Shri Girijatmaj, Lenyadri

Ashtavinayaka or eight Ganeshas are located in Maharashtra state. The Ashtavinayaka yatra or pilgrimage covers the eight holy temples of Ganesh. All the eight Ashtavinayak Temples are Swayambhu(self-originated) and Jagrut.

History

Goddess Parvati went through severe penance in the cave at the Lenyadri mountain to become the mother of Ganesh. Pleased by her penance Gajanan blessed her and promised that He would take birth as her son.On the Chaturthi, fourth day of Bhadrapad Shukla fortnight Parvati created an idol from the dirt wiped from her body. In this idol entered Gajanan. He stood before as her a little boy, who had six arms and three eyes. This boy was called Ganesh, the one who has conquered all the senses.

It is believed that Ganesh resided in Lenyadri for fifteen years.

Lenyadri

Lenyadri is to the North of Pune, along the Kukdi River. The Ganesh Puran calls this place as Jirnapur or Lekhan Parbat. Girijatmaj Vinayak refers to the Ganesh as the son of Parvati. ‘Girija’ is another name for Parvati and ‘atmaj’ means son. This is the only temple of the Ashtavinayak, which is on a mountain and is set in a Buddhist cave-temple.

The temple is Dakshinabhimukh- facing south and has been carved out of one single rock. The sabhamandap of the temple is 53 feet long and high, but does not have a single pillar to support it. The Sabhamandap has within it 18 small rooms for meditation, within which there is the idol of Girijatmaj.The idol itself is uttarabhimukh, that is,facing north. The idol here is not a statue but a fresco carved out of a rock. The head of the idol is turned to the left.

Location : Maharashtra – Pune Lenyadri

By road : 12 km from Narayangaon, which is about 90 km from Pune on the Pune-Nashik highway.