Some people call him ‘Ganesha,’some ‘Ekadanta,’ and some ‘Vinayaka,’ the most beloved god of the Hindus ‘Lord Ganapati’ is the one who brings happiness and prosperity even for the most depressed soul. The elephant deity is the son of Shiva and Parvati and is considered to be the lord of good fortune, success, education, knowledge, wisdom, and wealth, and destroyer of evils. He is superior of all the Hindu gods and is always prayed first, be it any special occasion like marriage, birth of a child, or beginning of new life. There are many famous ancient temples in India, dedicated to Lord Ganesha that worshipers can’t resist but visit.
* Shree Siddhivinayak Temple, MumbaiThis majestic temple is counted among India’s most popular Ganapati temples, visited by a large number of tourists every day, especially during Ganesh Chaturthi. It was built by contractor Laxman Vithu Patil for a childless woman in a belief that it would advantage other women with no child. A lot of celebrities and famous personalities visit this ancient temple to offer their prayers to the elephant deity. Located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, the Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir looks very beautiful during night, when the temple complex is decorated with lights and flowers. Recently, the temple also won the ‘Best Trust Award’ for its participation in human welfare and social activities.
* Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple, PuneShrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple is the second most popular temple in Maharashtra after Shree Sidhivinayak Temple, dedicated to Lord Ganapati. It is located in Pune and is visited by a large number of tourists from all over the country. The temple trust is one of the richest in India and is famous for its intrinsic designs and its Golden idol, which is believed to the most beautiful part of the temple. This majestic temple was built by Shrimant Dagusheth Halwai, who was a sweet-maker by profession, when he lost his son to plague. Managed by the Halwai Ganapati Trust, the temple looks its best during Ganeshotsava, when the whole structure is decorated with lights and flowers.
* Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple, ChittoorThis beautiful temple is located approximately 75 kms away from Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is among the best ancient Ganapati temples in India, known for its historic structure and intrinsic designs. Worshippers from different parts of the country visit this temple to offer prayers to Lord Ganesha, whose idol has three colors on its forehead, white, yellow, and red. The temple was built by the Chola King Kulothings Chola I in the 11th century to resolve the dispute between the people and end the evil. A lot of people who visit this magical temple of Lord Ganapapti, takes a dip in the holy water of the temple to clear their sin and resolve problems. Brahmotsavam is the main festival of this temple, celebrated every year during Vinayaka Chaturthi.
* Manakula Vinayaka Temple, PondicherryManakula Vinayaka Temple was constructed during the French territory of Pondicherry that dates back to 1666 years ago. This majestic building is named after a pond (Kulam) that used to be located inside the temple with sands blown in from the seashores. It is believed that the Ganesha idol here was being thrown into the sea several times, but it reappears in the same place every day, making the place famous among worshippers. Till date, the idol is positioned at the same spot in the center of the French Colony. Brahmotsava, and Ganesh Chaturthi are two most important festivals of the temple, celebrated with great fervour and zeal by the people of Pondicherry. The temple has an elephant, whom the visitors offer a coin to get a pat on their head through his trunk as a blessing.
* Ranthambore Ganesh Temple, RajasthanSurely, Ranthambore National Park is one of the best tourist places in India, visited by nature lovers, and wildlife enthusiasts. But, the park is widely visited by pilgrims and religious travelers to seek the blessings of three-eyed god called ‘Trinetra Ganesh,’ whose temple is located atop Ranthambore’s historic 1000-year-old fort. This beautiful temple is so popular that people from different corners of the country send mails and wedding cards to the god to seek his blessings & love. It is believed that the temple received the wedding invite of Lord Krishna and Rukmani’s marriage some thousands years back and since then, the people send their wedding invitations to the god. Ranthambore Ganesh Temple is around 6500 years old, visited by approximately one million people over 3-4 days during Ganesh Mela, held every year during Ganesh Chaturthi.