SHREE MAHAGANAPATI - RANJANGAON : ASHTAVINAYAK.FREESERVERS.COM

SHREE MAHAGANAPATI - RANJANGAON


Mahaganapati means powerful Ganapati. Mahaganapati has eight, ten or twelve hands. Lord Shivshankar got victory over Tripurasur (demon) on worshipping Mahaganapati. Therefore it is called 'Tripurari Varado Mahaganapati'.
(Lord Shivshankar is called as Tripurari after his victory over Tripurasur.)

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REACH

Ranjangaon is situated on Pune-Ahmednagar Highway. As such all state transport buses going from Pune to Ahmednagar halt at Ranjangaon.
1) On Pune-Ahmednagar Highway via Pune-Koregaon & Shikrapur, Ranjangaon is at a distance of 50 kms. from Pune.
2) Regular state transport buses ply from Shivajinagar bus stand of Pune.
While coming from Siddhatek to Ranjangaon you will come across Srigonda sugar factory.

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TEMPLE

Temple facing east has a huge & beautiful entrance gate. Idols of two door keepers namely Jay & Vijay are present near the gateway. Nagarkhana is situated above the entrance gate. This Nagarkhana was inaugarated by Maharashtra's honourable ex-Chief Minister Shri Manohar Joshi On 3rd May, 1997.
The main temple looks like temples from the Peshwa period. Temple is so constructed that sun rays fall directly on Shree Ganesha's idol. Since, this temple was on his way while going for war, Shreemant Madhavrao Peshwa used to halt here & have Mahaganapati's darshan. He had constructed a stone sanctum around this swayambhu or self emanated idol. In 1790 A.D. he gave a hereditary right to perform pooja of Mahaganapati to Shri Anyaba Dev. Temple hall was built by Sardar Kibe & owaris (several small apartments erected along enclosing wall of the temple) were built by Sardar Pawar & Shinde. Famous hermit Morya Gosavi had presented an idol made of five metals to shri Anyaba Dev. This idol is taken out during processions on festive days.

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IDOL

Idol facing east is in a crossed legged sitting position with a broad forehead & the trunk turned towards the left. Riddhi & Siddhi are on both sides of Mahaganapati.
It is said that, the original idol of Mahaganapati is hidden in a cellar in the basement. It is also said that it has 10 trunks & 20 hands. Meditating on that idol is called Mahaganapati Dhyan. That idol is not taken out usually. Due to fear of Muslim invasion in olden days, that idol was hidden. That Ganesha is called Mahotkata. However, temple trustees have refused existence of such an idol in the cellar.
The stone pillars of the old temple can be seen in the compound. This architecture bears similarity to the architecture of the 9th & 10th century.

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PROGRAMMES & FESTIVALS

In Ranjangaon, villagers do not bring Ganesh idol to their houses. Instead everybody comes to the temple for Ganesh Pooja, in the month of Bhadrapada. The Ganesh festival is celebrated for first six days. During the first four days, palanquin of Shree Mahaganapati is taken around the village. It is called as 'Dwaryatra'. For the first four days villagers are allowed to enter the sanctum & perform pooja on their own. On the fifth day Mahaprasad is distributed among the devotees. In the afternoon wrestling competitions (kusti) are held in the village. On the sixth day devotees take darshan of Maruti & then go to Mahaganapati's temple performing Lotangan (prostration) on the way. (Lotangan means proceeding by rolling one's self over & over).


|| Shree Tripurarivarado Mahaganapati Vijayate ||