Situated at Ranjangaon, 50 kilometers from Pune, is the Ashta Vinayaka shrine of Maha Ganapathi and is home to the most powerful representation of Lord Ganesha. The deity here is Swayambhu or naturally formed. As with most of the other Ashta Vinayaka shrines, the Lord faces east and is accompanied by Goddesses Riddhi and Siddhi on either side. The temple is designed in a way such that the Sun’s rays fall on the deity after the winter solstice and a similar design is in place at Ballaleshwar temple. There are theories to indicate that the orginial fierce idol with ten trunks and twenty arms was hidden at a safe somewhere.
History
The Peshwas of Maratha kingdom have contributed to the temple notably, Srimant Madhavarao Peshwa, who is said to have constructed the sanctum around 1790 AD. There are evidences that point the antiquity of the temple to around the ninth and tenth centuries.
Legends
Legend has it that Sage Gritsamav, due his mother’s curse, gave birth to a child who went on to become the demon Tripurasur. The demon became powerful based on a boon given to him by Lord Ganesha after the former did a rigorous penance to please the later. Lord Ganesha blessed Tripurasura with a boon whereby, the demon would become indestructible and could only be decimated by Lord Shiva. This naturally puffed up Tripurasura’s ego and he soon became a thorn in the flesh of sages and Gods alike. The Gods, unable to contain Tripurasura’s aggressions, acted on the advice of sage Narada and sought the help of Lord Ganesha. The benevolent Lord decided to help out the Gods and approached Tripurasura in the guise of a learned Brahmin and promised him three planes that can take Tripurasura anywhere within moments in return for the idol of Chintamani, located at Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva. Tripurasura unwittingly accepted the offer and turned furious when Lord Shiva refused to give the statue of Chintamani to Tripurasura’s accomplice. A fierce battle followed in which Lord Shiva couldn’t break any new ground. Suddenly the Lord realized that he forgot to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha and started to recite the sacred Sadakshar Mantra after which Lord Ganesha emerged from the mouth of Lord Shiva and revealed him the secret as to how to decimate Tripurasura based on which Lord Shiva finally decimated Tripurasura and restored peace. Lord Shiva thanked Lord Ganesha with a temple built at the place where the Lord sought the blessings of Lord Ganesha.
Pooja Timings
The temple remains open from morning 05.30 AM to 10.00 PM in the night.
Festivals
The main festival as with any other temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha is Ganesh Chaturdhi. The festival, which falls in August/September, is celebrated with great pomp here, as is the case anywhere in Maharashtra. Celebrations in the village are interesting as the villagers do not buy the traditional Ganesh idol home and instead they throng the temple on the day. The traditional first six days of the month of Bhadrapada – August/September are also celebrated with processions, cultural activities and special rituals.
Places of Interest
The eight Ashta Vinayak Shrines are located within a 200-mile radius and are visited by thousands of devotees as part of Ashta Vinayak pilgrimage.
Accommodation
There are some temple administered accommodative facilities and in addition, one can consider Pune, which offers innumerable number of facilities that range from luxury to budget.