Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi - A Hindu Festival
Ganesh Chaturthi is a lively holiday that honors Lord Ganesha with prayers, celebrations, and actions that are good for the environment.
A Division of Nishnai Holidays
If you plan to take a trip to one of the best temples in India, then Shri Vighnahar Ganpati Temple Ozar might be the right choice for you to handle. Also known as the Vigneshwara Temple of Ozar, this temple is particularly dedicated to Lord Ganesha or Ganpati Bappa. He is known as the elephant-headed god of wisdom.
The Shri Vighnahar Ganpati Temple Ozar is mostly popular for its golden dome or the Sonayacha Kalash. It is also well-known for its Deepmala or the strong pillar. Among all the Ashtavinayakas temples available, the Vigneshwara temple is the only one known to have a golden dome and pinnacle.
Ozar is mostly prescribed as the 7th temple, which will be visited on an Ashtavinayak Darshan tour. The Ganesha form of worship is known as Vigneshwar or Lord of Obstacles, Remover of Obstacles, and more. It is associated with Ganesha and his power to defeat Vignasur, the demon of obstacles. This diety is mostly seen accompanied by his two consorts, Riddhi and Siddhi.
A bit of history is associated with Ozar Shri Vighnahar Ganpati, making it even more popular among the masses. Chimaji Appa, the younger brother and the military commander of Peshwa Baji Rao I, removed this temple and then covered the temple shire with gold after seizing the Vasal Fort from the Portuguese. Later, in 1967, the Ganesha devotee Appa Shastri Joshi removed the temple.
Even though Ozar is considered the 7th temple to be visited within the Ashtavinayak tour, most of the time, pilgrims will often visit Ozar Fifth, as it forms the more convenient route.
The Shri Vighnahar Ganpati Ozar is 85 km from Pune, off the Pune-Nashik highway. It is about 9km north of Narayangaon. Along with the other Ganesha temple of Lenyadri, Ozar is in the Junnar taluka of Pune. Ozar is mainly known to be situated on the banks of the Kukadi River, which is closer to the Yedagaon dam.
The Shri Vighnahar Ganpati Temple is located in Pune, and you can visit this place throughout the year. Weather won't play a pivotal role over here. However, during the rainy seasons, starting your journey might be inconvenient because of heavy downpours. But the main festival is hosted during this time of the year. So, you will see a heavy influx of devotees during that time, even when there is heavy rain.
During the summer months, the heat towards the afternoon makes it uncomfortable to opt for the Ganpati tour. To protect yourself from the scorching sun, wear sunglass or a cap, or try covering your ears and head with a scarf to help avoid sunstroke.
The finest time is from October to March. During this time, the temperature remains moderate and pleasant.
The Ozar Ganpati temple connects smoothly to big cities like Pune and Mumbai. So it is easy to reach the temple.
By Road:
Ozar is located in the Junner Taluka in the Pune district. The Pune-Ozar distance is around 85 km. You must pass Chakan, Rajgurunagar, Manchar, and Narayangaon on Pune-Nashik Road before reaching Junnar. Ozar is 8km from Naryangaon and Junnar. Multiple buses run regularly to the temple. You can even travel Ashtavinayak Yatra By Car via the Nashik-Pune NH60 Highway.
By Rail:
Pune and Talegaon are considered the two nearby railway stations. Then you have the Kalyan Railway Station as another option. The Pune station is connected to some of the major Indian cities.
By Air:
You have the Pune Lohegaon Airport as the nearest airport, 10 to 12 km from Pune. This airport is well connected to all the other Indian domestic airports.
Shri Vighnahar Ganpati Temple Ozar – Timings:
The Ashtavinayak Tour Package From Mumbai is an east-facing temple with a spacious courtyard, a grand entrance, and sculptural and mural work. The temple is surrounded by a walled compound with a large gateway, again flanked by two large stones of gatekeeper sculptures. It also has a row of 4 musicians in basrelief on the lintel. You can see the Lenyadri shrine and also the Shivneri Fort, which is standing on the wall.
There are two large lamp towers located near the gateway and right in front of a fine corridor of the seven cusped arches. On both sides of the gateway, you will see small rooms designed for meditation. Again, the courtyard is tilted.
The central temple has three entrances with sculptured side posts and lintels. The central one has a lintel with Ganesha in relief, surrounded by monkeys and parrots. This temple is known to have two halls, and the walls are filled with murals and colorful sculptures. The shikhara is covered with gold foil. It further has two wide stone Prakarams.
The Ashtavinayak Darshan is considered one of the Ashtavinayaka, the 8th revered shrines of Ganesha, located in Maharashtra, India. The Ganesha form is worshipped here, called Vigneshwara, or the Lord of Obstacles. This form is associated with the legend of Ganesha defeating Vignasura, also the demon of obstacles.
As per the Tamil Vinayaka Purana record, King Abhinandana performed a sacrifice, and he did not offer any offering to Lord Indra. So, the angry Indra ordered Kala to destroy the sacrifice. Kala takes up the form of the demon Vignasura and ruins it. During that time, the Sages asked Brahma to help, who then advised them to worship Lord Ganesha.
Hearing the prayers, Ganesha starts to battle out the demon. It was arranged that Vigna would dwell only in places where Ganesha was not invoked. Therefore, the Ashtavinayak Yatra temple was established to keep the demon at bay.
The Shastrokta Ashtavinayak Yatra temple celebrates the usual festivals associated with Lord Ganesha. Those are Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganesh Jayanti. During the time of Ganesh Jayanti, the temple is well decorated with lighting and flowers. People from various corners of the nation will come here for a visit.
Also, a five-day festival starts on Kartik Poornima and is celebrated when the Deepamalas are lit. Again, the holy event of Bhadrapad Shudh Chaturthi' and 'Magh Shudha Chaturthi are celebrated with joy.
There are different places near the mandir to help you with a comfortable stay. You can opt for the Ashtavinayak Darshan Online Booking after choosing the best hotels for a comfortable stay. Some are Hotel Shri Vighnahar and Lodging, Shree Vighnahar Bhakta Niwas, and Hotel Shriram.
After a tiring Ashtavinayak Tour From Pune, you might want to eat something healthy and fresh to quench your hunger and thirst. Different restaurants near the temple help you enjoy a full meal. Some major names are Hotel Shriram, Vighnahar Pure Veg Chinese, Sai Mauli Zunka Bhakari, and more.
Some major tourist attractions sports near Ozar Ganpati Mandir are Shivneri Fort, Lenyadri Caves, Lenyadri Ganesha, Malshej Ghat, Naneghat, and the Shree Bhimashankar.
The total distance for the Ashtavinayak tour will come to around 850 km. It will take almost two days and one night to complete the tour. There are four temples which are around the Pune city. However, the next 4 Ganesha temples are quite far from Pune. The distance from Vighnaharta Ganpati Temple to Ozar Ashtavinayak Temple is 91km.
Before you plan to take a trip to Shri Vighnahar Ganpati Temple, there are certain tips you need to consider. Always remember that Ozar has 2 to 3 decent hotels and 4 Bhakti Niwas if you plan to stay overnight. The Bhakti Niwas has decent rooms, but the facilities are quite basic, and there is no guarantee that you will always get an available room. Then the temple trust has a Maha Prasad, which can be purchased at 30 rupees per person. It is a good option if you want to have a meal and not mind the basic fare.
Overall, it is not hard to state that Shri Vighnahar Ganpati Temple has gained quite some popularity among Ganesha Bhakts. Nowadays, it is easier to reach your destination with so many tours, planning to make this trip memorable.
