Loving Ganesha: Chapter 13 (Section 4) - Around the World -- Paribhuvanam

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font-family:Arial">Namaste all,

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font-family:Arial">Continuing Loving Ganesha….this page can be found at

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12.0pt;font-family:Arial">Om Shanti,

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font-family:Arial">Neil

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The Favorite God Of

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By Dr. S. Srinivasan, from

italic">Tattvaloka, Feb/Mar 1990

No other

state in India dotes on its presiding Deity the way Maharashtra does Lord

Ganesha. Every year the whole

land reverberates with rhythm and music in praise of the Lord for ten days,

starting with Ganesha Chaturthi and culminating in a grand, pompous immersion

ceremony on Ananta Chaturdashi day. No wonder Maharashtrans cherish visiting

the eight sacred temples of Vinayaka, known as the Ashtavinayaka, where the

Lord's image is said to have sprung up naturally, true to the word svayambhu.

Logically, the images are

devoid of elaborate ornamentation. They are stones showing only the broadest

outlines of Lord Ganesha's tusked face and trunk, heavily smeared with red

sindur, applied layer over layer for

centuries.

Lord

Ganesha was brought decades ago to the heart of every Maharashtran by Bal

Gangadhara Tilak as part of a socio-cultural movement directed against alien

rulers. The momentum it has gathered is now for all to see. Despite intrusion

of modern tastes and living habits among the younger generation, the deep roots

that Ganapati worship has struck in the ethos of this tradition-loving state

appear well set to stay for eternity. The eight icons are located in scenic

spots scattered over three or four districts of Western Maharashtra. In the good old days, with the

transport system not so well developed, visiting all of them took eight days or

more; but today one can complete the pilgrimage in three days. There are

several travel agencies in Pune that arrange safe and comfortable trips for the

pilgrims. A brief resume of the shrines follows. Pilgrimage can be arranged

through India embassies worldwide, each of which has

access to efficient travel bureaus; and friendly help in arranging the

pilgrimage will be gladly provided.

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1. Morogoan Temple to Sri Mayuresvara

Let us

begin with the most important of the eight holy places, Morgaon, situated about

65KM southeast of Pune and 16KM from the nearest railway station, Jejuri.

Enclosed by tall stone walls forming a quadrangle, the temple here bears some

semblance to Islamic architecture characterized by minaret-like towers in the

four corners. Apparently it enjoyed the support of a benevolent Muslim

chieftain for awhile. An interesting feature of this temple is the giant-sized

stone Nandi positioned in front of the Lord. It is said that centuries ago, as

the Nandi was being transported to a Siva temple nearby, it decided to settle

in front of Lord Ganesha and just would not move. Within the quadrangle

surrounding the temple there are eight smaller temples with Ganapati idols by

the names Ekadanta, Mahodhara, Gajanana, Lambodara, Vikata, Nataraja,

Dhumravarna and Vakratunda. There are also 23 other idols of various Gods from

the Hindu pantheon, besides two sacred trees: bilva

and shami. The sanctum sanctorum

houses Mayureshvara [Peacock Lord], a primordial idol with a left-sided trunk,

fully smeared with saffron and protected by the hood of a cobra. It is said

that the actual image is quite small but it looks big due to the thick layer of

saffron, which falls off once in a century or so. The local people believe that

this happened last in 1882 and prior to that in 1788.

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2. Thevoor Temple to Sri Chintamani

Situated

22kilometers from Pune, this village became the spiritual retreat of many a

Peshawar ruler of Pune, especially Madhavarao the

senior. Lord Ganesha here is known as Chintamani [jewel of consciousness]. The

story behind this name relates to the Lord's retrieving a precious stone

(chintamani) for one of his devotees,

Kapila Muni, from a greedy king, Gana. By then, however, Kapila Muni would

rather have his Lord than the precious stone. The Lord thus chose to stay with

his devotee as Chintamani himself. The conjoint river Mula-Mutha flows by the

village as it winds its way to join Chandrabhaga, which in turn flows past

Pandharpur to eventually join the Tungabhadra and the Krishna. Morya Gosavi, the great Ganesha

devotee, used to pass through Thevoor on his trips between Chinchwad and

Morgaon. The Lord's icon, again smeared with sindur,

is not much different from the others of the Ashtavinayaka group, with the

features hardly visible, except the elephant head and trunk. But the divine

impact on the devotees is potent as ever.

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3. Siddhatek Village Temple to Sri Siddhi Vinayaka

This

village is 13kilometers northeast of Daund railway junction, but one has to

cross the Bhima River by boat. Years ago, before a downstream

dam was built, one could walk across the dry river bed; but today the waters

are too deep. The idol of Ganesha here is right-tusked. Devotees are enjoined

to be extra careful about the rituals and austerity while worshiping a

right-tusked Ganapati [siddhi Vinayaka, Masterful Remover]. The temple complex

is atop a hill which stretches over a kilometer on the other side. Devotees

seeking a favor from the Lord go around the entire hill seven times in

pradakshina. With no footpath or road and

with thorny bushes all around, this exercise -- covering several kilometers of

rough terrain -- ought to bring the Lord's mercy to the seeker!

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4. Ranjangaon Shrine to Sri Ganapati

Located

on the highway connecting Pune and Ahmednagar is the home of Shri Mahaganapati

[Great Lord of Hosts]. Flanked by Buddhi and Siddhi, as his consorts are

popularly known in Maharashtra, Shri Maha Ganapati of Ranjangaon can even enjoy the

direct rays of the sun around noon time, thanks to the way the sanctum

sanctorum is constructed. The icon of a ten-headed Ganapati known as Mahotkata

is also housed in the temple complex but hidden from the view of most devotees.

Some believe that once upon a time this was the main idol, but it was

thereafter secretly hidden in fear of destruction invaders.

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5. Ojhar Kshetra to Sri Vighnesvara

Just off

the Pune-Nasik highway, this kshetra

is ruled by Shri Vighneshvara [Lord of Obstacles], again flanked by Buddhi and

Siddhi. Two smart dvarapalakas

(sentries), a wide two-tiered prakaram,

a well-polished figure of a mushika

(mouse, the vehicle of Lord Ganesha) and two giant

italic">dipastambhas (lamp posts) all made of stone are the

noteworthy features of this temple.

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6. Lenyadhri Cave to Sri Girijatmaja

The name

indicates a cave in a mountain. Ganesha as Shri Girijatmaja,

"mountain-born," enjoys a picturesque view of the landscape dotted

with hills all around, merging into a mountain range beyond, and the Pushpavati

River winding its way in between, glistening in the sunlight. After climbing

283 steps, one enters the temple, a single large room about 57 feet long and 51

feet wide, cut into the rock with no supporting pillars anywhere. There are 18

other caves of Buddhist architecture in this hill. This icon of Ganesha has

even less distinct features than the others. The locals believe that it is only

the back of Ganesha that is visible to the devotees and that the face is on the

other side of the hill which is unapproachable. Some Peshawar rulers who tried to locate it were

reportedly thwarted in their attempts.

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7. Mahad Hamlet Temple to Sri Varada Vinayaka

This is a

tiny hamlet close to the Bombay-Pune highway near Khopoli, an industrial

center. It is not to be confused with Mahad, a township on the way to Goa from

Mumbai. The temple is located next

to a tank that tends to go dry during summer, but the green fields and trees

provide abundant cool air and a quiet atmosphere conducive to introspection and

prayer. The sanctum is open to the public and, true to Maharashtran tradition,

many devotees place their head right on the feet of the icon to seek blessings

[of Varada Vinayaka, Lord of Boons]. An interesting feature of this temple is

an anantadipa (eternal flame)

that has been kept alight since 1892.

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8. Pali Temple to Shri Ballaleshvara

About

8kilometers off the Bombay-Goa highway, again set amidst a pleasant countryside

dotted with hills and criss-crossed by rivers, one finds the village of Shri

Ballaleshvara. The name comes from Lord Ganesha saving

a boy named Ballala who even as a child spent all his time praying to Him.

Angered by the boy's obsessive behavior, the villagers beat him up mercilessly,

and it was Lord Ganesha who intervened to save his life. There are two Ganesha

temples here. One has first to visit Shri Dhundivinayaka, the idol which

Ballala worshiped, before proceeding to Shri Ballaleshvara in the main temple.

The idol in the latter is unusually broad and enjoys early-morning sun rays, as

it sits facing the east, right at the foot of a steep hill. During the usually

heavy monsoon months, waterfalls streak the landscape all around. A huge

panchadhatu (five-metal) bell adorns the

temple. Its sweet chimes add a special touch of music to the various aratis performed for the Lord.

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Maharashtra's Other Ganesha Temples

In

addition to the famous Ashtavinayaka, Maharashtra boasts a bounty of Ganesha

temples in every nook and

corner, some famous, others not so. The more important ones include Shri Siddhi

Vinayaka of Bombay; Shri Maha Ganapati (famous as a

matrimonial matchmaker) at Titwala, 75KM from Bombay; Shri Mangala Murti at Chinchwad, a

suburb of Pune; Shri Kasva Ganapati and Shri Sarasbag Ganapati, both of Pune

city. On the Arabian sea coast, just off Ratnagiri, Ganapatipule

houses a temple that is literally kept washed by the waves every day, an

attraction for tourists and devotees. Other well-known temples are Dasabhuja

Ganapati near Chiplun on the coastal belt, Siddhi Vinayaka at Nandgaon,

Vighnayana Ganapati at Rakshasabhuvan in Marathwada, Modakeshvara at Nasik and

Shri Ganapati at Seetabardi, Nagpur. Pilgrims who visit all the named

temples during a single tirthayatra, spiritual outing, are said to have

gained the ultimate blessing of the five-armed Lord. Those rare souls who add

to this list more visits to His other abodes are assuredly kept in His heart

forever, enjoying the bliss of all sweet things when in the hereafter, between

births.

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