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BHPian Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Poone, Mumbay
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| Ashtavinayak from Pune, after the Monsoons This is a brief description of a 5 day trip to see the Ashtavinayak Ganpati Temples in Maharashtra. There are other better written descriptions of this pilgrimage, but in our travel we took the liberty of following our own route vs. the traditional sequence, and stopped along the way to take in some of the sights. The timing of the trip was great, giving us a chance to see the temples in an uncrowded state, when we could appreciate their beauty and spirituality to the fullest. They were also well maintained and clean. Close up photography of the idol and inner sanctum was prohibited in all the temples, and people were good about following these regulations, which meant half of them took pics anyway till the priest or security guard noticed. The areas surrounding the temples were a mixed bag, and speak to the continuing problem of littering that plagues the country. Guess the pilgrims think that Ganpati’s gaze does not extend outside the temple campus. In addition, the constant entreaties from people to buy flowers, prayer thalis and other offerings can get a bit much, but that is to be (sadly) expected. The drives were also beautiful, with lush greenery all around after the monsoons, and very manageable traffic. The State Highways in particular were well maintained and butter-smooth for long stretches, especially the sections that were handed over to concessionaires. Some of the other TBHP write ups that helped us plan our journey are linked below and gratefully acknowledged. https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ple-drive.html (Ashtavinayak Trip | Temple Drive) https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ashi-pune.html (Ashtavinayak Route from Vashi & Pune) Wikipedia link to the Ashtavinayaks for those interested in more background. Introduction: Yours truly was winding down his job in October, and had a 2 week break coming up before jumping back on the treadmill. With a rare opportunity to travel without being tethered to the electronic shackles of devices (such as the one this narrative is being typed on), the Significant Other (henceforth to be referred to as the SO) was roped in to make some travel plans. Visiting the Ashtavinayak Temples of Maharashtra had always been on our mind, and this break presented us a golden opportunity to do so in an unhurried manner. Instead of joining one of the rushed guided tours that wrap everything up in a couple of days, we decided to make an unhurried road trip of it, and take a break at a couple of places, with the recently concluded monsoons having made the countryside lush green and dust free. With modern day weddings wrapping up in a day, and e-darshans being commonplace, we deviated from religious tradition to define our own sequence for visiting the temples as per below: Pune -> Theur -> Morgaon -> Siddhatek -> Ranjangaon -> Ozar -> Lenyadri -> Mahad -> Pali -> Pune We decided to break the journey at Shirur (1 night), Malshej (2 nights) and Mangaon (2 nights). Relied on Google maps all the way, and I must say Sundar did not let us down. Pre-Travel preparations: Chetak, aka the naturally breathing, K15B powered S-Cross, went through his 30k servicing with the good folks at Nexa. His ride has become a tad bumpy a bit too soon, but no other issues. The Fastag was topped up as well, but we did not use up much of the balance in this trip. In addition to the ride, the following preparations were made: Toiletries 2 extra sets of clothes (beyond the daily changes) Hat/cap for the heat Sunglasses for the SO (since she is blessed with 20/20 vision) Plenty of drinking water Snacks for the on-road cravings Fruits were picked up en route Cash, which we needed surprisingly little of, thanks to the ubiquity of UPI (except where lack of mobile connectivity did not allow) Change for temple parking and donations. It is even harder to come by in these increasingly cashless times Medicines: digestive, fever, headache, vitamins, insect repellent, suntan lotion, band aids Charging cables and power banks (just in case…..) Swimwear for the last layover |
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| Day one (October 15) The plan was to head out by 9am. This turned out to be just a bit optimistic, considering the advanced age of the travelers. We were finally on our way at 11am. Our route took us on the Pune-Ahmednagar road (NH753F), turning off at Kesnand towards Theur. We were at the Theur Chintamani Temple by noon. As can be seen, the temple was not crowded, and we were able to get a good darshan, without being jostled or asked to move on in 5 seconds. The stainless steel barriers arranged to allow a long snaking queue give an indication of how crowded it gets during peak periods. All the temples are equipped with some version of these, except Lenyadri, which is in a cave, and where the steep stairs leading to the temple probably act as a natural queue. The temple has staying arrangements for pilgrims onsite, as do all the others except Lenyadri (see above for reason). Since it was lunchtime, we treated ourselves to a very nice and simple traditional vegetarian lunch served in a lunch hall on the temple premises. Meal consisted of chapati, rice, dal and 1 vegetable, with sheera as the sweet. You sit in a row (the traditional “pangat” except on chairs) and are served by the all-volunteer staff. Unlimited portions were provided for those desirous of stuffing themselves, all for the princely sum of Rs. 50. Truly a blessing to be able to eat such food. The Shree Mayureshewar temple in Morgaon was next, via an hour drive on NH65 and the Shirur-Satara road. It had a similar vibe as Theur, and was nice and quiet. ![]() Temple Entrance ![]() The Mayureshwar Morgaon Temple ![]() Corridor with tiled roof running along the temple periphery Some old idols placed along above corridor ![]() Marathi Map of the Ashtavinayak Temples ![]() View from the other side ![]() Heavy wooden door at entrance. Note the metal detector to whose beeps no one responds, such a common sight in India From Morgaon, we set out towards the third (and final) destination of the day, retracing our route till the town of Supe, and then joining the Daund-Patas Road. This highway (concessionaire-run) was an awesome drive thanks to the long stretches of smooth tarmac (not concrete). The road crosses the Bhima river towards the end, following which it is a 2 minute drive to the temple. The Siddhatek Siddhivinayak temple has a nice calm vibe, helped by it being further away from urbanity than the first 2 places. After the Darshan, a pick-me-up was called for, and was provided by a nice jaggery tea, of which we had 2 (tiny) cups each. ![]() The Siddhatek Siddhivinayak Temple, with the SO and yours truly ![]() Temple Entrance ![]() Temple Door ![]() Ganpati's ride (no review on TBHP yet) ![]() Can get it in any color as long as it is grey Now that the day’s agenda was done, we headed over to our planned nightly stay, at the Aranyagiri countryside resort, retracing our path till Daund, following which we turned off on to Ahmednagar-Daund road (NH160). This road was also in decent shape, till we reached the turnoff for Belwandi Sugar Road, where craters started to be encountered. We were also stuck in a heavy traffic jam, thanks to the road ahead being closed for repair work. Taking this opportunity to call the resort and reconfirm our arrival time, we discovered to our surprise that they had not received our AirBnB booking, and were sold out for the night. Now we were truly in a soup, not to mention me losing face in front of SO, who was very understanding though. We managed to find a room in the Marvel Inn, in the town of Shirur, and The Aranyagiri people were kind enough to get us a free suite upgrade. Now we had to drive sloooowly in the dark on a narrow single lane road (Maharashtra SH50), with tractors, dump trucks and other vehicles periodically forcing us close to (and sometimes into) the bushes on the roadside, leaving clouds of dust in their wake like the chariots in Ben-Hur. In around 2 hours we reached the Pune-Ahmednagar highway which took us safely to the hotel. The Marvel Inn was decent enough for a last minute stay, and even had dedicated parking in an empty bungalow plot, if you were ok with having snakes draped across your car in the morning. We took our chances on street parking, taking care not to park next to the local bungalows, the residents of which have unofficial claim to such spaces, enforcing it by deflating the tires of those who encroach. Pro Tip: Call the hotels directly and check their rates before booking through online portals. In this case we paid 2/3 of what Makemytrip was quoting. Last edited by Mustang Sammy : 13th November 2022 at 13:19. |
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| Day 1 videos (missed adding them in time) Last edited by Mustang Sammy : 3rd November 2022 at 23:29. |
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| Day 2 (October 16) After a good night’s rest, we set out to grab a quick bite before heading to the next temple at Ranjangaon. Had nice freshly made poha and chai for breakfast at a local joint in Shirur. The poha was served with a side of “Tari”, which was a very forgettable watery sweet-spicy gravy. The SO decided to live on the wild side, and ordered a medu wada, which was not only cold and possibly from Shivaji’s time, but came soaked in the same Tari as the poha. With that unfortunate end to the breakfast, we headed out of town, and were at Ranjangaon in 40 min, arriving via the Ahmednagar-Pune highway NH753F. The Ranjangaon Mahaganapati temple is in a bustling area, but was uncrowded that day. The campus is large, with many murals along a cool stone passage running around the courtyard. These describe the religious story behind the temple and the history behind its construction. There is also a large pilgrim residence facility with eating and washing facilities. The outer campus includes a children’s play area as well, which is currently off limits due to Covid (!!). ![]() ![]() Mahaganapati Temple with large courtyard ![]() Corridor with rooms running around the temple ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Murals on the walls of the corridor ![]() Garden outside temple Post Ranjangaon Darshan we headed to Ozar, again following Google’s lead. The road towards Sone Sangvi was terrible for the first 3-4 km, but then improved dramatically, and the rest of the drive to Malthan and beyond on the Narayangaon-Junnar-Ozar road was smooth sailing (is that a mixed metaphor?) and were there within 2 hours, crossing the Kukadi river towards the end of the journey. Fresh fish were being sold right next to the bridge, and quite a few anglers were trying their luck with multiple lines. We debated on picking some up but decided against it considering we were (a) going to a temple (b) lacked cooking equipment (c) neither one knows how to clean and prepare a whole fish. ![]() Smooth roads for the most part. Pleasure to drive ![]() An old fort of some kind, no signage whatsoever. So much history, but so hard to access or learn about ![]() ![]() Kukadi river, dammed downstream ![]() Fresh fish, anyone? The Vighneshwar temple in Ozar was probably the high point of the Ashtavinayak darshans. The temple complex is quite isolated, and has an amazingly calm and peaceful vibe. The campus is located next to the river, which is quite peaceful since it is dammed a few km downstream. There’s also a well maintained park outside the temple, which is accessible through a paywall (a pay person more like), charges are very reasonable. ![]() ![]() The beautiful Vighnahar Temple, with the park next to it ![]() Temple entrance ![]() Ganpati Darshan from far away ![]() Temple campus, with the newer infrastructure in line with an industrial aesthetic After Ganpati puja, Tummy puja was next, which was performed at an eatery next to the temple. We both had a thali each, with Bhakri and a side of cola. Post khaana stimulation was needed, so we waddled over to a chai shop and had possibly the worst lemongrass (gawati in Marathi) chai ever. The taste was so bad that it drove away any post prandial sluggishness, so the tea did its job in a way. After chai we walked around the riverfront for a bit, and then hopped back into our faithful steed towards Lenyadri, which was a 25 min drive, on the same Narayangaon-Junnar-Ozar road, which continued to wow us with its drivability. This highway also is concessionaire-run at least in some parts. The drive to Lenyadri was the easy part, though, as this temple is in a cave, with is part of an ancient Buddhist cave complex carved into the hillside, and reachable via a short but steep climb. It was exactly the exercises our creaking joints needed. Once we reached the top, we said a quick hello to the rhesus monkeys and headed straight to the the Girijatmaj Ganpati temple, which has a cave of its own, with individual prayer/meditation rooms carved into the walls of the cave. These were closed off. The large cave was very quiet, restful and soothing to the senses, not to mention letting us cool off after our unfit bodies had made the climb. Post Darshan we checked out a Buddhist cave with some spectacular stone carvings, scrambled around a bit to see other caves (which were disappointingly empty) and then headed down, not trying to keep up with the explorations of the younger folk around us. ![]() The beautiful Lenyadri Caves as seen from the road ![]() The approach, with the standard shops selling flowers, puja items, sweets and souvenirs ![]() Le view during le climb ![]() Just a few more steps, my dear ![]() Finally there ![]() ![]() The caves close up ![]() ![]() Girijatmaj Ganpati from a respectful distance ![]() Some spectacular Buddhist carvings |
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| Day 2 (October 16) Contd. After another fulfilling day, it was now time to head to our sleep destination, which was the MTDC resort in Malshej. Our route was the Junnar-Kalyan road, which was heavily potholed in patches. These sections were perfect for the State Transport buses to overtake more delicate vehicles, and they rumbled part us effortlessly, while giving their passengers a bone-jarring and stomach-churning experience. ![]() Leaving Lenyadri ![]() Pretty sunset ![]() A not-so-good section of the road, close to destination Lower ghats in the ghats Sunset, closer to destination After around 45 minutes of driving, it was completely dark by the time we were close to our destination. In the absence of a cellular connection, we of course drove past the entrance to the resort, which was helpfully marked 500m before its location, but not at the actual turnoff, staying true to the mysterious government ways of working. We did figure out soon enough that we needed to turn around, and this time we did get to our destination. The place looked kinda eerie at night, as it was mostly unoccupied, and was giving vibes of Ramsay brothers movies (1980s horror flicks for the post Gen X readers). The staff were friendly enough though, and they escorted us to our very large room/cottage, which was fully functional except for the hot water geyser, which tripped every 10 minutes. We were too tired to care, so had a quick shower, followed by a surprisingly decent dinner of dal, bhindi sabzi and rice at the restaurant. It being too dark to check out the surroundings, we quickly navigated past the local friendly Indie dogs and called it a night. To be continued....... Last edited by Mustang Sammy : 4th November 2022 at 00:48. Reason: To be continued... |
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| Day 3 (October 17) Today we took a break from temple Darshan, and spent time exploring our surroundings. Once we stepped out of our room we realized that the place needed a major do-over, as the paint was peeling off the outside walls, which also had large patches of black mold on them. Putting aside the depressing thought of having slept in a mushroom farm, we headed for breakfast, which was a decent portion of eggs, toast and coffee. To mix things up, we then changed to a different room, which had a different mold pattern on the outside walls as compared to our check-in place, and also had a functioning geyser. Interestingly, from the staff conversations, it seems the trippy geyser from last night had been acting this way for the past month, which makes one wonder why that room is even given to guests, considering the freaking resort is almost completely unoccupied. Oh yes, don’t apply logic to government institutions. The area was spectacularly beautiful though, with the views of the verdant valley and hills around us more than made up for the room, and you could see why MTDC could get away with such ill-maintained places, considering they have snagged the best possible location in the area, on a flat tabletop with a large walking expanse. The Junnar-Kalyan highway can be seen snaking around the hills, and will be our route to get to the Konkan temples. ![]() What a Joy, the Blue and Wide Open Sky ![]() Wildflowers Couldn't have asked for a better location in this area Portrait mode The place is also teeming with critters, from dragonflies to crabs to huge ants and (we heard) leopards. Don't mess with me The main agenda for the day was to explore the Shivneri fort, the birthplace of the great Maratha warrior Shivaji, or CSM as he is known in Mumbai. After a 45 min drive, we started the hike up the fort. While steep in patches, it took us less than an hour to get to the top. The views of the surrounding area were nice too, and the place is relatively well-maintained thanks to its historical importance. There are drinking water facilities and even 1 toilet (not very clean) en route. ![]() Ze author at ze beginning of ze climb ![]() Ze SO taking ze picture, wis one of ze gates in ze background ![]() The Walls of Shivneri ![]() Posing a la model The actual building where Shivaji was born is nicely maintained, with a cradle (provenance not described) and a commemorative bust in one of the rooms, securely behind bars to guard it against the depredations of latter-day Huns and Mongols aka tourists. ![]() Birthplace of the great King ![]() View from one of the windows ![]() Which hands rocked this cradle? ![]() Bust of CSM ![]() Separate Shivaji memorial Amidst all this beauty and history, the water tanks and wells in the fort are unfortunately in bad shape, overgrown with algae in some cases, and clogged with debris and junk thrown by visitors. When will we learn??? After the descent, we indulged ourselves with some lime juice and bhel, which provided enough fuel to take us back to the resort. En route was this tiny eatery run by a local, where we had delicious pithala bhakri, and some of the tastiest batata Vadas ever. We forgot to note the name of the place or take a picture, but it was a real treat. Evening was again walking and picture taking against the setting sun. We were able to capture some stunning vistas, as can be seen below. ![]() Two sentinels on the plateau. Did I say how nice it is to see an open and clear sky? ![]() Spectacular sunset pattern We were planning to head out for a local mutton thali dinner, but the weather played spoilsport, laying down such a thick blanket of fog that we could not see more than 6 inches ahead. WWe decided to save our blessings from Ganpati for another time, turned around and were back to the resort for a quick bite and a well earned rest. |
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| Day 4 (Malshej to Mahad and then to Karvanda farms) Next morning there was barely time for another short hike, where we were lucky enough to be accompanied and escorted by a bunch of the extremely friendly indie dogs of the resort. T’was a joy to watch them galloping and playing in the grass and bushes. Managed to get the SO upset when I trotted off behind them onto a somewhat isolated trail, leaving her to figure out what to do by herself. No permanent damage done though (I think). Vista with friendly bodyguards Bleat... The joy of youth Post check out, we were off to the Konkan, and to the Varadavinayak temple in Mahad. We headed off on the Kalyan Road (NH61) for around 62km, along some of the most beautiful roads of the trip. Weather was nice and cool, allowing us to drive with the windows down and enjoy the clean air. Also gave a lift to a bunch of very noisy children who were hitchhiking to school along that winding highway. Had no idea that Chetak could accommodate 5 kids (or was it 7) and 1 grownup guardian in the back. ![]() One last view of MTDC Nature at her finest, refreshed and scrubbed down by the rains ![]() En route thru the ghat, spectacular views all around ![]() Bumpy but beautiful ![]() Concrete section of highway We then turned off onto Karjat-Murbad Road (NH548A), and the weather then started rapidly warming up as we descended into the plains and got closer to the coast. It took us 3 hours to get to Mahad. The temple is located next to a small lake, and was quiet and peaceful, thanks to it being the middle of the week and off season. There is a reasonably clean lake next to the temple, keeping the Konkan heat somewhat in check. ![]() Approach to the temple ![]() Shree Varadavinayak Temple ![]() Ganpati from a respectful distance ![]() Shree Dutt temple in the same campus ![]() Lake next to the temple Post Darshan we headed off to our stay, which was booked at Karvanda farms, a countryside resort with wooden cottages. We headed back down Hwy 548A, and then turned off down a single lane road, which took us through a few villages, and past a few resorts and vacation homes. The resort is almost brand new, launched in 2020 right before Covid struck. The cottages look and are hardly used, with fully functioning amenities. There is a small pool, a play room with carrom, table tennis and badminton racquets (an outdoor net) along with bicycles. A local family maintains the place and cooks delicious food for the guests, and the facility is managed by Tejas, who is efficient, attentive and customer-centric. It also helped that we were the only guests ![]() Getting close to the farm ![]() The final stretch ![]() Peacock's eye view of the resort from viewing deck (see below) ![]() Recreation room on the left, kitchen (converted shipping container) with viewing deck on the right ![]() Comfortable and well maintained room (cottage) ![]() Inviting pool, which was fully enjoyed in the evening ![]() Chetak enjoying a well-earned rest ![]() Yummy dinner Orientation to the resort, set to music of crickets ![]() Quiet time before zzz |
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| Day 5 (October 19) - Chilling in Karvanda farms A nice relaxing stay at the resort for the next 1.5 days, reading, chilling in and around the pool, taking short walks, and hanging out with the local domesticated canine and feline denizens. The area around the farm is starting to get "developed", so we can expect to see a lot more resorts and vacation bungalows in the future, with the concomitant loss in peace and quiet. Oh yes we indulged in eating, lots of eating. The food was YUM. One of the breakfast items was a Konkani dosa-like item called a "ghavan" (see below) made from rice flour, served with a tangy and spicy chutney. It was fabulous. The chapatis, bhakris were also soft and thin, providing a perfect vehicle to slurp down the delicious sabjis and curries. We attempted a short bike ride, but the condition of the bicycles in the resort left a bit to be desired, so it was a short excursion. A Suzuki ASS in the neighborhood might help. |
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| Day 6 (Pali and back to Pune) It was time to leave the comfy cottage and quiet fairgrounds, with a filling breakfast of sabudana khichdi settling into our growing bellies (thanks Ganpati Bappa). After saying bye to our gracious hosts, we headed over to the final temple of our itinerary, which was the Ballaleshwar temple in Pali. Taking the trusty NH548A (Khopoli-Pali road) it took us around 45 min to get to the temple. This place requires all pilgrims to first visit the Dhundivinayak temple located right outside the main shrine. After the darshan we were fortunate enough to run into a friendly priest who explained some of the fascinating history behind the construction of the temple. Too bad there is no information easily accessible for those who are not fortunate enough to meet knowledgeable locals. India is overflowing with history, natural beauty and culture, just needs a lot better management and preservation. ![]() Crane posing on the treetop at the farm ![]() Prerequisite to enter main temple ![]() Shree Ballaleshwar Temple entrance. The SBI ATM is somewhat incongruous yet color matched to the surroundings ![]() Beautiful temple architecture. These 2 seemed keen to stay in the camera field of view, so we captured them for posterity ![]() Wooden pillars and railings. Note the CCTV streaming on the TV screen for those looking for a darshan during busy periods. This was a common feature in almost all the temples we saw ![]() Shree Ballaleshwar Once we finished the Darshan, picked up some (low sugar) pedhas for the family and chugged fresh buttermilk at a friendly local homestay to fortify ourselves, it was back to Pune. We retraced our path and then some on NH548A, joining the Mumbai-Pune expressway shortly after the Imagica theme park. From there it was the same ol’ route till we were back at home sweet home, completing the loop we started 6 days back. All in all, a wonderful trip, with some wonderful memories of spirituality, hospitality and natural beauty. Thanks for reading and watching the narrative, folks. |
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Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() | Re: Ashtavinayak from Pune, after the Monsoons Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing! |
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| Re: Ashtavinayak from Pune, after the Monsoons Wonderful write up. Ashta Vinayak has been on my bucket list for a long time now. Got a handle on how to do it through this travelogue. So Bappa calling me now, it seems. Got to make plans. |
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| Re: Ashtavinayak from Pune, after the Monsoons What an amazing narration and exhaustive information on this thread. Thanks a ton. I did three till now and your travelogue inspire me finish other 5. Time to make a plan in coming December holidays. I really like the information on 'karvanda farms'. Never heard before. Can you please elaborate more on: How did you find this place and how to book? The tariffs? Are the road around is motorable for low slung sedans? Any do's and don't to access this place? Thanks in advance. Last edited by UD17 : 14th November 2022 at 15:06. |
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| Re: Ashtavinayak from Pune, after the Monsoons Superbly written. Its informative, humorous and concise. Definitely have it in my plans to complete the circuit. Jut wanted to know if Tuesday is the day for all the eight temples when they are full. So can plan accordingly |
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| Re: Ashtavinayak from Pune, after the Monsoons Quote:
Quote:
Will DM you contact for Karvanda farms. The road is easily accessible by sedan. Don’t worry. Quote:
We did visit Mahad temple on a Tuesday (noon) and it wasn’t crowded. Can’t speak for evenings though. | |||
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| Re: Ashtavinayak from Pune, after the Monsoons Very well written detailed temple travelogue. I have been doing Ashtavinayak circuit from Vadodara every year since 2014, have not been able to visit it since 2020 due to covid but planning my next visit in December or January. Your post with photos brought a lot of memories back. I always plan my trip such way that I have lunch and dinner in temples only. Ozar and Ranjangaon are the most developed temples with lot of stay options. I usually do night stay at Lenyadri so as to climb it early in the morning. Also your mention about MTDC resort in Malshej Ghat is helpful as I was thinking of staying there during my next trip but I guess it's better to stay at Saj By the lake at the start of Malshej Ghat. It's sad that MTDC has taken up the prime spot in Malshej Ghat and unable to maintain it. |
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