The Old Mahabaleshwar Temple (Panchganga Mandir) is a Hemadpanthi-style temple built of dark stone in the forest 3 km from the modern town, predating the British hill station by several centuries. It marks one of the source points of the Krishna River — one of the major rivers of the Deccan — and is among the holiest sites in Maharashtra for Shiva worship. The British settlers built their hill station around it, carefully excluding the religious area from the cantonment's grid.
The temple complex is compact: a main sanctum with a Shiva lingam, a hall of columns, and the famous Panchganga spring where five streams emerge from stone cow-head spouts. The water is considered sacred and taken home by pilgrims. Non-Hindu visitors are generally welcome in the outer courtyard; entry to the inner sanctum may be restricted. Remove shoes before entering the complex. The atmosphere is quiet and genuinely devotional, very different from the commercial hill-station town a short drive away.