Khandoba Temple, Jejuri

On a hill in Pune district, the Khandoba Temple at Jejuri is reached by a long flight of steps and crowned by the worship of Khandoba — Martanda Bhairava, a folk form of Shiva and the family deity of countless Maharashtrian households. Pilgrims shower the shrine and one another with turmeric powder, the bhandara that gives the hill its name, Sonyachi Jejuri, the golden Jejuri. The air rings with the cry that belongs to this god: Yelkot Yelkot Jai Malhar.

The god of the hill

Khandoba — also called Martanda Bhairava and Malhari Martand — is worshipped across Maharashtra and beyond as a warrior god, a folk form of Shiva who took the field against demons. For a great many families he is the kuladaivat, the household deity invoked at marriages and milestones, and Jejuri is his most important seat. The reverence here is intimate and inherited, passed down through generations who name him their own.

The temple crowns a hill, and the climb is part of the pilgrimage. A long stairway lifts devotees from the town to the shrine, the ascent itself an offering before the deity is reached.

The golden hill of turmeric

What sets Jejuri apart is its colour. Devotees fling bhandara — turmeric powder — over the temple, the steps, and each other, until the whole hill takes on a deep yellow-gold cast. From this comes the affectionate name Sonyachi Jejuri, the golden Jejuri, where gold means the glow of haldi rather than metal. The custom turns worship into something vivid and physical, a shared act that coats pilgrim and shrine alike.

The practice is bound up with vows and celebration, and on busy days the air itself seems tinted. For many it is the defining image of Khandoba’s worship — devotion you can see settling on every surface.

Festivals and the war-cry

Two occasions stand out in Jejuri’s year. Somvati Amavasya, the new-moon day falling on a Monday, brings large gatherings, and Champa Shashthi, in early winter, is the great festival of Khandoba, marked over several days. On these days the throng swells and the bhandara flies thickest.

Through it all sounds the cry that announces this god: Yelkot Yelkot Jai Malhar. It is part invocation, part rallying call, and it threads the worship together — a sound as much a part of Jejuri as its turmeric-gold steps.

How to reach Khandoba Temple

• By road: Jejuri lies roughly 48 km southeast of Pune; state buses and taxis run regularly from Pune and Saswad, and the temple is reached by climbing the hill’s long stairway from the town below.
• By train: Jejuri has its own small railway station on the Pune–Miraj line, and Pune Junction is the major railhead nearby for longer-distance connections.
• By air: Pune Airport is the closest, with onward road travel to Jejuri; Mumbai’s larger airport is the more distant alternative for international arrivals.

Frequently Asked Questions

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