Enveloped by the thick greenness of Babul trees, on the top of a hillock, resides SiddhiVinayak, the Lord with his trunk to the right. Unlike the other Ashta Vinayaka temples where the trunk is to the left , the right-trunked Lord  is more powerful but difficult to please. The original temple believed to be erected by Vishnu,  was destroyed over time. The present structure of Siddhivinayak temple was built in the 18th century by Rajmata Ahilyabai Holkar. During the rule of Peshwas, Nagarkhana and a  pathway to the door of the temple were constructed. The outer hall which was initially built by Mairal, a landlord from Baroda, was broken down in 1939 and built again in 1970. The Ganapatya Saints Morya Gosavi and Narayan Maharaj are considered to have worshipped here. The temple is now under the administration of the Chinchwad Devasthan Trust.

Location Maharashtra, Ahmednagar, Mumbai

Legend

While Lord Brahma was creating Nature, Vishnu fell asleep. The demons Madhu and Kaitabha that emerged from  Vishnu's ears started unleashing their brutality on Gods and sages.  Vishnu tried his very best to kill them but failed . When Shiva informed Vishnu that he cannot succeed as he had forgotten to invoke Ganesha, Vishnu performed penance at Siddhatek. Pleased, Ganesha showered his blessings on Vishnu, who then  slayed the demons. He created a  temple of Ganesha on that hill. That shrine perished in the course of time. But a cow herd found the deity here and started worshipping the Lord.

This Temple is part of famous Ashtavinayak Yatra

Architecture

Siddhivinayak temple at Siddhatek ,built with black stone,faces the north. The Ganesha idol is Swayambhu and the trunk tilted towards the right. The temple has a Sabha hall and a Nagarkhana. The sanctum has sculptures of Jaya and Vijaya, on either side of the idol.

Pic courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org

Culture

Ahmednagar is relatively a small town and not as developed as some of the other districts of Maharashtra. Shivapur village from where the ferry to the temple is boarded is famous for wrestling.

Darsan Info

Siddhivinayak Temple timings- 4.00 AM to 9.15PM

On request, the temple priests will perform Abhishek, Pooja and Sahastravartan and send the prasad by post.

Darsan Dresscode

Devotees are advised to wear clean and conservative attire while visiting Siddhivinayak temple.

Famous Festival

January - Magha shukla Chaturthi (Jan/Feb)

September - Ganesh Chathurthi

October - Vijayadashami

Temple Rituals

Being a right-trunked Ganesha, the deity here at Siddhivinayak temple is considered to be very powerful and hence strict rules are followed for the puja. Devotees cannot do puja themselves. Food (Naivedya) is offered to the deity.

Special Rituals

Pradikshana of the hillock where the temple is situated is done by the devotees to appease the Lord. It is a five kilometer walk around the temple where the deity is situated.

Additional Info

 

There are no restaurants in the vicinity. However, small eateries are available in and around the Siddhivinayak temple premises.