Keri: In Caranzol, a forested village in Sattari, residents worship the folk deity Hulaneshwar, believed to be the guardian spirit of a hill.Caranzol, under Savarde panchayat, is known for eco-theological beliefs that helped protect its dense forests, treating sacred groves and hills as the dwelling places of gods.At the centre of the village stands a hill revered for generations as Hulaneshwar’s abode. Traditionally, villagers avoided harming the forest and took care to preserve the sanctity of the shrine. When practising slash-and-burn cultivation on the hill’s slopes, they prayed to Hulaneshwar for blessings.Wildlife enthusiast Subodh Naik said Hulan hill, located in the Western Ghats, is 576m above sea level and is closely linked to the deity.Archaeologist and Caranzol resident Vithoba Gawade told TOI that villagers have long regarded Hulaneshwar as the hill’s protector. After fulfilment of their wishes, people visit a small shrine at the top and make offerings that include cocks, shoes, bidis, woollen carpets, coconuts and incense sticks, he said.In the neighbouring village of Caramboli Buzruko, Hulaneshwar is worshipped in iconographic form. A stone sculpture depicts him seated inside a palanquin carried by two men, and villagers from Caramboli Buzruko and nearby areas pay their respects to the sculpture as Hulaneshwar.
At the centre of Caranzol village stands a hill revered for generations as Hulaneshwar’s abode
