Varadvinayak Temple

In the Ashtavinayak yatra

The Ashtavinayak are eight Ganesha temples in Maharashtra. According to Maharashtra Tourism the yatra begins and ends at Morgaon: Morgaon, Siddhatek, Pali, Mahad, Theur, Lenyadri, Ozar, Ranjangaon and back to Morgaon. Mahad is the fourth stop. Tradition holds all eight images to be swayambhu, found in natural form rather than carved (Maharashtra Tourism leaflet).

The story and the temple

According to Maharashtra Tourism, Prince Rukmangada received a Ganesha mantra from the sage Gritsamada, and through it Varadvinayak appeared here. According to its web page the swayambhu image was found in the nearby lake, the temple’s nanda-deep (perpetual lamp) has burned since 1892, and devotees may touch the image and perform the abhishek themselves.

According to Raigad district the temple was built (or restored) in 1725 by the Peshwa’s general Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar; the complex has the Navagraha, a mouse and a Shivalinga, and four images of elephants around it. The Kolaba gazetteer (1964) writes the village as "Madh", about a mile south of Khalapur, with a tank near the temple and the village granted to the temple in inam.

How to reach Varadvinayak

• The nearest railway station is Khopoli; about 7 km according to the Maharashtra Tourism leaflet (Karjat 15 km), while its web page puts Khopoli and Karjat at about 20 km. According to the web page Mumbai is about 110 km away and Pune about 120 km.

Main festivals

Where the sources differ

• Who built the temple: Raigad district says Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar in 1725; the Maharashtra Tourism web page "Ranoji Shinde" in the 18th century.
• The image: the Maharashtra Tourism web page places the swayambhu image found in the lake in the sanctum, while its leaflet says the original image is outside the sanctum and a new one has been consecrated inside.
• We found no website of the temple trust itself; varadvinayak.org states that it is not connected with the trust. So no darshan times are given here.

Frequently asked questions