Discover the most ancient temples in India dedicated to Ganesha, that are just as famous for their fascinating folklores and festive fervours as for their age-old idols.
Celebrated across the Ganesha temples in India to mark the birth of Hindu god, Ganesha, with great verve, Ganesh Chaturthi is the perfect time to immerse in the festivities and pray to the deity. Clay idols of Ganesha are paraded through the streets, and are later ceremonially immersed in neighbourhood waterways. While you check out the astonishingly decorated ‘pandals’ during the 10-day festival, do take out time to visit these ancient temples dedicated to the harbinger of happiness and new beginnings.
6 ancient Ganesha temples to visit in India
Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple, Pune, Maharashtra
Extremely famous for its religious festivities, Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple is a popular sacred site in Pune. The idol of Ganesha in this 129-year-old temple is seven-foot-tall and stays bedecked with 40 kg of pure gold jewellery throughout the year. The temple is splendidly decorated with colourful lights during Ganesh Chaturthi, and attracts both locals and tourists, who come to witness the grandeur of the shrine as well as the extravagant celebrations.
Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh
Built in the 11th century, this temple is located in the Kanipakam village of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. Officially named as Sri Varasiddhi Vinayak Swamy Temple, it is highly revered among thousands of devotees that arrive here every year. The Ganesha idol here is considered to be a swayambhu or self-manifested creation, and it is believed that it will continue to grow in size every day till the ‘end of the world’, when the deity will finally appear on Earth!
Madhur Mahaganapathi Temple, Madhur, Kerala
On the banks of Madhuvahini river, stands tall this magnificent temple complex with a Maha Ganapathi idol consecrated in the 10th century CE. The presiding deity is Madhanentheswara or Shiva, but it is the six-foot-tall idol of his son, Ganesha, located here that draws the crowd. A famous pilgrim near Kasargod, this one has an imposing structure with its gables, copper-plate roofing, and wooden statues.
Karpaga Vinayagar Temple, Pillaiyarpatti, Tamil Nadu
Devotees flock this rock-cut temple during the 10-day festival. Karpaga Vinayagar Temple in Tamil Nadu’s Pillaiyarpatti is believed to be at least 1,600 years old! The six-foot-tall mammoth Ganesha here is a bas relief placed in an excavated cave, off of a hill in the precincts of the temple. Over the years, 15 ancient inscriptions have been found within the site that have helped establish the age of the temple.
Ganapatipule Temple, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra
Laced with evergreen ranges of Sahyadri and an endless stretch of unpolluted silver sand and swaying trees, the 400-year-old Ganapatipule Temple is believed to be a swayambhu (self-manifested) holy seat of the deity. Quite popular among dedicated devotees, the temple celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi with such great fervour that it can be counted as one of the most scenic splendours at the western coast of India.
Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple, Hampi, Karnataka
Carved out of a single block of rock, the eight-foot-tall idol at the Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple is one of the major landmarks in the UNESCO-listed Hampi since its inception in 1500 CE. It is believed that the statue here was erected in memory of the king Narasimha II, of the Vijayanagar Empire.
Read more.
These Mumbai hotels are upping the modak quotient this festive season
Level up Ganesh Chaturthi with Chef Ranveer Brar x Hershey India’s modak recipes