Pune42 minutes agoAuthor: Ashish Rai
Ganesh Utsav has started from today. On the first day of Ganesh installation, visit Ashtavinayak of Maharashtra on Dainik Bhaskar App. These 8 idols of Ganapati are swayambhu (i.e. self-manifested). Ashtaganpati is described in the Puranas. However, they got their real identity in the time of Peshwas.
One of the many names of Ganapati is ‘Vinayaka’, hence we call these group of temples as Ashtavinayak. All these temples are present around Pune, but if you want to visit them then you have to travel about 1000 kms.
1000 km journey to see Ashta Ganapati
These eight very ancient temples are also called the eight Shaktipeeths of Lord Ganesha. Ashtavinayak’s journey is done according to the order of meeting these holy idols. To reach all these temples from Pune, we have to travel 1 thousand kilometers. It is described in the scriptures that this journey of Ashta Ganapati should start from Morgaon Ganapati temple and end here. The importance of this journey is also like 12 Jyotirlingas.
The sequence of Ashtavinayak temples is something like this
Mayureshwar Temple: This temple of Ganpatiji is located in Morgaon area, 80 km from Pune. The Mayureshwar Ganapati temple has minarets and tall stone walls at the four corners. The four gates present here are the symbols of the four eras – Satyuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparayuga and Kaliyuga. The idol of Nandi bull, the vehicle of Shiva, is installed at the entrance of this temple, its face is towards the idol of Lord Ganesha. Regarding the idol of Nandi, it is believed that in ancient times Shiva and Nandi stayed in this temple area for rest, but later Nandi refused to leave from here. Since then Nandi is here. Both Nandi and the mouse (rat) live as protectors of the temple. In the temple, Ganesha is seated in a sitting posture and his trunk is towards the left hand, he has four arms and three eyes.
Siddhivinayak Temple: Siddhivinayak is the second Ganesh in Ashtavinayak. This temple is located at a distance of about 48 km from Pune. Near this temple is the Bhima river. This temple is one of the oldest temples in Pune, as it is about 200 years old. It is believed that this is where Lord Vishnu had attained siddhis. Siddhivinayak Temple is built on top of a mountain. The main gate of which is towards the north. One has to travel up the hill to circumambulate the temple. The idol of Ganesha here is 3 feet high and 2.5 feet wide. The trunk of Lord Ganesha is towards the right hand.
Ballaleshwar Temple: The third temple in Ashtavinayak is the Sri Ballaleshwar temple. The temple is located 11 km from Pali to Toyan on the Mumbai-Pune Highway and before Nagothane on the Goa Highway. This temple is named after Ballal, a devotee of Ganesha. It is believed that in ancient times a devotee named Ballal was thrown into the forest by his family members along with the idol of Ganesha. In critical condition, Ballal was chanting the mantras of Ganesha. Pleased with this devotion, Ganesha appeared to him. Then Ballal requested Ganesha to now reside at this place. Ganapati accepted the request. Since then Ganeshji has been enshrined here by the name Ballaleshwar.
Varadvinayak Temple: Shri Varadvinayak is the fourth Ganesha in Ashta Vinayaka. This temple is located in Kolhapur area of Raigad district of Maharashtra. There is a beautiful hill village Mahad. Shri Varadvinayak Temple is located in this village. According to the prevailing belief here, Varadvinayak fulfills all the wishes of the devotees. There is a lamp named Nanddeep in this temple which has been lit for many years. Although this temple has mythological importance and a story of sage Vishwamitra is also associated with this temple, but in modern times the construction of this temple is believed to be of 1725. At that time it was built by Subedar Ramji Bilwalkar.
Chintamani Ganpati: Chintamani Ganapati is in fifth place in Ashtavinayak. This temple is located in Haveli area, 30 km from Pune district. Near the temple is the confluence of two rivers, Mula and Mutha. There is a belief about this temple that if the mind of a devotee is very disturbed and sufferings are being received in life, then all his problems will be removed after coming to this temple. It is believed that Lord Brahma did penance at this place to control his disturbed mind.
Sachin Agalwe, the head priest of Chintamani Ganapati, said that all kinds of worries, physical, financial and mental, end with the mere darshan of Chintamani Ganapati. This temple is considered to be the place of Mother. Here Ganpati takes care of her children like a mother. Chintamani has a diamond in her navel and she has the effect of Sheshnag on her forehead. Worship and darshan are held here thrice a day.
Shri Girjatmaj Ganpati Temple: Shri Girjatmaj is in the sixth place in the Ashtavinayak. This temple is situated at a distance of 90 kms from Pune on the Pune-Nashik Highway. The distance of this temple from Narayangaon in the area is 12 kilometers. Girjatmaj means Girija i.e. Ganesha, son of Mother Parvati. This temple is built on the site of Buddhist caves on a mountain. There are 18 Buddhist caves on the Lenyadri mountain and the 8th cave has the Girjatmaja Vinayak temple. These caves are also called Ganesh caves. This entire temple itself has been built by cutting a big stone.
Vighneshwar Ganpati Temple: Vigneshwar Ganapathi is in seventh place in Ashta Vinayaka. This temple is located in Junar area in Ojhar district of Pune. According to mythology, there was a demon named Vighnasur who used to torture the saints. Lord Ganesha killed that demon in this area and got rid of all the sufferings. Since then this temple is known as Vighneshwar, Vighnaharta and Vighnahar.
Mahaganpati Temple: In the eighth place of the Ashtavinayak temple is ‘Maha Ganapati.’ This temple is located in Ranjangaon, Pune. It is situated at a distance of 50 kms on the Pune-Ahmednagar Highway. The history of this temple is believed to be between 9-10th century. The entrance of the temple is towards the east which is very spacious and beautiful. The Ganesh ji statue here is amazing. According to popular belief, the original idol of the temple is hidden in the basement. In the olden times, when foreigners invaded here, it was hidden in the basement to protect the idol from them.
Ashtaganpati has been the biggest center of worship since ancient times
Abhay Tilak, an expert on religious subjects in Pune, told that five streams of worship have been flowing in Maharashtra, the oldest among them is the Nath sect. Like Nath, the people of Ganapatya community who worship Ganesha have also been active in and around Pune. It is believed that there have been three biggest worshipers of Bappa, the most prominent among them being Morya Gosavi. Their area of influence was in Theyur, Morgaon and Sidhgaon. The second worshiper was Ganesh Devatya and the third was Ganesh Yogi. This Ashtaganpati has been the center of worship of these three.
Ashtavinayak has been protecting the traders
These Ashtaganpatis also have a geographical significance. Maharashtra is said to be the land connecting South and North India. These Ashtaganpatis are present on the same trade route from Pune to Konkan and Gujarat. It has been a belief that the Vighnaharta used to protect the merchants, so they worshiped him while passing through here and gradually these merchants brought the glory of Ashtaganpati to every nook and corner of the country.