Lord Ganesha- the God of new beginnings

Popularly known as Ganapati, Vinayak, and Pillayar Lord Ganesh is considered the remover of obstacles and hence worshipped by most Hindus before any major endeavor they undertake. He is one of the best-known and worshipped deities in the Hindu religion. Devotion to Ganesh is widely diffused and extends to Jains, and Buddhists, and includes Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and even China.

Identified readily by His elephant head, he is widely revered as the remover of obstacles and thought to bring good luck. He is the deva of intellect and wisdom.

Also referred to as ‘Ekdanta’ or one-toothed, he brings happiness and prosperity even to the most depressed soul. The elephant deity is the son of Shiv and Parvati and is considered to be the lord of good fortune, success, education, wisdom, and the destroyer of all evils.

There are many famous temples in India dedicated to Lord Ganesh that worshippers must visit. Here are 7 most ancient and beautiful temples in India that deserve a visit once in a lifetime:

1.     Siddhi Vinayak Temple – Mumbai

   Siddhi Vinayak Temple is counted amongst India’s most popular Ganpati Temples and is visited by devotees ranging from 25000 to 2,00,000 daily. The statue of the main deity of the temple- Lord Ganesh made of around 5 kg gold sits under a golden roof. Located in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra the Lord Ganesh Temple Trust is the richest and largest temple trust. Built by contractor Laxman Vithu Patil for Deubhai Patil, a childless widow who thought it would benefit other barren women. Over the years its ‘siddhi’ (wish-fulling powers spread like wildfire and patronage from politicians and film stars catapulted it to fame. The roof of the ‘ garbh- griha’ or the sanctum is covered in gold while wooden doors donning a silver carved mantle are covered with intricate images of ‘ Ashtavinayak’ or eight manifestations of Lord Ganesh. The temple was constructed on 19th November 1801.  

2.   Shrimant Dagdu Sheth Halwai Mandir – Pune

Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati temple is a Hindu temple located in Pune and is dedicated to Lord Ganesh. Dagrusheth Halwai he was a trader and a sweetmeat seller, who started off as a small businessman but eventually became a rich businessman. In 1893, Dagrusheth made an idol of Lord Ganesh on the advice of his spiritual guru following the death of his only son in a plague pandemic.

The temple has a Ganesh idol that can be seen even from the outside. It adorns 40 kg of gold and is said to be insured for Rs. 10 million (1.30 US$). The walls adorn traditional symbols such as lotus, Kalash, elephant, peacock, and trident and are covered using gold, emeralds, rubies, and white diamonds. The temple is visited by over a hundred thousand pilgrims every year and these include celebrities and Chief Ministers of Maharashtra who visit during the 10-day Ganesh Utsav festival.

3.    Doda Ganpati – Bangalore

Doda in Kannada means ‘big’ relating to big Ganesha. Located in Basavanagudi, Bull Temple Road, South Bangalore, Karnataka, the temple is built by Kempe Gowda, one of the founders of Bangalore. The temple has a huge monolithic statue of Ganapati, which is about 18 feet high and 16 feet wide. The idol is believed to be growing on its right side.

Also known as Shakti Ganpati and Satya Ganpati this Ganesh temple is known for its Ganesha Festival when Lord Ganesh is decorated in different ways. The most captivating one is Benne Alankara where the idol is smeared with 100 kg of butter and significant aspect of this Alankara is that in spite of the warmth inside the sanctum, the butter doesn’t melt. Ganesha is also decorated with ice cream, and vegetable decorations are also done. This is the best time to visit the temple.

4.   Chintamani Ganpati Mandir – Theur, Maharashtra

Built around the 18^th century CE during the Peshwa rule and located around 25 kms from Pune, Maharashtra Chintamani Ganapati Mandir, Theur is a Hindu temple dedicated to the supreme God – Ganesha. The temple is ‘one of the largest and more famous’ of the Ashta Vinayak, the eight relevant structures of Lord Ganesha in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The temple lore describes how Lord Ganesha retrieved the wish-giving jewel ‘Chintamani’ for his devotee, the sage Kapila from the greedy king Gana and how he pacifies the uneasy mind of God Brahma.

The idol seated in the cross-legged seated position is believed to be self-emanated and is east facing with its trunk turned to left and beautiful diamonds studded in its eyes. Chintamani Ganesh is a God who brings peace of mind and drives away the perplexities of the mind.                               

5.   Ganesh Tok – Gangtok

Ganesh Tok temple located at an uphill distance of 7 kms from Gangtok, Sikkim is dedicated to Lord Ganesh. Built between 1952 and 1953 by Sh. Appa B Pant, by the former Principal Officer of Sikkim in a land synonymous with Buddhism, a shrine to the elephant God is rare. The road to the temple is embellished with colourful prayer flags and makes the journey more pleasant. The holy Ganesh Tok is surrounded by mountains, natural landscapes and beautiful hills. Mount Khangchendzonga (Kanchenjunga) can be seen from here and is at its best in the morning. It offers an amazing view of snow- capped mountains. Space inside the temple is so small that devotees have to creep in on all fours to have darshan of Lord Ganesha. Perched at 6500 ft above sea level, it is said to be one of the oldest Hindu shrines in eastern Sikkim and known to be fulfilling the wishes of devotees.

6.   Arulmigu Manakula Vinayar – Puduchery

Located in the Union Territory of Puducherry and dedicated to the Hindu God Ganesha also venerated as Vellakaran Pillai. It is a popular pilgrimage and a tourist destination. The temple derives its name from two Tamil words ‘ manal ’ meaning sand, and old kulam (pond) . On several occasions, French missionaries attempted to raze the shrine, but ardent worshippers saved it from destruction. Each time the idol was hurled into the sea, it would magically return. The main festivals celebrated are the 18-day Brahmotsavam and Ganesh Chaturthi. Be sure to give a coin to the temple elephant Lakshmi in exchange for a friendly pat on your head from her trunk as a blessing.

7.   Madhur Sree Madanethaswara Mahanganpati Temple – Kerala

Located on the banks of the Madhuvahini River 8km northeast of Kasaragod, is a popular Shiva temple, built in the 10th century by the Mypadi Rajas of Kumbla. Though Lord Shiva also known as Madantheshwara is the presiding deity, it is his son who draws the crowds. The idol of Lord Ganesha is not made of stone or soil but some unknown material; hence all abhisheks are done for Ishwara. Legend has it that during his invasion of Malabar, after conquering Kumbla, Tipu reached this shrine intent on destroying it, but underwent a divine change of heart after quenching his thirst from the temple well. He left the shrine unharmed. The temple water of the well tastes good and is said to possess medicinal and curative properties. Another highlight is the Moodappa Seva, a special festival where Maha Ganapathi’s large figure is covered with moodappam (sweet rice ghee cakes) but no matter how much you stack up, it’s never enough.

 

Friends in the end I can safely say that Lord Ganesha is the God of new beginnings and all of us pray to him before taking up any new task, for success in our efforts and He never disappoints his devotees. It can be said that there is no street in India without a small Ganesh temple or just a statue under a tree. People can not cross His temple without offering prayers to him.

Pics & Inputs: Google, Wikipedia

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