Kuraneshwar (Khinditala) Ganapati – Satara
If you ask me where localities of Satara find peace of mind, the answer would be either Kuraneshwar or Yavateshwar. Out of these two, the easily accessible location is Kuraneshwar. It is also called as Khinditala Ganapati. If you visit this temple in the evening, you will find people of all ages spending time at this temple which is surrounded by many trees.
Do you have guts to climb a hill, then start from the prime place of Satara i.e. Rajwada. Walk towards Bogda (tunnel), go through the tunnel to come to a place from where you can take a beautiful view of the valley. If your age, time or enthusiasm does not permit to think of approx 45 minute stressful walk, then take a bus to Bogda. It should take max 10 and if caught in traffic due to narrow roads not meant for heavy vehicles, then 15-20 minutes. After going through the tunnel, take left and walk for max 5 minutes to see this temple hidden in the trees.
The other option is from Shendre, which is a town on Satara Kolhapur highway. Here I would recommend to take bus or your own vehicle to the Temple instead of walking, as there will be very few people travelling by this road.
You can worship, pray or just sit quietly in the temple and feel the silence around, and explore same inside you. Ok, it is getting spiritual. Sit as long as you want and enjoy the atmosphere at this Gram Daivat of Satara.
Next, on the back side of the temple, there is a path going down, you can walk down the hill and explore other peaceful places to sit. Now if you are lucky, or you are going there in the morning, or more appropriately at right time, then you will come across a peacock or rabbit. No need to say, you are there to enjoy the natural beauty, and not to disturb these freebies.
Had a good time? must be!! Now get back to Rajwada and have delicious chat (snacks). Visit this place once, you will feel like going regularly.
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