Scan this QR Code to read the article Echoes on your unlimited Smartphone or Tab Tuck your soul away, in this nature’s velvet coat, indulge in the blissful sanctity of peace. Mahabaleshwar Or simply pamper your eye sight to the charming landscapes. With reasons unlimited, it’s only fair to say one trip is just not enough. Ashtavinayak Ashutosh Bapat The author is an avid trekker and history enthusiast Temples in and can be reached at [email protected] Maharashtra AMBOLI MATHERAN n LONAVALA Morgaon Siddhatek n Pali n Mahad n Theur n CHIKHALDARA Lenyadri n Ozar n Ranjangaon n at www.maharashtratourism.gov.in | Toll Free No: 1800 - 229930 www.maharashtratourism.gov.in Volume 4 | Issue 3 - 2015 | MAHARASHTRA UNLIMITED 35 21cm x 29.7cm Mountains Morgaon Siddhatek Photo Courtesy One of the most popular and revered gods in the Hindu pan- Photo Courtesy One of the ‘ashtavinayaka’ (Eight Ganeshas) temples in Maharashtra, the Siddhi Chinchwad Devasthan Trust, Chinchwad theon is undoubtedly Lord Ganesha. And while there are tem- Chinchwad Devasthan Trust, Chinchwad Vinayak Mandir of Siddhatek is the only one in the Ahmednagar district. Located ples dedicated to him in almost every city and village of Ma- on the northern bank of the river Bhima in the Karjat taluka, it is close to the rail- How to Reach harashtra, and even other states, the Ashtavinayakas (Eight How to Reach way station of Daund and is accessible from the small village of Shirapur in Pune Distance from Mumbai: 240 km Ganeshas) hold special importance for the devout. One of Distance from Mumbai: 250 km district, on the southern bank of the river, from where it can be reached by boat or these is at Morgaon. The temple here is known as the Mayu- a newly constructed bridge. The temple stands on a hillock, surrounded by thick By air By air: The nearest airport is at Pune reshwar Ganesha Mandir and is the foremost centre of wor- foliage of babul trees, which also makes it a tourist destination. The nearest airport is at Pune ship of the Ganapatya sect. It is also a place associated with By rail: The nearest railway station is at Daund on the central railway which is 16 kms away from here. By rail Morya Gosavi, the saint of this sect. According to legend, Lord Brahma was inflated with pride, considered himself as Trains plying from Pune to Delhi and to the south the supreme God and started creating the earth. A number of obstacles blocked The nearest railway station is Pune which Located on the banks of the river Karha in the Baramati taluka stop at Daund. his creation. He then invoked Lord Ganesha, worshipped him at Siddhatek and is a big junction on Central Railway. of Pune district, this holy place has many legends associated By road: Lot of state transport buses ply from Pune, received blessings from him. Then onwards his work went on smoothly. By road with it. As per Hindu mythology, a demon called Sindhu was Daund, Patas, Rashin, Shrigonda to this holy place Being a prominent place in the Ganesha killed by Lord Ganesha at Morgaon. There is a strong belief in Siddhatek. From Pune buses are available from According to the Mudgal Purana, at the beginning of the creation of the universe, circuit frequent state transport buses ply the minds of the faithful that the ashtavinayaka pilgrimage re- Shivajinagar bus station. the creator, Brahma, emerged from a lotus while Vishnu slept in his ‘yoganidra’. from Pune, Mumbai and all other cities in mains incomplete without a visit to Morgaon at the end of the When Brahma started creating the universe, two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, the state. From Swargate bus station at circuit. Morgaon is the foremost centre of the Ganapatya sect rose from the dirt in Vishnu’s ear. The demons disturbed Brahma’s process of Pune, there are buses to Baramati every 10 which believes Lord Ganesha to be the supreme god. There Excursions creation, thereby compelling Vishnu to wake up from his deep slumber. Vishnu therefore pitched a battle against the demons but could not defeat them since he minutes, which stop at Morgaon. are references to Morgaon in different ‘puranas’ and accord- Deepmalas of Rashin ing to Ganesha Purana, Morgaon is one of the three important had not invoked Ganesha (the god of beginnings and the remover of obstacles) places of Ganesha and the only one on this earth. The other A beautiful temple of Goddess Yamai at Rashin is before the fight. Therefore Vishnu performed penance at Siddhatek, invoking Ga- Excursions two are at Kailasa in heaven and the palace of Adi-Shesha just 22 kilometers from Siddhatek. There are two nesha with his mantra “Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah”. Pleased, Ganesha bestowed in the ‘patala’ (the underworld). The Mudgal Purana has 22 big ‘deepmalas’ erected on the temple premises. his blessings and various ‘siddhis’ (powers) on Vishnu, who returned to fight the Loni Bhapkar chapters dedicated to praising Morgaon. A wooden handle is fixed on the top of one of the demons and eventually slew them. The place where Vishnu acquired ‘siddhis’ was Just 20 kilometers from Morgaon is a vil- deepmalas and when operated, the deepmalas start thereafter known as Siddhatek. lage called Loni Bhapkar which is known According to the Ganesha Purana, Ganesha was born to the leaning on both the sides – an architectural wonder! for a temple dating back to the period of divine couple Shiva and Parvati in Treta Yug. The purpose of There are two rock inscriptions written in the Devna- The sanctum of the temple was built by Ahilyabai Holkar, the queen of Indore and the Yadavas. It has beautiful Vaishnavite his birth was to kill the demon Sindhu, the son of Chakrapani, gari script. Rashin is the native place of the famous Sardar Haripant Phadke, an official with the Peshwa rulers, built the Nagarkhana sculptures on it. A beautiful water tank i.e. the king of Mithila, and his wife Ugra. Ugra was said to have Peshwa personality, Antaji Manakeshwar, reference i.e. a chamber which stored ‘nagaras’ (kettle drums) and a paved pathway to the Pushakarani is alongside the temple and conceived due to solar power and was unable to bear the heat to whom can be found in one of the five inscriptions main door of the temple, as well as the main sanctum of the temple. The idol of a rare image known as the Yadnyavaraha radiating from the foetus. Ugra abandoned it in the ocean carved here. Ganesha is seated on a throne and is 3 ft high. The outer hall (previously built by can also be seen here. where a son was born from that foetus. The ocean returned it Duryodhan temple at Durgav Mairal, a landlord from Baroda) was broken in 1939 and rebuilt in 1970. Pandeshwar to Chakrapani, who named him Sindhu. The Sun God offered Sindhu a bowl of ‘amrit’ (nectar) which Sindhu swallowed. And Duryodhan is the chief villain in the epic Mahab- The place is also famous as Shri Moraya Gosavi performed severe penance here Another ancient temple called Pandesh- that is how he got the power to terrorize the people of all three harata. He is probably one of the most disliked char- and is supposed to have been given the order by Ganesha to go to Morgaon. war is located in the vicinity of Morgaon. It worlds. On an appeal from the helpless people to save them acters in popular Indian mythology. Yet, despite this, Narayan Maharaj of Kedgaon also achieved siddhi here because of strong pen- has huge images of ‘dwarapalas’ and the from Sindhu, Ganesha cut him into pieces and removed the he is worshipped by certain communities. The best ance. The Sardar of the Peshwas, Shri Haripant Phadke performed worship for temple’s apsidal type of plan consists of a bowl of amrit from his body. Morever, since Ganesha rode on a known Duryodhan temple is at Kalsi Lakhamandal 21 days and wrote some 21 chants in praise of Ganesha which are sung regu- 4 feet high ‘shivling’ in the sanctum. The peacock he was named Mayuresha or Moreshwar. in Uttarakhand, where the local community believes larly in this temple. He prayed to be reinstated in his lost position as a general small rooms in the courtyard of the temple they are the descendants of the legendary figure for the Peshwas. Phalke built himself a residence next to the temple and ulti- are decorated with paintings which now The exact date of the construction of the temple is unknown. himself. There is another Duryodhan temple in Ker- mately breathed his last at Siddhatek. He also had the stone pathway from the are in a ruined condition. However, it is said that Morgaon had the patronage of the Pe- ala, and one in the Karjat taluka of Ahmednagar dis- Nagarkhana to the temple shrine constructed. A place near the temple is also Jejuri shwas, the administrators of the Maratha Empire. It is also trict, close to Siddhatek. The image of Duryodhan is believed to be the sacrificial altar of Maharshi Vyas. famous for its association with Moraya Gosavi, the saint of placed in a niche of the tower of what is actually a Famous for the temple dedicated to Khan- the Ganapatya sect. The entrance of the temple faces north. It Shiva temple. A unique feature of the deity here is that Ganesha’s trunk is turned to the right. doba, the state deity of Maharashtra, Jejuri is situated on a small mound and hence one has to climb 11 Usually, the trunk of Ganesha is depicted turned to his left.