Crisp facts :

Location : Located at Akoli - Thane district

Presiding god : Ambarnath - Lord Shiva

History : Dates back 11th century

Transportation : Railway, buses and private vehicles

Ambarnath which is located at Akoli is the small town in the Thane district - Maharashtra. Ambarnath at Akoli is located on the railway line of Mumbai to Pune. This is the fascinating temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and has a history that dates back to 11th century. Ambarnath at Akoli is built according to the “Hemadpanti” style of architecture. This type of architecture for the temple is a very rare one and this is the only one temple of its kind in the country. This is an ancient Shivalaya belonging to Ambarnath and many people visit this temple everyday. The complicated and fascinating design of this great temple is being compared to the Dilawara temple located at Mount Abu. This temple has three entrances and is located in the hollow of a hill. The Tavli, to the south of temple over hillock forms the commanding view. The actual Linga is still worshiped by people in the temple. The writings present on the north gate give an idea about how the temple had been constructed.

The writings date back to 1060 AD, the period when Mahamandaleshwar was the ruling king of the vicinity. Once in a year, particularly during the Shivatri time, fairs are being held and thousands of pilgrims visit the temple during this time. Mumbai airport is very near to this place. Ambarnath also has a railway station which makes people from long distance to visit Ambarnath at Akoli easily at any time. There is a frequent state Transport buses facility available to reach the temple from every important place of Maharashtra. To make the tourist who come from a long distance feel more comfort visiting this temple, there are many hotels and dharamshalas available at Thane. This enhances their accommodation facility. The hotels can also be booked in advance to make the availability easy on visiting Ambarnath particularly during the festival times. Anyone who visits Maharashtra must not miss this wonderful temple as a part of their tourism.