Ashtavinayak Temples List in Maharashtra : Location, History, Significance

Ashtavinayak temple means eight Ganesha temples. Lord Ganesh is the Hindu religious god. He is the symbol of knowledge, wisdom, and unity. These Ashtavinayaka temples are located in the Maharashtra state of India.

              

The Ashta Ganapathi pilgrimage tour covers the eight sacred temples. God Ganesh has various names for various places. The different names god Vinayaka are Moreshwar, Mahaganapathi, Vigneshwar, Chintamani, Girijatmak, Varad Vinayak and Ballaleshwar. Of the eight Ganapathi temples, 6 are located in Pune district and two are in Raigad district but still approximately nearer to the Pune. These temples are located at Morgaon, Theur, Ranjangaon, Lenyadri, Ojhar, Siddhatek, Pali and Mahad.

Pali Ballaleswar

The young boy named ballal was lived in Konkan pallier village or Pali, who was a great devotee of Lord Vinayaka. He is the son of a rich businessman. Ballal’s Preoccupation with adoration at a young age displeased his father. Ballal spent more time in adoration and influenced his friends to do so too.

One day his friend's parents perceive that ballal was misleading their children by showing them the path of devotion at such a young age. Ballal’s friend's parents went to asked his father to prevent him. After his father went to look for ballal and found him in the forest engrossed in his devotion to Lord Ganesha.

He disrupted the puja, beat his son and throw away the idol of the lord. He tied him to a tree and then he left. Ballal was in forest asserting that let lord Ganesh himself come and rescue him. Ballal was in big pain but he kept calling upon god Vinayaka. Lord Ganesha took a form of Brahmin and arrived before ballal. He settled ballal free and asked him to make a wish. Ballal asked lord Vinayaka to reside in this region. The god permitted and resided in a stone. Which one now believed to be the idol of Ballaleshwar Vinayak, people worship at pali. The idol had desecrated by the ballal’s father that too was placed in the temple. The idol of Dhundi Vinayak near it is trusted to be that idol.    

Location And Travel

Ballaleshwar Vinayak located in the village pali, Sudhagad taluk, Raigad district. Pali is 30km away from karjat.

1. Pali is 124 km away from Mumbai, one can reach from Mumbai to Pali Via Panvel, Khopoli.
2. Pali is 10 km from Pune Via Lonavala & Khopoli.
3. From Mumbai and Pune to Pali there are some direct buses.
4. One can go by train to Krajat, From Krajat to Pali buses is available.
5. From Panvel and Khopoli to Pali buses are available.
6. One can go by boat from Mumbai to Dharatar, from Dharatar to pali buses are available.

Lenyadri Girijatmak

People were believed that goddess Parvathi performed penance to beget Ganesha at this point.Lenyadri Girijatmak

There Parvathi is called as Girija and her son is Girijatmaj. This temple arises in the middle of a cave complex of 18 caves of Buddhist origin. This temple is the 8th cave, these are called as Ganesh-leni as well. The temple curved with out of a single stone hill, it has 307 steps. This temple has a hall without supporting pillars. This temple hall is 53feet long and 51 feet wide and 7 feet in height. The temple is in the south face and the idol is in the north face with its trunk to the left. The Lord Ganapathi is worshiped from the backside of the temple. This temple idol seems different compared to other ashta Vinayaka temple idols. This idol appears to be not well curved like other temple idols. In that temple there is no electric bulb, During the day it is always lighted up by sun rays, it was constructed like that. This idol worshiped by everyone.

Location and Travel

1. On the Pune Nasik road passing via Manchur, Rajgurunagar, Chakan, Narayangaon to Junnar one can reach Lenyandri. Lenyadri is closest to the Junnar. Junnar is a town, 5 km is there from Junnar to Lenyadri.
2. In Pune from Shivaji Nagar, Telegaon bus depots to Junnar transport buses are available.
3. Between Mumbai and Junnar state transport buses also ply.
4. From Junnar to Lenyadri 5 km distance is there and this can be covered by rickshaw, walking or easily available jeeps.
5. One has to climb 307 steps to reach the temple because this temple is in the mountain. By foot, those who cannot cover this distance for them palanquins can carry.
6. These Palanquins or pallakhi’s are made up of foothills for those devotees who are not able to climb up that 307 steps.
7. To reach the Girijatmaj Ganesh main temple you have to climb 307 steps.

Ranjangaon Mahaganapathi

Sardar kine was built the temple, Garbhagriha and the sanctum to the house the swayambhoo statue had constructed by Peshwa Madhavrao.

Mahaganapathi temple is very close to the center of the town Ranjangaon. Lord Shiva is trusted to have devoted Lord Ganesha before fighting the evil tripurasura here. This temple was built by Lord Shiva where he devoted Vinayaka. By the time of setup that place was called Manipur, now it is known as Ranjangaon. The temple faces east and the idol also faces east. The idol is seated in a cross-legged position with a broad forehead, with its trunk positioning to the left. In the day time, sun rays directly fall on the idol. The stone sanctum was built around the idol. Shrimat Peshwa Madhavrao used to visit the temple every day. Mr. Anyaba Dev was authorized to worship the idol in 1790AD. This temple is located in 50km from Pune on the Pune – Ahmednagar highway in the village of Ranjangaon.

Location and Travel  

1. One can reach Ranjangaon in Pune – Nagpur Highway by Pune – Koregaon – Shikrapur – Ranjangaon.
2. 50 km distance from Pune to Ranjangaon.
3. One can reach to Ranjangaon from Pune, Shivaji Nagar bus stands by state transport buses.

Ozar Vigneshwar

The history surrounding this idol states that an evil vighnasur was created by the lord Indra, he is the king of all gods.

The demon vighnasur was created to destroy the prayer organized by king Abhi Nandan. He went there and destroy all the religious and Vedic acts. Then lord Ganesh defeated him to answer the people’s prayer for protection. The story goes on to say that on being defeated, the evil or demon begged and entreated the lord Ganesh to show mercy. Later Ganesh granted his mercy on the demon. At that time the demon vighnasur should not go to the where the Ganesh puja is going on. The demon came back and asked a favor that his name should be taken before his name. Thus the lord Ganesh name became vighneshwar. Here he called as Shri vighneshwar Vinayak.

The temple and idol facing the east. Temple walls are constructed by thick stones. The inner hall of the temple is 10 feet long and the main hall of the temple is 20 feet long. In the god forehead, there is a diamond and some jewels in the navel. Besides the Lord Vinayak idol, Riddi and Buddi idols are placed. After defeating the Portuguese rulers of Vasai and Sashti the golden temple is built by Chimaji Appa. This temple built-in 1785. This temple is located in Pune – Nashik Highway, in the town of Ozhar. This temple is located on the bank of river Kukadi.  

Mahad Varadavinayak

Once upon a time the handsome prince Rukmangad on a hunting trip stopped at the sage Vachaknavi’s ashram. At the sight of Handsome king Rukmangad, Sage Vachaknavi’s wife fall in love and asked him to fulfill her desires. He refused and left from the ashram. She felt very lovesick. God Indra knows about it, and he took a form of Rukmangad made to love her. Because of him, she gave birth to a Gritsamada. After some days Gritsamada learned about the real story, he cursed his mother to become the tree of Bori and she, in turn, cursed him that an evil Tripurasur will be born from him. Suddenly they both are heard voice Gritsamada is the son of Lord Indra from heaven. Later he went to the forest and prayed for the Lord Ganesha. Lord Vinayak was pleased by Gritsamada’s penance and offered a blessing that his demon son who would not be defeated by anybody other than shiva. Later he asked to bless the forest so that any worshiper who prays here will be successful. His son was defeated by Lord shiva. And Gritsamad built a temple in the forest and Ganesh idol installed there is Varad Vinayak. He is the creator of the Gananantva mantra.

This Varad Vinayak temple is located three kilometers from the Mumbai – Pune Highway, and 80 km from Pune it is very near to the Mumbai. Here idol and temple face the east direction. This temple was built in 1725. Since 1892 oil lamps are continuously burning in that temple. Four sides of the temple there are four elephant idols. Temple hall is 8feet and dome is 25 feet high and is golden at the top.

Location and Travel

1. 83 km from Mumbai to Mahad.
2. On the Mumbai – Panvel – Khopoli road, There is a village called Haalgaon 6km before Khopoli.
3. On the Mumbai Pune rail route one can get off at karjat or better still at Khopoli.
4. From Karjat to Mahad 24 km is there, one can get buses from Karjat to Mahad.
5. Khopoli is 6 km away from Mahad, one can get local buses or rickshaw from here.

Moregaon Moreshwar

Shri Moreshwar temple is located at 55 km from Pune, And it is next to the Karha river in the Morgoan village taluk of Baramati, Pune district in Maharashtra. This region is also known as Bhuswananda. Once upon a time, this place is in the shape of a peacock and peacock birds were abundant. Normally the village Morgan is a combination of two words more and goan, It means the village of peacocks (More which means peacock and goan means village). According to the old scriptures, Lord Vinayaka riding a peacock in the form of Mayureshwar or Moreshwar to defeat the demon Sindhurasur in response to pleas from the gods. Compared to all eight temples it is the most important and first visit temple. In this temple idol trunk turned to the left and cobra is surrounded it to protect it. The Idol of Lord Ganesh, riding a peacock in the form of Moreshwar is believed that to have defeated the demon sindhurasur at this spot.

This is not an original idol. The original idol had been consecrated twice by the Brahma. The original idol is very small and it is made with sand, iron, and diamonds, it was in a copper sheet by the Pandavas and placed beyond the one that is currently worshiped.

Location &Travel

1. To reach Morgaon Pune is a convenient city. Pune is the well-connected city by the roads and rails. Between Mumbai and Pune, there are daily buses, trains and flights.
2. To reach Morgaon 79 km are there from Pune through the village Chaufala on the Pune – Solapur Highway.
3. In Pune at the swargate bus stop, S.t buses are available to reach a Moreshwar temple.
4. The other way a tour can take is to go to Jejuri from Pune and Jejuri can be processed to Morgaon. Morgaon is 15km away from Jejuri. By this route, 64 km distance is there from Pune to Morgaon.
5. For the worshipers of Khandoba, Jejuri is the best and well-known tour center.
6. The rail route from Pune to Daund one can get down at Kedgaon and take a bus from there to Morgaon.
7. On the southern rail route, one can get down at the railway station name Nira and then get buses from there to Morgaon Moreshwar temple.

Theoor Chintamani

This temple was built by Dharanidhar Maharaj Dev in the family of Morya Gosavi. After a hundred years the temple has the hall and built by Madhavrao Peshwa. Theur surrounded by the river of Mula mutha. Chintamani theur is the name of the temple in Ganesha and this temple dedicated to the deity of Ganesha. Theur means stable this word is originated Sanskrit. This temple located Theur in Maharashtra State. This Ganesha idol facing East direction in the temple and it is one of the famous and fifth temples of Ashtavinayaka temples in Maharastra.

The specialty of the deity is Self- Emerged (swayambhu Ganesha). his trunk turned in left located east facing and his eyes studded with a gem. The temple hall has black stone water fountain falls and Madhavrao built wooden sabha mandapa. Ganesha stays in the Theur with Kapila, taking the name of the jewel of Chintamani Ganesha bestows blessings of the peaceful mind of your life.

The temple's main gate placed north facing and inside of the temple has various small temples. In outer of the temple shows quite, clean and peaceful. This temple is located in Theur village, Pune district, state of Maharashtra. This temple situated in theur it is settled Haveli taluka of Pune district near the blending of river Bhima and the joint river Mula-Mutha, and distance from the Pune in 25 km.

Location and Travel

1. Chintamani temple located in the Theur, Haveli Thaluk, Pune district. Theur is located on the confluence of the Mula, Mutha and Bhima rivers.
2. On one's way from Mumbai to Khandala, one passes the Bor ghat. After the Bor Ghat Theur is lying.
3. 5 km is there from Pune to Theur.
4. After Hadapsar and Loni a small road to the left leads to Theur, on Pune Solapur Highway at a distance of 3km Theur is available.
5. One can get buses from Saras Baug and Poolgate to Theur in bus depots of Pune.

Siddhatek Siddheshwar

People are believed that the temple was here on the Siddhtek mountain. It is located off the Pune – Solapur Highway, 48 km from the town of Srigonda in Ahmednagar district. Next, to the Bhima river, this temple is located. In that place god Vishnu acquired Siddhi.

After Propitiating Ganesh here the lord Vishnu supposed to vanquished the asuras Madhu and Kaitabh. In this temple Murthi trunk positioned on the right side. This is the only temple trunk positioned on the right side of these eight temples. Two saints namely Shri Morya Gosavi and Shri Narayan Maharaj of Kedgaon get their enlightenment here. This temple is north facing on a small mound. The idol is facing in the north direction. The idol is 3 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide. The temple towards the main road was built by Peshwa's general Haripant Phadake. To make one Pradkshina around the temple of the hillock it takes 30 minutes. In this temple, Lord Murthi's stomach is not wide but the partners of Murthi Riddi and Buddhi are sitting on the thigh.

Location and Travel

• Siddhivinayak temple located on the Bhima river, Siddhtek lies in Kajrat taluka of Ahmednagar district.
• The rail route from Pune to Sholapur one can get down at Dhaund, 18km away from there to Siddhtek.
• State transport buses are available from Pune and Dhaund to the village of Shirapur. From Shirapur to Siddhtek only 1 km, it is a walkable distance. Then board a boat to reach the temple.
• In the early morning, some buses bring devotees from Pune to direct Siddhtek.
• From Mumbai to Siddhtek you can go via Patas, Bhagwan and Rashin.
• Siddhtek via the long route of Dhaund to Kashti to Pedgaon is at a distance of 48 km.

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