KOLHAPUR: Declining water levels have exposed ancient temples on the banks of the Panchganga in the city.

The temples are more than 800 years old and some of the idols in them could be more than 1,000 years old, believe local temple architecture experts and indologists. There are four beautifully constructed ghats at the bank of the river, spread over 500m, which are above water level in all seasons. However, this time, the water levels have gone down to such a low level that another ghat, ‘Mayur Ban,’ is clearly visible. Senior citizens said this ghat was last visible in 1987-88 when rainfall was scanty.

Residents of nearby areas such as Shukrawar Peth, Budhwar Peth, Uttareshwar and Shanivar Peth are visiting the temples and offering prasad. Some citizens have voluntarily cleaned the sludge and removed garbage from the river. People have also cleaned veergals, stones carved to honour brave men or women who fought for their village, found in the riverbed and placed it on the ghat.

People are visiting Mayur Ban as well as the Brahma and Shankar temples despite waste water flowing through Dudhali nullah, which is contaminating the river at one of the ghats as well as adding to the foul smell of the already polluted river. “A small neighbourhood group has started collecting and cleaning the sculptures carved in stone. We have collected around 12 to 15 idols and kept them on the ghats. However, we want to preserve them permanently as these idols are associated with the history of our ancient city,” said Vijay Sase, resident of Shukrawar Peth. He was busy providing information to people visiting the ghats.

Some sati stones have also been found in the water. Sati, the ancient Indian tradition of forceful immolation of a widow on her husband’s funeral pyre, was banned in 1829. Though veergals are known to this part of south Maharashtra, sighting Sati stones, carvings in the memory of the widow who was burned alive, has surprised experts. “Sati stones have been found in a specific ghat. It must be the place where the stones were immersed around 300 or 400 years ago. There are also chances that people who had abandoned their homes had thrown these stones in the river. However, these stones help one to know the culture of the locals a few hundred years ago with,” said Prasanna Malekar, a researcher of temple architecture.

Malekar, along with senior researcher Umakant Raninga and A N Damle, secretary of Itihas Sankalan Samiti, Kolhapur visited the ghats and tried to identify the places mentioned in Karvir Mahatmya (greatness of Kolhapur), a book considered to be written as early as 1730.

Raninga said there are evidences of civilization on the banks of the Panchganga dating back to 200 BC. The temples and their architecture have been documented in Karvir Puranas and other religious books, according to him. “Brahmapuri hill was the oldest known area of Kolhapur, where civilization flourished around 2,200 years ago. The place is adjoining the river. The temples were constructed near the river since then. Some of them were reconstructed, while some others must have vanished during floods. We are now able to see Mayur Ban, a confluence of the Panchganga and the then unnamed small river, now known as Dudhali nullah that is mentioned in the Karvir Mahatmya. Remains of a Kartik temple built on the confluence are still visible,” Raninga added.

Damle said his organization has studied the history of this place. However, he has been able to see the remains of temples mentioned in several books on Indology for the first time.

