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Mahad village · Maharashtra

Sri Varadvinayak Ganesha Temple

Sri Varadvinayak Ganesha Temple — Mahad village, Khalapur Taluka, Raigad District, Maharashtra (near Khopoli; distinct from the Mahad town in Mahad Taluka)

Varadvinayak — fourth tirtha of the Ashtavinayaka; 'Varad' (boon) + 'Vinayak' (Ganesha) = the boon-granting Ganesha; the only Ashtavinayaka where devotees may directly touch the idol and perform self-handed abhishek

अन्य नाम: Varadvinayak · Vara-data Ganesha · Bhadraka-vana Ganesha · Mahad Ganpati

  • Fourth tirtha of the Ashtavinayaka…
  • The only Ashtavinayaka where devot…
  • The Nanda-Deep has burned continuo…
  • Mahad village in Khalapur Taluka
Sri Varadvinayak Ganesha Temple
दर्शन समय
05:30 – 21:00
स्वरूप
Swayambhu stone idol
स्थान
Mahad village · Maharashtra
उत्तम ऋतु
October-February has the best weathe…
काल
1690 CE

इस मन्दिर की विशेषता

  • Fourth tirtha of the Ashtavinayaka yatra (after Pali); the Raigad-district Ashtavinayaka pair (Pali + Mahad)
  • The only Ashtavinayaka where devotees may touch the idol and perform self-handed abhishek — unique
  • The Nanda-Deep has burned continuously since 1892 (130+ years) — unique
  • Mahad village in Khalapur Taluka — distinct from the Mahad town in Mahad Taluka (near Raigad Fort); often confused
  • Ganesh Chaturthi 2026: Monday 14 September 2026
01
मूल विग्रह

मुख्य देव एवं स्वरूप

Sri Varadvinayak Ganesha — swayambhu stone idol, east-facing, left-trunk (vamamukhi), in padmasana; Riddhi and Siddhi stone icons by the side; a separate white-marble right-trunk second idol in the sanctum corner; mooshaka, Navagraha devatas and a Shivalinga in separate shrines

Swayambhu stone idol — the only Ashtavinayaka where devotees may enter the garbhagriha to touch the idol and perform self-handed abhishek (forbidden at the other 7)

सम्प्रदाय: Ganapatya sampradaya — fourth tirtha in the Ashtavinayaka yatra order; Bhadraka-vana site of Gritsamada's tapasya

02
स्थल-पुराण

कथा, इतिहास एवं महत्व

Ashtavinayaka sthala-purana tradition (derived from the Mudgala Purana + Ganesha Purana)

Prince Rukmangada, son of King Bhima of Koudinyapur, refused the advances of Mukunda, wife of sage Vachaknavi; Indra impersonated Rukmangada and consorted with Mukunda; from that union was born Gritsamada. Gritsamada performed long tapasya to Ganesha in the Pushpak forest (later called Bhadraka-vana = the present Mahad). Ganesha appeared and granted his wishes (including the boon of Brahmin status) and promised perpetual residence in that very forest → Varadvinayak.

Rigveda Mandala 2.23.1 — the 'Gananam Tva' sukta

Gritsamada is the principal rishi of Mandala 2 of the Rigveda and the seer of 'Gananam tva Ganapatim havamahe' (Rigveda 2.23.1); this sukta later became the opening invocation of the Ganapati Atharvashirsha. (The Ganapati Atharvashirsha itself is attributed to a separate Ganaka/Atharvan rishi tradition dated to the 8th-9th century CE — not Gritsamada's composition.)

संत एवं परम्परा

  • Sage Gritsamada — performed tapasya in the Pushpak/Bhadraka forest; rishi of Rigveda Mandala 2 + seer of the 'Gananam Tva' sukta
  • Shree Dhondu Paudkar (1690 CE) — recovered the swayambhu idol from the adjoining lake
  • Subhedar Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar (Peshwa general, 1725 CE) — built/gifted the present temple structure
  • Anonymous devotee (1892 CE) — installed the Nanda-Deep, which has remained continuously lit since
  • Independent Shri Varadvinayak Devasthan Trust — modern administration (NOT Chinchwad Devasthan)

ऐतिहासिक घटनाक्रम

  1. 1690Shree Dhondu Paudkar recovered the swayambhu idol from the adjoining lake — Wikipedia + Maharashtra Tourism + ashtavinayak.in + ashtavinayak.net + Bhatkanti + Sanatanavibes multi-source consensus
  2. 1725Subhedar Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar (Peshwa general) built/gifted the present temple structure — Wikipedia + Maharashtra Tourism + ashtavinayak.in + 6+ multi-source
  3. 1892Nanda-Deep installed (by an anonymous devotee); continuously lit for 130+ years — Wikipedia + ashtavinayak.in + Bhatkanti + Sanatanavibes multi-source
03
नित्य उपासना

दर्शन समय एवं आरती

05:30 से 21:00 तक

Morning Aarti05:30
Daily
Panchamrut Puja08:00
Daily
Midday Puja12:00
Daily
Evening Aarti19:30
Daily
Shej Aarti (closing)21:00
Daily

विशेष नियम: Photography forbidden in the garbhagriha; free parking; the only Ashtavinayaka where self-handed touch and self-handed abhishek are permitted

04
दर्शन

दर्शन के प्रकार

General Free Darshanनिःशुल्क
समय
05:30-21:00 (daily)
उपयुक्त
All devotees

The only Ashtavinayaka that permits entry into the garbhagriha and touch-darshan of the idol.

Self-handed Abhishekनिःशुल्क

Unique in the Ashtavinayaka — devotees may perform abhishek with their own hands; the other 7 require a priest as intermediary.

Panchamrut Puja

Morning 08:00 Panchamrut snana puja.

Full-day private puja (Rs.31,000)₹31000

Full-day undisturbed private puja booking via the temple trust.

05
उत्सव

प्रमुख पर्व एवं उत्सव

Bhadrapad Ganesh Chaturthi 2026Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi-Panchami

Monday 14 September 2026 — 5-day celebration; Bhadrapada Shukla 1-5; through Anant Chaturdashi / Visarjan on 25 September 2026.

Maghi Ganesh Jayanti 2026Magha Shukla Chaturthi

Thursday 22 January 2026 — 5-day celebration; the coconut prasad received on Maghi Chaturthi is believed to bless devotees with progeny.

Sankashti Chaturthi (monthly)Krishna Chaturthi (every month)

Special mahabhishek; parana after moonrise.

Janmashtami and Vijayadashami processionBhadrapada Krishna Ashtami + Ashwin Shukla Dashami

Special pujas and processions.

06
आस्था

मनोकामना एवं फल

Boon-asking sankalpa (the boon-granting Ganesha)

'Varad-Vinayak' = the boon-granting Ganesha; the principal tirtha for boon-asking per the Gritsamada-tapasya-vara narrative; the boon-granter by name in the Ashtavinayaka

स्रोत: ashtavinayak.in + Wikipedia + Maharashtra Tourism

Self-handed abhishek-darshan sankalpa (unique)

The only Ashtavinayaka where devotees may perform self-handed touch and abhishek — a direct touch-communion with Ganesha

स्रोत: Wikipedia + Saranam + ashtavinayak.in + 6+ multi-source

Brahminhood-boon sankalpa (the Gritsamada tradition)

Gritsamada attained the boon of Brahminhood through his tapasya here; a sankalpa for change in birth status and for spiritual elevation

स्रोत: Sthala tradition + Wikipedia Gritsamada

Progeny-boon sankalpa (Maghi coconut prasad tradition)

The coconut prasad received on Maghi Chaturthi is believed to bless devotees with progeny; a tirtha for childless couples

स्रोत: ashtavinayak.in + Maharashtra Tourism multi-source

Nanda-Deep darshan sankalpa (continuously lit for 130+ years)

The Nanda-Deep has burned continuously since 1892 — unique in the Ashtavinayaka; a sankalpa for darshan of an unbroken-bhakti symbol

स्रोत: Wikipedia + ashtavinayak.in + 5+ multi-source

07
जप

मन्त्र एवं स्तोत्र

  • Om Gam Ganapataye NamahBija mantraGanapatya tradition
  • 'Gananam tva Ganapatim havamahe' (Rigveda 2.23.1)Vedic suktaRigveda Mandala 2 — Sage Gritsamadaइस मन्दिर हेतुThe sukta seen by Sage Gritsamada (the tapasvi of Varadvinayak); later became the opening invocation of the Ganapati Atharvashirsha
  • Ganapati AtharvashirshaUpanishadic stotraAtharvaveda (Ganaka/Atharvan rishi tradition, ~8th-9th century CE)The opening invocation is taken from Gritsamada's Rigveda 2.23.1 sukta; the Atharvashirsha itself is not attributed to Gritsamada
  • Sankatnashana Ganesha StotraStotraNarada PuranaSpecially on Sankashti Chaturthi
  • Vakratunda Mahakaya shlokaShlokaGanapatya tradition
08
तीर्थाटन

समीप के तीर्थ एवं परिपथ

Temple lake (west)100 मी

The lake from which Shree Dhondu Paudkar recovered the swayambhu idol in 1690; a sacred-bathing tirtha

Gomukh (north)50 मी

Sacred water-outflow; the destination of abhishek-water

Mooshaka, Navagraha devatas and Shivalinga separate darshans10 मी

A cluster of darshans beyond the main sanctum

Khopoli7 किमी

Nearest railway and bus stand; near Adlabs Imagica

Lonavala21 किमी

Western Ghats hill-station; near the Karla-Bhaja caves

Pali Ballaleshwar Temple (Ashtavinayaka #3)42 किमी

The previous tirtha in the Ashtavinayaka yatra order; a Raigad-district pair yatra

Theur Chintamani Temple (Ashtavinayaka #5)110 किमी

The next tirtha in the Ashtavinayaka yatra order

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga100 किमी

One of the 12 Jyotirlingas; a combined yatra

Ashtavinayaka yatra shastrokt order — fourth tirtha

Fourth tirtha; order: 1. Morgaon → 2. Siddhatek → 3. Pali → 4. **Mahad (this)** → 5. Theur → 6. Lenyadri → 7. Ozar → 8. Ranjangaon → return to Morgaon

8 मंदिर · 3 दिन

Pali-Mahad Raigad-district Ashtavinayaka pair yatra

Pali (Ballaleshwar) + Mahad (Varadvinayak) — Raigad-district Ashtavinayaka pair ~42 km; a natural one-day combination

2 मंदिर

Ashtavinayaka + Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga + Karla-Bhaja caves combined yatra

Mahad (Varadvinayak) + Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga + Karla-Bhaja caves combination

4 मंदिर

09
मार्गदर्शन

यात्रा एवं संपर्क

पता
Sri Varadvinayak Temple, Mahad village, Khalapur Taluka, Raigad District, Maharashtra — PIN 410202 (some sources 410203/410205; 1.5 km off the old Mumbai-Pune highway)
हवाई अड्डा
Mumbai CSMIA ~63-74 km; Pune International Airport (PNQ) ~85-88 km
रेलवे
Khopoli Railway Station (Central Railway) — 6-7 km; Karjat Railway Station — 24-25 km
बस-स्टैण्ड
Mahad bus stand (Khalapur Taluka; MSRTC); Khopoli bus depot ~6-7 km; Lonavala 21 km
उत्तम ऋतु
October-February has the best weather; Ganesh Chaturthi 14 September 2026; Visarjan 25 September 2026; Maghi Ganesh Jayanti 22 January 2026; monsoon (June-September) is the Western Ghats darshan period
वेबसाइट
https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/ashtavinayak/mahad ↗
7 किमीKhopoli
21 किमीLonavala
25 किमीKarjat
70 किमीMumbai
75 किमीMumbai CSMIA
85 किमीPune
88 किमीPune Airport
42 किमीPali
110 किमीTheur
← सभी मंदिर निर्देशिका
Sri Varadvinayak Ganesha Temple — दर्शन, आरती, इतिहास एवं यात्रा | Pauranik | Pauranik