The Lord Venkateshwara Balaji Temple located in Ketkawla is an exact and brilliant replica of the globally famous Balaji Temple of Tirupati. The idol of the Lord is also similar to one installed in the Tirupati temple. The rituals and poojas conducted at this temple also follow more or less the same pattern and timings. It is a great place to spend some time away from the city’s din and sound. The temple surroundings also present a striking slice of nature at its best.

Location and Details

The Balaji Temple is located in Ketkawla region of Pune, Maharashtra and is a 45 km distance from Pune. The Lord Venkateshwara temple is a replica of the Tirupati temple including the Sanctum, the architecture, the wood work and the detailing. Even the prasadam which is a delicious ‘ladoo’ is similar to the one given to devotees at Tirupati Balaji. One of the striking features of the temple is that it is located in very idyllic and peaceful surroundings with a view of mountains and greenery. It is extremely clean and very well maintained unlike most other temples.

Construction

The Balaji Temple, Ketkawla was constructed by the VH group (Sri Venkateshwara Hatcheries) at a cost of 27 crores. The construction of the grand temple, which is built on a flat land of 10 acres, commenced in 1996 and was completed in 2003. The Sahyadri Hills keeps a watchful look on the temple from all the sides, adding to its magnificence. The entrance of the temple is made of stone while the inside carvings are all of wood.

What to Expect

Visitors can have a good darshan of the Lord by following the disciplined queue. There is no jostling or pushing as there are enough security personnel around the place to maintain calm and discipline. The temple trust also serves free food to all the devotees who visit the temple. Food coupons must be collected from designated counters. Only 5000 number of the bundi ladoo prasadam is made every day. Once this stock gets over, devotees are offered bundi and not ladoos.

A Word of Caution

It must be borne in mind that you cannot use cameras all over the temple premises. There are specific areas only where you are allowed to click. Also, mobile phones must be deposited at a designated counter near the temple gate before you enter the sanctum for darshan. Many people, mainly tourists’ visit the place, so the place is generally crowded but weekends typically sees large crowds and long queues.

Temple Timings/Accommodation

The temple gates are opened for devotees at 5 AM and closes at 8 PM. Poojas and aartis are conducted at various times of the day. Accommodation facilities are also available within and nearby the temple for those who wish to take a night halt.

When to Visit

The best time to visit the Balaji Temple is during the winter and monsoon season. Summers are unusually hot and it may be not very comfortable for children and the aged as they would find it tough to cope with the stress of traveling and queuing up for darshan. Standing in queues bare foot for long may be extremely uncomfortable for some during the months of April/May.

How to Reach

The Balaji Temple Ketkawla is 45 km from Pune and takes about 45 min from the Mumbai-Pune highway. It is about 4 km from the Bhor-Saswad area.