Aundh, Satara

The town of Aundh is situated 26 mi. S.E. of Satara. Population (in 1911) about 3500,[1] home of the Aundh State, a princely state (1699–1947). It is now part of Satara District in Maharashtra State.

Deepmal outside the Yamai temple

The town is known for its very old hill temple of the Devi Yamai. The Devi Yamai is the kuldaiwat of many Marathi families. The top of the temple has images and idols of various Hindu Gods. The temple complex also contains the "Shri Bhavani Museum". The present head of the former ruling family, Gayatridevi Pantpratinidhi has installed a 7 kg golden 'Kalash' or crown on the pinnacle of the Yamai temple on the hill at Aundh.

Another temple of Devi Yamai is located in the town; apart from the one on the hill.

The Yamai temple holds an annual fair (Yatra) in honour of the goddess Yamai on the Pournima (Full moon day) in the Shaka month of Paush ( mid January). The yatra attracts thousands of devotees. One of the attraction of the fair is the lighting of the giant stone lamp stand (Deepmal). The fair includes food vendors, vendors selling local novelties, talent shows and movies.

The town falls under Satara District and has a Gram Panchayat (Parish council), with a member of the former ruling family serving as the Sarpanch (Head of the council).

Shri Bhavani Museum
Bronze statue of Shivaji Maharaj in the collection of the Shri Bhavani Museum of Aundh
Damayanti Vanavas by Raja Ravi Varma

This museum has the distinction of being one of the first art museum in India set up by an Indian as an Art Museum rather than as a museum of artefact. The museum contains art collection that was formerly owned by Shri Bhawanrao Pantapratinidhi, the last ruler of Aundh state. The museum collection includes paintings and sculptures of various well-known artists including Raja Ravi Varma and the famous "Mother and Child" stone structure by Henry Moore. It also has various works of art by former alumni of the J.J. school of art such as M. V. Dhurandhar,[2] and Madhav Satwalekar[3] The museum also holds works from the Bengal school. The collection includes casts and copies of many popular western classical sculptures and paintings.[4] There is a small collection of Indian paintings from the pre-modern period especially of the Kangra or Pahadi style.

See also

References
  1. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Aundh" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  2. Bhagwat., Nalini. "M. V. Dhurandhar". indiaart.com. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  3. Chaitanya, Krishna (1994). A History of Indian Painting: The modern period. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. pp. 273–274. ISBN 81-7017-310-8.
  4. Deepti Mulgund; Melania Savino; Eva-Maria Troelenberg (6 February 2017). "Imaginaries of the Art Museum: Banaras and Aundh in Colonial India: Connecting Gaze and Discourse in the History of Museology". Images of the Art Museum: Connecting Gaze and Discourse in the History of Museology. De Gruyter. pp. 230–235. ISBN 978-3-11-034136-2.


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