Shri Varada Vinayak Temple, Mahad, Raigad District, Maharashtra

Situated 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.
 

History
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.