Ashtavinayak Temples of Maharashtra

K R K Moorthy takes a tour of the eight Ganesha temples in Maharashtra which make for the ‘ashtavinayak yatra’.

Ashtavinayaka, a Marathi word, literally means ‘eight Ganeshas’ in Sanskrit. Ganesh is the Hindu deity of unity, prosperity and learning and removes obstacles. An ‘ashtavinayaka yatra’ refers to a pilgrimage to the eight Hindu temples in Maharashtra that house eight distinct idols of Ganesha in a preascertained sequence. Each of these temples has its own individual legend and history. The form of each idol of the deity and his trunk are distinct from one another. Here is a description of each of these temples:

1) Mayureshwar, Morgaon

This temple is situated in Morgaon (village of peacocks), 55 km from Pune. The deity is shown riding a peacock, and hence the name. The original idol is believed to have been installed by the Pandavas. There are two legends about the Moreshwar Ganapati: The demon king Sindhu became all powerful and caused immense hardship to both gods and humans. Therefore, Parvati prayed that a son, containing all the gods within him, be born to her. Eventually, Ganesha destroyed the demon and restored righteousness and virtue. Another legend is about Viniti, the wife of sage Kashyap. After having lost three of her sons, Viniti bore a son in the form of an egg. The young Ganesha broke the egg and there emerged from within a peacock, which began to fight with him. Viniti intervened and the peacock agreed to be the vehicle of Ganesha, on the condition that his name should be taken before that of Ganesha.

2) Siddhivinayak, Siddhatek