Chambargonda

Chambargonda, later called Shrigonda, lies on the Sarasvati, a tributary of the Bhima, south of Ahmadnagar. The town has long been associated with temples and saints of the Marathi devotional tradition. Its Vithoba temple is built of large blocks of stone, with a pillared hall before the shrine.

Maloji Bhonsle, grandfather of Shivaji, is remembered as a patron of the saint Sheikh Muhammad at Chambargonda. Local tradition credits him with establishing a neighbourhood and a monastery for the saint, whose Marathi works include the Yogasangram. The town also became associated with the Shinde family, prominent Maratha chiefs whose residences added to its built landscape. The shrines of its devotees and the houses of its patrons preserve different strands of its religious and political life.