Chincholi · IN

Shri Ram Temple, Swami Chincholi

On the Pune–Solapur highway (NH 65), about two hours from Pune, the small village of Swami Chincholi keeps a centuries-old Shri Ram Temple that is as much a piece of Maharashtra's history as it is a living place of worship. Built in the Peshwa era and entrusted to the local Inamdar family, the temple draws thousands of devotees every year, swelling to a village-wide celebration at Ram Navami. What makes it worth a stop is the layering of stories: local tradition binds the shrine to Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Peshwa Bajirao I, while the sanctum holds unusual marble idols of Ram, Lakshman and Sita, a self-manifest Hanuman, a rare five-faced Shiva and an image of Vibhishana. Visitors consistently describe a calm, spotlessly kept and deeply devotional atmosphere.