed on the newly built stair. The said inscription is in engraved form, and in it, the first line ‘|| Śrī Nāthāce De. Śrī’ is prominently readable. A mutilated Nandī and a vīragaḷa are placed behind the temple. Based on the structure of the temples at Sangavi Sandas, they must have been built during the late Marāṭhā period, i.e., 18th-19th century CE.

Temples of Vitthalwadi village

Vitthalwadi village, located clsoe to Sangavi Sandas, is home to two late Maratha temples of note: Viṭṭala-Rukmiṇī (located at 18.624088, 74.173158) and Mahādeva (located at 18.619615, 74.171846).

5. The Viṭṭala-Rukmiṇī temple is an 18th-century temple that appears to have undergone some recent restoration work. In the temple's forefront stands a tulasī vriṅdāvana, which has a sculpture of Garuḍa gracefully placed upon it. The temple houses the revered images of Viṭṭala-Rukmiṇī. These sacred images were installed by the esteemed sant, Nilobarai, marking the occasion of śake Vaiśākha Śuddha Ekādaśī in the year 1737. In recent years, the temple's vicinity has seen the construction of smaller shrines dedicated to Nilobarai and Swami Samarth of Akkalkot, further enhancing the spiritual landscape of Vitthalwadi village.

Temples of Nilobarai and Swami Samarth.

6. This village has a big ghat and a very small Mahādeva temple on the river Bhima's bank. There is also a Devanāgarī inscription on the Mahādeva temple. But since the stone is not well-dressed, it is difficult to read the inscription.

Mahādeva temple, Vitthalvadi.

About 2 km from Vitthalvadi, there is a Śiva temple at Patethan. Its plan consists of sabhāmaṇḍapa, antarāḷa, and garbhagṛha. There are six vīragaḷas near the temple. One of them regarding cattle protection is tall and carved into four compartments.