Nashik Road Datta Mandir is located near Nashik Road railway station in Nashik, Maharashtra.
The temple was established in the year 1940 on the auspicious occasion of Datta Jayanti and is now more than 85 years old. It is considered a spiritually active and powerful place of worship.
The main deity of the temple is Lord Dattatreya, who represents the combined form of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. A small marble idol of Lord Datta is installed in the sanctum and is worshipped daily with devotion.
The temple has a simple and peaceful structure designed like an ashram rather than a grand temple. It is surrounded by sacred Audumbar trees, which are closely associated with Lord Dattatreya. The temple includes a small sanctum and space for bhajans and prayers, creating a calm spiritual environment.
The temple was founded by Mahadeorao Sadashiv Ghaisas, also known as Kakasaheb Ghaisas, who was born in 1895 and was a devoted follower of Lord Dattatreya from childhood. He worked in the railway department and retired as an Assistant Traffic Manager. After retirement, he purchased land near Nashik Road for spiritual practice and meditation, which later became the temple site.
The place where the temple stands today was once a cremation ground and was known for its intense and fearful environment. When Kakasaheb Ghaisas began staying there, he experienced strange disturbances and uneasy situations, but he continued his devotion with strong faith. During this time, he had a divine vision of Lord Dattatreya, who instructed him not to leave the place and to continue his spiritual practices. He was also guided to plant sacred Audumbar trees at the site. Kakasaheb followed these instructions with complete devotion, and gradually the disturbances disappeared, transforming the place into a peaceful and spiritually powerful environment. Later, he again received divine guidance to build a temple at the same location near the Audumbar trees.
Accepting this divine command, he constructed the temple and installed the idol of Lord Datta. This transformation from a cremation ground into a sacred temple is considered a powerful spiritual event, and devotees believe that the place carries strong divine energy capable of removing fear, negativity, and obstacles.
Kakasaheb Ghaisas was believed to enter a divine spiritual state, especially on Thursdays and during Datta Jayanti. During such times, devotees felt that Lord Dattatreya worked through him to guide people, solve problems, and remove suffering. Because of such experiences, the temple is regarded as a spiritually awakened place where divine presence is strongly felt.
The main festival celebrated in the temple is Datta Jayanti, which is observed for three days with great devotion and enthusiasm. The celebrations include Datta Puja, Satya Datta Puja, Laghu Rudra rituals, bhajans, kirtans, and a palakhi procession, along with the celebration of Lord Datta’s birth. Apart from this, daily rituals such as morning and evening aarti and devotional singing are performed regularly.
