Shri Varada Vinayak Temple, Mahad, Raigad District, Maharashtra

Lord Varad VinayakaSituated in a quite village named Mahad on the konkan coast of Maharashtra, the Varada Vinayak temple is one of the Ashta Vinayak shrines dedicated to Lord Ganesha and devotees revere the Lord here as the giver of peace and prosperity to those that worship him with a sincere heart.  The Lord here is depicted in a seating posture but is not the original idol, which is placed alongside in the sanctum as it has been damaged beyond repair. There is still a dispute going on as to what to do with the original idol as some devotees raised severe objections to dispose off the original idol. The temple also contains a Gomukha from which the holy theerth flows apart from a pond to the west of the temple. His consorts Goddesses Riddhi and Siddhi accompany the Lord. The most striking aspect of the temple is an oil lamp inside the temple that is said to have been burning since 1892 CE. Devotees can worship the Lord themselves here and this custom is unique to this temple among the eight sacred shrines.
 

Shri Varad Vinayak Temple SanctumHistory
The temple was built in 1725 CE by the then Subhedar of Kalyan District Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar. However, Dhoundu Paudkar found the idol in a nearby lake much earlier in the year 1690 CE.

Legends
Legend has it that there once used to live a prince by the name Rukmangada. The prince was very handsome and once during a hunt met Mukanda, the wife of sage Vachaknavi. Mukanda was head over heels for Rukmangada and asked to the prince to fulfill her desire. The astonished prince turned down Mukanda and was cursed to become a leper as result by Mukanda. Indra sensed the opportunity, took the form of Rukmangada and fulfilled Mukanda’s desire. The son born out their relationship was named Gritsamav, who went on to become a great scholar. Once, Gritsamav came to know the truth behind his birth and out of embarrassment cursed his mother to turn into a thorny Ber tree. A furious Mukanda retaliated by cursing her son to father a demon that would go on to harass the worlds. Gritsamav did a rigorous penance to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha in the nearby pushpak forest and was able to please the Lord. The Lord pleased with his devotion, decided to stay at this place to fulfill Gritsamav’s desire. Thus, the Lord became Varada Vinayaka or granter of wishes and was enshrined in a temple.

Festivals
The first five days of the Hindu months of Magh –January/February and Bhadrapadh – August/September are considered very holy and are celebrated with fervor and special rituals.

Places of Interest
The pilgrimage of eight Ashta Vinayak shrines is a important pilgrimage undertaken by many devotees and all of the shrine fall within a 200 mile radius. Mahad, during the monsoon is a great place to be in with its fantastic natural beauty as is the case with much of the Konkan coast. The city of Mumbai is host to the popular Siddhi Vinayak Temple and the Mahalakshmi Temple.

Accommodation
There are some facilities available that are run by the temple administration like the Bhakta Niwas. The city of Mumbai offers every conceivable form of accommodation and is just a 2-hour drive.

 

Related Posts

  • Vaishno Devi Temple,Katra Vaishno Devi Temple,Katra

    Vaishno Devi Temple is the most-sought after pilgrimage of the Hindus. Located at Trikoot Parvat, Mata Vaishno Mandir is the holiest shrine of India and it is famous all over the World. The temple is accessible by a journey of 13 kms from Katra. Katra is a small town that falls in Udhampur district of Jammu. From Jammu, Katra lies at a distance of 50 kms.

  • Sri Kodanda Rama Swamy Temple, Vontimitta Sri Kodanda Rama Swamy Temple, Vontimitta

    Vontimitta Sri Kodanda rama Swamy temple is a famous Hindu temple in Andhra Pradesh state is dedicated to Lord Rama. The temple is present in Vontimitta town of Rajampet taluk in YSR Kadapa District.

  • Khadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Kadiri Khadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Kadiri

    Kadiri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is located in the southeastern part of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, India. Lord Narasimha at Kadiri is swayambhu emerging from the roots of Khadri tree. He appears here as Ashta Bahu Narasimha (having eight hands) tearing Hiranyakasipu. We can see Prahlada standing beside him with folded hands.

  • Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, Medaram Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, Medaram

    Sammakka Saralamma Jatara or Medaram Jatara is a tribal festival of honouring the goddesses celebrated in the state of Telangana, India. The Jatara begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district.Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the Deccan.

  • Ramalingeswara Temple, Warangal Ramalingeswara Temple, Warangal

    The Ramappa Temple, also known as Ramalingeswara temple is located in the Palampet village at a distance of about 77 km from Warangal. The temple is another example of Kakatiya Dynasty. This is one of the temples which was named after its chief architect. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the architecture of this temple is similar to the famous Ghanpur Group of Temples of Warangal itself. The temple is a master piece of Kakatiyan architecture and everyone must visit to get a glimpse in the life of Kakatiya people.

  • Lepakshi Temple, Lepakshi Lepakshi Temple, Lepakshi

    Lepakshi is a village in the Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Hindupur and approximately 120 km (75 mi) north of Bangalore. Lepakshi is culturally and archaeologically significant as it is the location of shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra which were built during the Vijayanagara Kings' period (1336-1646).

  • Ram Mandir, Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Ayodhya

    Ayodhya is the place where Lord Sri Ram was born and ruled for many years (after killing Ravana). There was an existing temple built in this city, proofs of which have been found during ASI excavation. More than the physical temple and exact spot, the important point is the association of this city (town) with Lord Sri Rama, the most important incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

  • Siddeshwara Swamy Temple, Warangal Siddeshwara Swamy Temple, Warangal

    Siddeshwara temple has a rich ancient history associated with it. The temple was built in 3rd century A.D. Even though built in a time period when life was totally different from today's world, people fascinate about the architecture of this temple a lot.

  • Sri Kakuleswara Swamy Temple, Srikakulam Sri Kakuleswara Swamy Temple, Srikakulam

    Srikakulam has a rich history and is the first capital of the Andhra Kingdom. The ancient Srikakuleswara Swamy temple is located on the banks of River Krishna and is considered to be the 57th of 108 Divya Desams, holiest of shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu, by Vasihnavaites. The temple has a rich cultural and historical legacy and is one of the oldest temples in the south. Great poets like Srinatha Kavi Sarvabhoumudu, Kasuala Purushottama and Narayanatheertha, the composer of Sri Krishna Leela Tharangini praised the temple in their works. The temple is located in the mandal of Ghantasala, which is a popular Buddhist center.

  • Sri Mallikharjuna Swamy Temple, Komaravelli Sri Mallikharjuna Swamy Temple, Komaravelli

    The Lord is believed to have manifested as Sri Mallikharjuna Swamy and made Komaravelli his abode in the eleventh century CE. The Lord married Golla Ketamma from the Yadava community and Medalamma from the Linga Balija community, which explains the association of those communities with the worship services of the Lord.

Latest Posts

  • Temples
  • Sacred Places
  • Articles
  • Pancha Sabhai Sthalams / Sthalangal
    Pancha Sabhai Sthalangal refers to the temples of Lord Nataraja, a form of Lord Shiva where he performed the Cosmic Dance. Panc..
  • Pancha Bhoota Stalas
    Pancha Bhoota Stalam or Pancha Bhoota Stala refers to the five Shiva temples, dedicated to Shiva, the most powerful Hindu god a..
  • 18 Shakti Peethas / Asta Dasa Shakti Peethas
    Astadasha Shakthi Peetas Lord Brahma performed a yagna to please Shakti and Shiva. Goddess Shakti emerged, separating from Shiv..
  • Navagaraha Sthala or Temple
    Navagraha Suriyan (Sun), Chandran (Moon), Chevvai (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Guru (jupiter), Sukra (Venus), Sani (Saturn), Rahu (..

Gallery

  • Siddeshwara Swamy Temple, Warangal
  • 10 Unique things you should do in Kolhapur
  • Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Vaari Devasthanams, Bhadrachalam, Khammam, Telangana
  • Sri Brahmaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Devasthanam, Srisailam, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
  • Maisigandi Maisamma Temple Kadthal,  Mahabubnagar, Telangana
  • Arulmigu Jambukeswarar Akhilandeswari Temple, Thiruvanaikaval, Trichy, Tamilnadu
  • Sri Lakshmi Tirupatamma Devasthanam, Penuganchiprolu, Andhra Pradesh
  • Sri Subrahmanyeswara Swamy Vari Devasthanam, Mopidevi, Andhra Pradesh
  • Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devastanams, Vijayawada
  • Sree Bhadrakali Devasthanam, Warangal
  • Sri Lakshmi Ganapathy Temple, Biccavolu
  • Ashok Vatika
  • The Lords Own Country, Dwarka
  • Simhachalam Temple
  • Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple