Varadvinayak Temple, Mahad
वरदविनायक मंदिर
- Deity
- Ganesha
- Location
- Mahad, near Khopoli, Raigad district, Maharashtra
- Coordinates
- 18.81° N, 73.30° E
- Open
- All year
Significance
Varadvinayak, the giver of boons, is the fourth temple of the Ashtavinayak circuit. It is in Mahad village in Khalapur taluka, near Khopoli. This is not the town of Mahad further south in Raigad district.
History and legend
Legend tells of the sage Gritsamada, who did penance in this forest to be freed from his mother’s curse. Ganesha granted him a boon, and at Gritsamada’s request stayed here to bless all who pray at this place.
The present temple was built, or restored, in 1725 by the Peshwa general Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar. An oil lamp in the shrine is said to have burned continuously since 1892.
Before you go
- Unusually, devotees may enter the sanctum and offer worship to the murti themselves.
- It is close to the Mumbai–Pune highway, so it is the easiest Ashtavinayak temple to reach from Mumbai.
Photos
Visiting
- Open
- All year.
- Best time to visit
- October to February
- Darshan timings
- Check with the temple before you travel.
- Festivals
- Ganesh Chaturthi (Bhadrapada, August or September)
- Maghi Ganesh Jayanti (Magha, January or February)
Where to stay
Pilgrims usually stay in Khopoli and Lonavala. The temple is close to the Mumbai–Pune highway, so Khopoli and Lonavala make easy bases.
Nearby temples
Sources
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