Ashtavinayak Tour
Grimatsav, a scholar, was deeply saddened to know about his non-Brahmanical and thus entered a strict penance in the forest of Pushpak. Lord Ganesh, upon hearing his prayers granted him two wishes of his choosing. One, to be known as a Brahmin and the second- for the lord to reside in the forest. This spot surrounding the Pushpak forest is believed to be the temple as we see today. The temple has an elegant architectural style too with the four minarets from the Mughal period adding to the overall effect. The four entrances also represent the beloved deity as he was seen every four years.
Each Ashtavinayak temple has its own individual legend and history, as is distinct from other Ashtavinayak temple in terms of its murtis . The Ashtavinayak tour covers all these eight ancient holy Ganesh temples in Maharashtra. It is believed that, if one does this Ashtavinayak temples tour with devotion his or her desire gets fulfilled. This makes these Ashtavinayak temples a must visit Ganesha temples in Maharashtra. Lenyadri, a series of Buddhist caves located in Junnar, stands out from the others because of its setup. The idol, called Girijatmaja, is located in the eighth cave from the total 30.
The temple is covered from all sides by four minarets and gives the impression of a mosque if seen from a distance. This was done to prevent attacks on the temple during Mughal periods. These Ashtavinayaka temples have eight distinct forms of Ganesh idols. The form of trunk of each Ganesha idol is different from one another. The Girijatmaj idol is not as well designed or carved as the other Ashtavinayaka idols. Also, there is no electric bulb here - however, it is constructed in such a way that during the day, it is always well-lit naturally, by the Sun's rays.
He is also called theVighnahartaor the one who removes obstacles and disruptions. This is the reason why Hindus first remember God Ganesha before beginning any of the important tasks. And a small prayer is made to Ganesha to take care of obstacles and disruptions.
Nodding His head Shri Ganesha made his permanent stay at Pali as Ballal Vinayak and disappeared in a large stone. Behind this temple is the temple of Shri Dhundi-Vinayak which is West facing. The story says that this idol was the same one which was thrown by Ballala's father (Kalyani-seth) while Ballala was worshipping it.
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 ashtavinayak darshan situated amidst a cave complex of 18 caves of Buddhist origin. This Buddhistvihara is alternatively called Ganesh-Leni and Lenyadri.
Must visit Ganesha Temples in MaharashtraThe Lenyadri village is located in Junnar Taluka of Pune district on the bank of river Kukadi. While there is no specific route in which the Ashtavinayak yatra is performed, a particular order is popular among pilgrims.