Chintamani temple, Theur

Maharashtra, Pune, Mumbai

At the confluence of Mula, Mutha and Bhima rivers, amid the serene greenery of Theur, relieving his followers of obstacles, is Lord Ganesha in the form of Chintamani. By the blessings of the Lord here, devotees are said to attain calm tranquility of mind. The idol of Chintamani is swyambhu and the temple was built by Dharanidhar Maharaj Dev, a descendant of Morya Gosavi. It is also said that that Morya Gosavi attained 'siddhi' (divine knowledge) here. The temple was a spiritual sanctuary of Peshwas and Shri Madhavrao Peshwa was a loyal devotee of Chintamani. He would visit here to relax his mind and spent the last days of his life at Theur. He also restored the temple during his time.

Legend

Mythology describes that once Lord Brahma felt restless and called upon Lord Ganesh to help him. The place where Lord Brahma attained peace is known as Theur.

Another legend elaborates how King Gana a headstrong ruler forcefully obtained the Chintamani ratna from Saint Kapila. Saint Kapila prayed to Lord Ganesha who fought Ganaraj to obtain the Chintamani. However, the sage preferred the Lord to the jewel. So, Ganesha stayed on in Theur with Kapila, taking the name of the jewel Chintamani.

This Temple is part of famous Ashtavinayak Yatra

Architecture

The entrance of the temple faces north. The main hall in the temple is made of wood and has a fountain. The well-paved yard of the hall is vast. The temple provides a room for those who wants to meditate. A huge bell hangs from the ceiling. The temple's idol is in a cross-legged seated position with the trunk turned towards the left. The eyes of the idol are studded with diamonds.

Pic Courtesy:
Shri Cintamani of Theur by Borayin Maitreya Larios - originally posted to Flickr as Shri Cintamani of Theur. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shri_Cintamani_of_Theur.jpg#/media/File:Shri_Cintamani_of_Theur.jpg

Darsan Info

Temple timings : 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM
There are smaller shrines of Shiva, Vishnu, Hanuman where one can do darshan while doing parikarma(circumambulation)

Darsan Dresscode

Devotees are advised to clean and conservative attire

Famous Festival

January - Maghotsav (Jan/Feb)
September - Ganesha Prakatostav
November - Rama-Madhav Punyostav

Culture

Pune once a base of Peshwas of the Maratha empire, is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. One of the fastest growing cities in India, it is a centre of modern architecture in the country. A prominent hub for education, research, IT and industries, it is also the home to many spiritual leaders.