Ashtavinayaka the Eight Holy Abodes of Ganesha

The Dhundi Vinayak Temple is situated behind the main temple. The idol in this temple is believed to be swayambhu. The musical Ganesha bhajan, "Sukhkarta Dukhharta Varta Vignachi" is chanted by hundreds of followers, isn't it?

The son later prayed to Ganesha in Bhadrakavana to absolve him of the sins. His prayers were granted by Varadavinayak of Bhadrakavana. Ashtavinayak Temples located in Maharashtra are dedicated to Lord Ganesha which is visited and revered by thousands of devotees. There are certain sacred trees in the temple premises, like Shami, Mandar and Tarati trees. Out of these the Shami tree is significant as it is referred to in the legend of Moraya Gosavi, a sage who did penance under his tree and Lord Ganesha gave him a glimpse.

It is situated in Mahad village in Raigad, 146 km from Pune. The idol faces east and has his trunk turned to the left. The idol was found in the lake adjoining the temple and hence, displays a weathered look.

The temples visited in descending order are Siddhatek, Pali, Mahad, Thevur, Lenyandri, Ozar, Ranjangaon. The pilgrimage is concluded with a second visit to Moregaon. The legend revolves around a special Gem called Chintamani. The sage Kapila had this Gem in his possession which has the capacity to grant one’s wishes.

A caterpillar turning into a butterfly was synonymous with my stage in life at that point in time. If you don’t know about God Ganesha or Ganapati, you can first read the information at the end of this blog post. Even if you know about him, you should still find it interesting to read. I have also mentioned information about the Ganesh festival celebrated in India at the very end. Theur's Chintamani ashtavinayak temples was the family deity of Shrimant Madhavrao I Peshwa.

It is believed that Parvati, Lord Shiva's consort, performed penance at this very spot, in order to beget Ganesha as her child. Hence, the name of the temple came to be Girijatmat (Girija's son). Most interestingly, this temple is situated amidst a cave complex of 18 caves of Buddhist origin. This Buddhistvihara is alternatively called Ganesh-Leni and Lenyadri.

Vighnahar Ganapati Temple is located about 85 km from Pune on the banks of Kukadi River. The Vigneshwara Temple Ganesha form worshipped here is called Vigneshwara, one of the eight revered shrines of Ganesha in Maharashtra. As I did my trip with a tour operator they didn’t take me back to Morgaon for revisiting the Mayureshwar temple. I am not very religious usually, but I may make vows or ask Ganesha for favours whenever I am stuck in a tight spot or in an obstacle. I don’t really know whether God exists, but somehow making the prayers gives me confidence clears my mind from any doubts.