Shri Dev Rameshwar Temple

Shri Dev Rameshwar Temple is located in village Rameshwar Wadi in Devgad taluka of Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra, India. This temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva.[1] It is a historic temple built in 16th century. Its chief interest is the approach about 250 yards long, cut through rock fifty feet deep. The idol, a four-armed figure seated on a bull, is of solid silver said to weigh a hundred kilograms and is in good condition at present.[2]

Temple Ghati (Eastern Gate)

Gabhara (Inner Sanctum)

The architectural patterns of the temple building shows that it has been expanded at least three times from its establishment until now. In the early 18th century, Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre built a quadrangular inner shrine made up of finely hewn stones, also called as the Gabhara around the original place of Shiva's pindi. This is the main room of the temple which contains a shivling or pindi at its centre. Later, in the mid-18th century, Sardar Sambhaji Angre and Sankhoji Angre built a Mandap in front of the gabhara. This mandap consisted of four huge wooden pillars bearing beautiful carvings all over them. They also built a Pradakshina Marg around the gabhara. The entire area was enclosed with walls to form a small temple consisting of the gabhara, the mandap and pradakshina Marg. The entire temple building covers an area of 4,025 sq ft. Stone tiles were placed in the area outside the main temple building covering an area of about 15,000 sq ft. It was in this era that the temple was provided with two new gates on the western and southern side.

Shri Dev Rameshwar Temple - Main Building

In 1763, Shrimant Madhavrao Peshwe appointed Sarkhel Anandrao Rudrajirao Dhulap as the chief of the Maratha Navy. Anandrao was also appointed as the governor of Vijaydurg Fort. In 1775, Madhavrao Peshwe appointed Gangadhar Bhanu as the Subhedar of Vijaydurg region. In 1780, Subhedar Gangadhar Bhanu built a huge Sabha Mandap with 20 carved wooden pillars.[2] In the early 18th century, there were many changes and developments in the structures, architecture and the surroundings of the temple. The most notable change was made by Sarkhel Anandrao Dhulap. He built two additional gates on the northern and eastern side of the temple. The eastern gate was built by making a way or Ghati by cutting a small hill adjoining the temple on the eastern side. He also built the main entrance or the Mukhya Pravesh Dwar for the temple. A huge bell hangs on the eastern gate which has year 1791 engraved on it. This bell was the one that was brought from the Portuguese Ship which was captured by the Maratha Navy. The main wooden mast of this ship has been installed in front of the Main entrance of the temple at the beginning of the Temple Ghati.