Shri Ballaleshwar Temple, Pali, Raigad District, Maharashtra

Lord BallaleshwarSituated against the beautiful backdrop of Sarasgad fort and Amba River in the district of Raigad, around 140 kilometers from Mumbai is the temple of Ballaleshwar dedicated to Lord Ganesha and is one of the Ashta Vinayak shrines in Maharashtra. This is the only shrine of the eight where the Lord is known by the name of his devotee –Ballal, whom the Lord saved from the torture of his father. The interesting aspect of the temple is that the Lord is depicted in the shape of the hill on which he resides. Another point of interest is that after the winter solstice the Sun’s rays fall directly on the Lord.  The temple has two sanctums with the outer one hosting the Lord along with his vehicle while the inner sanctum hosts Lord Ballaleshwar. The Lord’s is decorated with precious stones and is dressed as a Brahmin. The Lord is flanked on either side by Goddesses Riddhi and Siddhi. Just behind the temple is the Dundhi Vinayak Shrine and is one of the rare temples where the deity faces west.

History
Though the exact origins are not clear, Nana Phadnavis restored the original temple around 1760 CE.

Ballaleshwar Temple paliLegends
Legend has it that there once used to live a young boy named Ballal in the ancient village of Pali. The boy was attracted to Lord Ganesha at a very young age and used to spend all his time in the worship of the Lord. The boy even advised his friends to worship the Lord, an advice that did not go down well with the parents of his friends, who thought that Ballal was influencing their children with philosophy. The boy’s father, a successful businessman, was fed up with the constant worship and complaints from parents of Ballal’s friends and tied him to a tree in the forest nearby, where Ballal was found worshipping the Lord. The father left the boy in the forest and asked the poor lad to pray to Lord Ganesha for his freedom. Out of immense pain, Ballal continued his worship of the Lord, who came down in the guise of a Brahmin and saved the lad. Pleased with the lad’s devotion, the Lord asked the lad to ask for a boon. Ballal prayed to the Lord to stay here and the Lord granted him the wish and manifested here as Lord Ballaleshwar.

Festivals
As with the Siddhatek temple, the two major festivals celebrated here fall in the months of January/February and August/September. The first five days of the Hindu months of Magh and Bhadrapadh are celebrated with religious fervor and special rituals. Interestingly, on the fourth day of Bhadrapadh, the Lord is offered a Maha Bhog and the Prasad is believed to have the impressions of the Lord’s fingers. This event is quite popular and the atmosphere is to be experienced. The Lord is also taken on a procession around the town during the month of Magh.

Places of Interest
Mumbai, 140 odd kilometers away, is home to the famous Siddhi Vinayak Temple and Mahalakshmi Temple. Visiting the eight Ashta Vinayak Temples that fall within a 200 mile radius is also to be considered. For the traveler there are hot water springs at Unheri, 4 kilometers from pali.

Accommodation
One can find options in Mumbai, Pune, Panvel, Khopoli and some options in Karjat.

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