Shri Ballaleshvara Ashtavinayak

Ballaleshvara at Pali is one among the Ashtavinayak (Eight temples of Lord Ganesha in Maharashtra). Ballaleshwar idol is 3 feet high and it faces east and its trunk turns towards the left. The navel and eyes of the idol are studded with precious stones. Lord Ganesh in this aspect appeared as a Brahmin and so this is one of those rare statues where Ganesh is shown wearing clothes as Brahmins do. On both sides of the idol are statues of Riddhi and Siddhi.

Shri Vighneshwara’s Ashtavinayak

Vighneshwara’s temple is situated on the banks of river Kukadi. Among Ashtavinayak places, Ozhar Vighneshwara Temple is the only temple with golden dome and pinnacle.

Shri Varad AshtaVinayak

Shri Varad Vinayak, one of the Ashtavinayak temple is in Mahad village set in the hilly region of Konkan in the Raigarh district and the Khalapur Taluka of Maharastra.

Shri Siddhivinayak Ashtavinayak

 Shri Siddhivinayak Ashtavinayak Temple is at Siddhtek a remote little village along the river Bhima in the Ahmednagar district and Karjat tehsil in Maharashtra. The deity of this temple is swayambhu, three feet high and two and a half feet wide, facing north. The trunk of the deity is turned towards the right. A Ganpati with the trunk turned to the right is considered to be the dynamic form of Ganpati. The statue is in one corner of a hillock.

Shri Mayureshvara Ashtavinayak

 

Shri Mayureshvara ( also called as Moreshwara) Ashtavinayak temple is at Morgaon. Morgaon is at the distance of 64 kms from Pune, Maharashtra, next to the river Karha in the village of Moregaon.

The idol of Lord Ganesha, riding a peacock, in the form of Mayureshwara is believed to have slain the demon Sindhu at this spot. The idol, with its trunk turned to the left, has a cobra (Nagaraja) poised over it protecting it. This form of Ganesha also has two other murtis of Siddhi (Capability) and Buddhi (Intelligence).

 

However, this is not the original idol which is said to have been consecrated twice by Brahma, once before and once after being destroyed by the asura Sindhurasur. The original murti, smaller in size and made of atoms of sand, iron, and diamonds, was supposedly enclosed in a copper sheet by the Pandavas and placed behind the one that is currently worshiped.

Shri Chintamani AshtaVinayak

Shri Chintamani Vinayak, one of the Ashtavinayak is in Tehur in the Haveli Taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra. The idol of Chintamani is purvabhimukha (facing east) and its eyes are studded with precious stones.

Shri Girijatmaj AshtaVinayak

Shri Girijatmaj Vinayak refers to the Ganesh as the son of Parvati. Girija is another name for Parvati and Atamaj means son. This is the only temple of the Ashtavinayak which is on a mountain and is set in a Buddhist cave-temple (also known as known as Ganesh Gufa).

The idol faces north with its trunk to the left, and has to be worshiped from the rear of the temple.  This idol can be worshiped by anyone. There is no electric bulb in the temple. The temple is constructed such that during the day it is always lighted up by the sun-rays!

The temple is situated 12 km from Narayangaon, which is about 94 km from Pune on the Pune-Nashik highway. Nearest railway station is Talegaon.

Shri Mahaganapati AshtaVinayak

Shri Mahaganapati Vinayak temple is in Ranjangao. Ranjangao is 50km from Pune, Maharashtra on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway.

The idol faces the east, is seated in a cross-legged position with a broad forehead, with its trunk pointing to the left.