Mediaeval Temples of the Dakhan c10.s5.1

c10.s5.1

Pedgāon, eight miles south of Śrīgunda, stands in rather a commanding position on the high bank of the Bhīmā. The village occupies a long strip of land which, with the river on the other side, hems in an old Musalmān enclosure which is roughly a quarter of a mile square, almost completely overrun with prickly pear. The fort is said to have been built by the Dakhan viceroy Khān Jahān who was in camp here during the monsoon of 1672 when in pursuit of Sivājī. He gave the place the name of Bahādurgadh which has not been retained. The Muhammadan buildings which, judging from the great amount of debris, must have been very extensive, have almost entirely disappeared, the most complete being the Bībī Maḥall, occupying a delightful position upon the ramparts overlooking the river. But, although nearly three times the age of the Musalmān remains, and despite the devastating effect of the spoiler's hand, there still remain, within the precincts of the fort, the ruins of five old temples, one of which, that of Lakshmī-Nārāyaṇa, is a perfect little gem. Pedgāon must have been a place of importance long before the advent of the Muhammadans, and, perhaps, this was due, in great measure, to its favourable position on the Bhīmā. At this point the Sarasvatī river, upon which Śrīgunda stands, joins the Bhīmā, the junction of rivers being generally considered more or less sacred places. (Plates LXXIV and LXXVI—LXXXIV.)