Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple,Darshan Information

Located in Pune, Maharashtra, Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. It is one of the popular temples in Maharashtra. The temple was built sometime in late 1893.

Location Maharashtra, Pune, Mumbai

Legend

Dagadusheth Halwai (Dagadusheth Gadve) was Lingayat trader and Sweet maker (Halwai in Marathi) from Karnataka. He was a successful sweetmeat seller and a rich businessman. He lost his only son to the plague epidemic in the late 1800s. A very depressed Dagduseth and his wife, Lakshmibai were asked to build a temple by their Guru Shri Madhavnath Maharaj. Their guru recommended building a Ganesha temple to heal them spiritually. The temple was completed in 1893. The temple popularity grew in bounds and leaps. Lokmanya Tilak, the Indian Nationalist leader and a close friend to Dagdusheth, came with the idea of public Ganesh festival to be organised and used as a platform to bring people together in freedom movement. It was this very temple that became the precursor to the popularity of Ganpati Festival in the state of Maharashtra.

Architecture

Jay and Vijay, the two sentinels made of marbles adorn the main entrance. The construction is intentionally kept so simple that devotees may catch a glimpse of Lord Ganesha from outside too. The Ganesha idol is 7.5 ft tall and 4 ft wide. The deity is adorned with almost 8 Kg of gold.

Picture courtesy : commons.wikimedia.org

Culture

The culture here is popularly knows as Puneri. Pune has a rich heritage of culture and knowledge. Nothing represents Maharashtrian culture as well as Pune does. Pune exudes of a culture very rich in spirituality, music, and visual arts. Marathi Rangbhoomi (theatre) is very popular here. Pune is also very popular for street-food. At the same time, Pune has kept it in pace with modern traditions. It is called the 'Oxford of East' and you can also visit Osho International Meditation Resort to witness a completely different culture.

Darsan Info

Temple Timings (Daily) : 6.00 A.M To 11.00 P.M.

Ganeshotsav, Sankashti Chaturthi, and Akshaya Tirtaya are the best time for the darshan.

Darsan Dresscode

No specific dress-code.

The temple is in a crowded market are so plan your commute accordingly.

Famous Festival

January - Ganesh Janma

February - Vasant Panchami

March - Gudi Padwa, Foundation day of the temple

April - Akshaya Tritiya, Amba Mahotsav

September - Ganeshotsav

November - Kakada Aarti Samapti, Tripurari Pournima, Sankashti Chaturthi

Temple Rituals

Daily Abhishek: 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Ganeshyagya: Every Tuesday

Monthly Abhishek

Monthly Vinayaki Chaturthi

Annual Angarki Chaturthi

Special Rituals

On Sankashti Chaturthi, Maha abhishek of Ganpati idol is done. On Akshaya Tritiya an offering of mangoes is placed before Shri Ganapati, next day thousands of mangoes are then distributed to devotees who visit the temple. Gudi Padwa is celebrated as foundation day of the temple.