SHRI BALAJI SANSTHAN 
DEULGAON-RAJA

This Temple  situated on the Nagpur-Pune Highway.

This is old temple built by Raje Jagadevrav, great grand-son of Lakhuji Jadhav, the grand-father of Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj about 300 years back. In the shrine image of Shri Balaji is install on a throne made of gold and silver. To left and right side of Shri Balaji are install the images of Goddess Lakshmi. 

The doors of the shrine made of wood face the north and are silver plated. In front of the shirine a fencing of woodenbars is provided for facility of Darshan wittout entering the shirine. The space provided in front of thr shrine is used as an auitorium and programs of ` kirtan', `bhajan',`pravachan' etc. , are held in it.

The `Mahadwar', the main gate of the temple, at the north of the temple. The doors of the `mahadwar' are plated with ironplates and have iron spikes. From the Mahadwar a road constructed in stones leads to the temple. At the top of the mahadwar there is a room used as `Nagarkhana'. To enter the temple, one has to cross a door in western wall. Outside the main temple, small temples Shankar and Hanuman are seen. 

The office of Shri Balaji Sansthan is situated at the west of the temple.

The following legends are told about the deity: 

Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is belived to the original seat of balaji. 

Raja Jagdevrav, great grand-son of lakhuji jadhav use to go to tirupati annually for the Darshan of Balaji. Later on because of old age he could not go to Tirupati which he felt very much. 

Balaji then appeard in his dream saying he could understand his difficulty and ask him to search for his image in rice bag in his store room, and worship it. 

Accordingly the Jagdevrav found the image and install it. Today also those who can not afford to go to tirupati visit this temple and make offerings promised to the deity in return of trhe fulfillment of their desires. 

Shri Vakratunda kavishwar maharaj, the divoty of Datta of nrisinhavadi, has noted in his book, Devalaya Gramahatmya, that the image of Shri Balaji was install by a person named Dev Sharma, a Brahmin by caste in the period when Purans were written. 

The image of Shri Balaji made of five metals (Panchudhatu) was installed, it is said, by Raje Jagdevrav, great Grand-son of Lakhuji jadhav who had build the original temple. 

The image is very small about to 2'(inch) in height. Shaligram is installed besides the Balaji image.

Behind the throne of Shri Balaji there is a Prabhaval or an arch made of gold. The dress of deity is generally of silk. It is changed on every Friday. Wristlets,ear rings , a crown all made of gold, are the importents ornaments of the deity. It has also a neckless made of mohors (coins) and pearls and other ornaments presented by Bajirav peshva and other persons. these are puts on the deity on special occasions. The hereditary priests of the deity worship the deity daily. There two sections of hereditary priests who worship the deity by turns and share the income according to their respective rights.