Khandoba Mandir-maharashtra

The Khandoba Temple is one of the thirteen principal temples of Khandoba. The legend states that the temple priest Mhalsapati spotted Sai Baba in front of the temple and said Yaa Sai, which means Welcome Sai in Persian. Since then people started referring to him as Sai Baba. The Khandoba Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Khandoba. The temple has idols of Lord Khandoba and his wives Banai Devi and Maasai Devi on either side. There is also black and white photographs of the priest Mhalsapati along with his wife and sons showcased inside the temple. There's a large Banyan tree at the entrance of the temple, the place where the Sai Baba's bullock cart halted for the first time. It is now memorialized with a small Sai Baba shrine and ‘padukas’ at its base. In the 1920s, Upasani Maharaj renovated the temple as a gesture of gratitude for the benefit he had derived there and pay respect to the deity.