Mahaganapati Ranjangaon
The village of Ranjangaon is located at a distance of about 50 km from Pune, enroute to Aurangabad in Maharashtra, and it houses a shrine to Mahaganapati.
Ranjangaoncha Mahaganapati is also considered to be one of the Ashta Vinayak shrines of Maharashtra, celebrating eight instances of legends related to Lord Ganesha.
Legend has it that a demon by the name Tripurasura built three powerful citadels (the evil Tripuram forts); with a boon of invincibility granted to him by Lord Shiva. He was the cause of great destruction and suffering to all beings in the heavens and on earth. Upon hearing the fervent appeals of the Gods and ordinary mortals on earth, Shiva intervened, but soon realized that he could not defeat the demon. Upon hearing Narada Muni's advice Lord Shiva saluted Ganesha and then shot a single arrow that pierced through the citadels, bringing an end to the demon.
Shiva, the slayer of the Tripura citadels is enshrined at Bhimashankaram nearby. A variation of this legend is commonly known in South India.
