Tag: Ashtavinayak

  • Chintamani Temple, Theur

    After the trip to Ballaleshwar and Varadavinayak, we went to the Chintamani Temple in Theur on 11 April 2026. We had gone to Chintamani earlier before we realised the importance of visiting these places in a particular order.

    This temple had lovely woodwork and a Portuguese bell kept here after the Maratha conquest of the fort where it was initially hung. There were many sparrows in the temple courtyard. Some parts of the temple was undergoing renovation. I have found the temples managed by the Chinchwad Trust to be better maintained and cleaner than other temples.

    This is relatively closer to Pune and hence, the drive to and from the temple was more leisurely for us. We drove without stops.

  • Ballaleshwar and Varadavinayak

    It had been a long time since we left our Ashtavinayak Pilgrimage. I have written here about our trips to Mayureshwar and Siddhivinayak temples. We had done these in January 2026.

    Personal illness, kids exams, etc led to a delay in the next trip. We headed for Ballaleshwar on 28 March 2026. A day earlier we met Rakesh ettan and family the previous day during our weekly run to Kerala Stores. He suggested that both Ballaleshwar and Varadavinayak were close by and hence could be covered in the same trip. They had done the Ashtavinayak circuit in 3 days.

    Ballaleshwar Temple, Pali

    We left home around 7:30 am. We took the route through Nigdi out towards the Mumbai Pune Expressway. I was happy to see the conditions of the road had improved at Ravet. We made a pitstop at the Hindustan Petroleum bunker which hosted a German Bakery for a bathroom break for us and a refuel for our Logan.

    We headed back onto the Expressway. We took the exit at Khopoli and went down to Pali to reach there around 11 am.

    I parked the vehicle a bit farther than usual thanks to a Mandir security guard he wanted the vehicle in the free parking spot provided by the Temple Trust. This was farther and left our vehicle exposed to the harsh March Sun. It also robbed us of a shaded pay and park provided right outside the temple entrance.

    We went directly into the Ballaleshwar temple right past the Dhundi Vinayaka shrine. We prayed at the Ballaleshwar Temple quite peacefully. We didn’t experience the usual pushing and shoving one has gotten used to in Hindu temples.

    When we left the temple, we saw a sign that said that one usually prays at Dhundi Vinayaka before one prays at Ballaleshwar. So, we prayed at the Dhundi Vinayak shrine and then took a route from within that temple into the Ballaleshwar temple.

    I loved the atmosphere in the Ballaleshwar temple. One could play a big drum placed on one side, ring the bell, and we sat for a while in a wooden outer sanctum for a while before we left the temple a second time.

    Ballaleshwar temple’s legend was narrated by Sharath A Haridasan in his series on Ganesh Puran. My wife and I had heard it together. So, when I mentioned it to her she remembered it easily. This shrine is associated with children and we related it to our daughter as well. Our son was more interested in the animal figurine toys along the two sides of the path leading to the temple.

    We had food at Hotel Sukh Sagar. When I searched for the Varadavinayak temple, I found out that it was only less than an hour away from Ballaleshwar. After a light meal we headed off to Varadavinayak temple.

    Varadavinayak Temple, Mahad

    Google Maps acted weird on the way here. We had to drive around a little to figure out the entrance to the temple. This place had parking with some tree cover but with the Sun directly above us, the trees offered little to no shade. My wife carried my son all the way up the hill.

    The temple had a very unassuming modern structure unlike the other Ashtavinayak temples we had been to so far. It was on top of a hillock. We were allowed to do puja ourselves – which was an offering of coconuts, some hibiscus flowers, and some peda. Our son didn’t have the patience to offer the peda to the God and so took it away before we had the chance to offer it.

    The legend related to this temple can also be found both on Wikipedia or the playlist on the Ganesh Puran by Sharath A Haridasan. This story is more related to the Gods compared to other Ashtavinayaka shrines.

    It was 3 pm by the time we left the temple and headed back home. Google Maps took us through the old Highway and I enjoyed driving up the big upward curves on the ghat roads before we entered the flattish Expressway.

    We stopped at the McDonald’s after the Talegaon Toll Plaza for a bathroom break and some cold coffee for a respite from the heat.

    We returned home happy to have completed half of the Ashtavinayak pilgrimage.

  • Siddhivinayak Temple, Siddhatek

    After the visit to Morgaon, we were wondering where to go next. I went down the rabbit hole of Ashtavinayak orders and lists but finally decided to follow the list given on Wikipedia.

    We visited the Siddhivinayak Temple, Siddhatek on 17 January 2026.

    We left from home later than usual. We drove out through Nagar Road, went past Theur, past Daund, and reached Siddhatek in two hours.

    The roads, both the National Highway and the State Highway after Daund were really good. Most of the traffic was agricultural machinery moving from one field to another or transporting to the traders.

    On the State Highway between Daund to Siddhatek, we were flanked by the Bhima River on one side and the railway line on the other side.

    The parking at the temple was on the road. It was a light day and hence we did not face too many other pilgrims and got parking space quite easily.

    The darshan was calm and quick. We went in and came out after our prayers.

    We wanted to do the feri around the mount. The information online varied about the time the feri would take. It went from 10 minutes to 1.5 hours. It’s much closer to 10 minutes than 1.5 hours, and then it would depend on your speed. We completed the feri in 15 minutes.

    We got somethings from the shops outside the temple. We had sugarcane juice and wada pav. There seem to be quite a few tannaries around the area. I got two belts made for myself – one in black for work and one in brown for casual wear.

    We returned from Siddhatek on mid-day. We stopped at Savla Veg for lunch. Google Gemini suggests Kkanchan Veg but there is also a Vitthal Kamat on the other side. It seems to mostly have breakfast options, though.

    The journey back home was uneventful.

  • Mayureshwar Temple, Morgaon

    My family and I drove to Morgaon on 4 January 2026. It was the first long drive I undertook after the operation in the second week of December. It was a two-hour drive one-way.

    The drive to the temple was on mostly good roads except for a stretch between Hadapsar and a little beyond Phursungi. After that the roads were good and mostly empty. We made a stop at Kamat’s at Khalad on NH 965 for tea and our bathroom break.

    We didn’t make any stops on the way back. We stopped after we crossed Magarpatta to snack on some makhana.

    I first heard about Mayureshwar Temple associated with the Ashtavinayak pilgrimage circuit. It is the starting and ending temple to visit on that circuit. There are some fascinating myths associated with the temple.

    The temple was really well planned. It had good parking space, not too many heckling commercial establishments, and really well kept temple surroundings. We had a good darshan after a small waiting time. I found it hard to pray though the darshan was relaxed.

    I did not notice too much on this journey because I was really focussed on driving and my own driving comfort.

    Addendum: 16 January 2026

    I watched this post on Instagram that gives the story of Khandoba at Jejuri. This is near Mayureshwar. While standing in line, we saw several people who seemed bathed in turmeric and we were curious to learn more.

    Khandoba was a version of Shiva who came to fight Mani and Malla’s terror. Mani surrendered. Malla refused to surrender and was beheaded.

    After the war, Khandoba’s battle wounds were smeared with turmeric and the temple at Jejuri is still bathed in a sea of yellow.