Siddhivinayak Temple (Maharashtra)
The idol of Ganpati has four arms therefore He
is also called Chaturbhuj. A lotus is held in
the upper right hand symbolises auspicious piety
and a small axe in the upper left.
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Maharashtra) Hindu Temples
Shree Ganesh is the first to be
worshipped before beginning any new project or venture as he is
the destroyer of obstacles (vighnaharta). This beautiful temple
is situated at Prabhadevi area of Mumbai, this popular temple dedicated
to Ganesh was rebuilt on the site of a 200-year old temple. This
temple was first consecrated on Thursday 19th November 1801. Siddhatekcha
Shri Siddhi Vinayak is considered to be one of the Ashta Vinayak
shrines of Maharashtra, celebrating eight instances of legends related
to Ganesha.Siddhivinayak is also one of the names of Ganapati. Siddhtek
is a remote little village along the river Bhima which flows southwards
in the Ahmednagar district and Karjat taluka in Maharashtra. One
remarkable thing about the river is that however rapid its flow
it does not make any sound while flowing. The Siddhivinayak at Siddhtek
is considered an especially powerful deity. It is believed that
it was here on the Siddhtek Mountain, that Vishnu acquired Siddhi.
At Siddhatek Lord ganesh gave Darshan to God Vishnu.The temple is
said to have been built by Lord Vishnu. Near the temple there are
small temples of other Gods Like God Shiva, Goddess Shitala, Lord
Vishnu.
Siddhi Vinayak temple devoted to Ganesh, the elephant-headed God
of Good Fortune is located at Prabhadev in Mumbai. Temples dedicated
to Ganesh are very famous as Shree Ganesh is the first to be worshipped
before beginning any new project or venture as he Vighnaharta, the
destroyer of obstacles. Tuesday is the main day of darshan and puja,
but this temple is frequented by hundreds of devotees everyday..
Even the never-ending long hours of wait do not discourage the devot
from seeking the blessing of Lord Ganesha. Shree Siddhinvinayak
is the source of all arts, knowledge and intelligence. Prayers are
offered to Shree Ganesh before any other worship or before any auspicious
work. Prayers to Shree Siddhivinayak from Kakad Arti in the morning
to Shayanarti in the nights evokes Ashtasatvi Bhav in the devotees.
Legend
Legend has it Mahavishnu who was engaged in a serious battle against
the demons Madhu and Kaitabha, was dismayed by his inability to
bring the battle to a quick and decisive finish. Shiva advised him
to propitate Ganesha. Upon doing so, Ganesha appeared on the battlefield,
and his appearance strengthened Mahavishnu's resolve and abilities
and enabled him to vanquish the demons with ease. Ganesha's appearance
on the battlefield is marked by the Siddhivinayak shrine at Siddhatek,
said to be capable of granting Siddhi. Mahavishnu is worshipped
as the destroyer of the demons Madhu and Kaitabha at Tiruvallur
near Chennai in Tamilnadu, and as the restorer of the Vedas from
the same demons, at Indalur in Mayiladuturai near Thanjavur again
in Tamilnadu, both these temples being over 1200 years old. Another
Legend,It is said that, years ago there was a heap of ashes from
this sacrificial fire. However, this place is now covered by water.
The road leading to the main temple was built by the Peshwa's Senapati
Haripant Phadke. Shree Siddhivinayak's temple is on a hill top facing
north. The sanctum of the temple, which is fifteen feet high &
ten feet broad was built by Ahilyabai Holkar.The swayambhu idol
of Shree Siddhivinayaka is placed in a brass frame. Brass idols
of Jay & Vijay are placed on both sides of Siddhivinayaka. In
the sanctum itself there is a Shivapanchayatan & goddess Shivai's
small temple. The hall of the temple was previously built by Baroda's
landlord late Shri Mairal. It was broken in 1939 & was rebuilt
by Ganesh's devotees in 1970. Nagarkhana on the main gate was built
in memory of Shree Haripant Phadke.
Architecture
The temple as it stands now was re-constructed five years ago after
deliberations with experts on Hindu religion and customs, so as
to maintain the sanctity of the idol as per the Hindu Shastras.
The temple has a Kalash, which is a pointed dome of 12 feet high
Gabhara (sanctum sanctorum) weighing 1500Kgs and plated in gold.
The Kalash, which adorned the earlier temple was lowered with proper
rituals and is kept as an exhibit within the temple premises. The
devotees earn the satisfaction of seeking the blessing of The Lord
by taking a devoted look at the Kalash. The idol has not been touched
in the process of rebuilding the temple, so as to ensure that there
is no human transgression in the area from the point at which the
idol is situated. The Gabhara of the new temple structure has been
designed with an aim to attain maximum convenience and comfort for
the devotees. It is a spacious enclosure with 3 main doors of about
13 feet height. This facilitates the 'Darshan' of Sri Siddhivinayak
from either the area surrounding the Gabhara or the stage (Sabha
Mandap) constructed to conduct pujas and festivities. The area surrounding
the Gabhara has been designed as a sitting area and the stage adjoining
the same is utilised as a platform for common Darshan sought by
the devotees who are unable to spend hours in serpentine queues
to go inside the Gabhara. It is an octagonal enclosure, about 10
feet wide consisting of a silver plated Makhar (a smaller structure
within the Gabhara housing the idol of The Lord). The dome inside
the Gabhara is gold plated - designed to enhance the beauty of the
idol. An exquisite chandelier lights up the Gabhara, making it a
sight never to be forgotten. The three main doors, which are used
for entry and exit by the devotees, are made of perforated wood,
depicting Ashta Ganapati, Ashta Laxmi and Dashavatar. The priests
and the employees assisting them to carry routine functions use
the two side doors. The first floor of the five-storied structure
comprises of a mezzanine gallery, from where Darshan of The Lord
can be easily obtained. It is also used for performing pujas, and
Abhisheks on Tuesday, Sankashti Chaturthi and Angaraki Chaturthi.
About the Deity
The idol of Ganpati has four arms therefore He is also called Chaturbhuj.
A lotus is held in the upper right hand symbolises auspicious piety
and a small axe in the upper left, a holy rosary of beads (Japmala)
are held in the lower right and a bowl full of Modaks (a delicacy
which is a perennial favorite with Sri Siddhivinayak) in the lower
left. The seated glowing idol of Shree Siddhivinayak with deity
on both sides are Riddhi and Siddhi, a sign of great purity and
power or jagrata. On the forehead of the deity there is an eye,
which resembles the third eye of Lord Shiva. Shree Siddhivinayak
himself follows Bhramhatva. His snake shaped sacred thread with
Brair Tej bestows knowledge & wisdom to all. Lord Shiva has
provided his dutiful son Shree Siddhivinayak with his fiery eye
to destroy evil (thoughts) from within the wicked. This is a unique
feature this particular vigilant deity. It cannot be seen in any
other Ganesh idol. The idol of Shree Siddhivinayak is of black stone
and is 2.5 feet high and 2 feet wide, with the trunk on the right
is considered to be the dynamic form of Ganpati. The idol is Gajmukh,
however the belly of the idol is not big. Riddhi & Siddhi are
sitting on each lap of Vinayaka. The face is very calm & serene.
The statue is in one corner of a hillock. The pradakshana (circumnavigation)
of this God is said to be very fruitful. One has to travel 5 km
to complete one Pradkshana as the idol is attached to the hill itself.
Devotees who wish to circumambulate the temple have to go round
the entire hillock. This takes about thirty minutes. The idol made
of black stone was placed in a small structure; the existing temple
was rebuilt on the site of a 200-year old temple. The sanctum sanctorum
housing the deity was altered time and again and finally gave way
to a monolithic and magnificent structure, which was accomplished
by a series of rituals, which lasted a fortnight.
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Hindu Temples in India
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