India has number of gems hidden in it small towns all over. When I looked on internet for places to visit around Kolhapur, Kopeshwar temple in Khidrapur was one place that caught my attention. There is good amount of information about it especially about its unique Swargamandap, presence of both Vishnu and Shiva in one temple, conspicuous absence of Nandi and its Hemadpanti architecture.
My first impression of the temple was its compactness compared to many other temples and temple ruins. This temple, though heavily desecrated, still retains its exquisiteness. More than the damage carried out in the history, what really hurt my eyes was the unprofessional restoration attempts by our own present day experts using cheap building material. Some pictures clicked during my visit about an year ago :
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| A very nondescript looking entrance to the temple |
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| The temple from its rear side |
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| A visitor appreciating the stonework, unfortunately heavily damaged. |
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| This temple is very conspicuous with its Swargamandap standing on 48 pillars and Rangasheela. The Swargamandap opens to sky through an opening of about 4 meter diameter. |
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