Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple

Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati 

Shrimanmt Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh Temple (mandir) has been the centre of attraction in Pune. If you come to the city of Pune and don’t go to this holy shrine of Hindu Lord Ganesh, you will miss something very important. The temple is situated at a walking distance from the famous historical monument called Shaniwar Wada, which used to be the administrative headquarter during the Peshwa Regime.Shrimmant Dagdusheth Ganesh is considered to be the richest deity in Pune. Oodles of devotees gather in the temple every day to seek blessings from Lord Ganesh.

Lord Ganesh and Hindu Mythology:

According to Ganesh Purana, Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva made a clay image of a boy, breathed life into it and placed him as a sentinel as she wanted to go to take a bath. She told the boy not to allow anyone to enter in. When Lord Shiva returned from his meditation, the boy did not let Him in. There was a hot exchange of words between Shiva and the boy and as a result Shiva severed the boy’s head.When Parvati returned from her bath and saw the boy in the pool of blood, she shrieked in grief and called the boy her own son. Shiva consoled her and sent his attendants to the forest and asked them to bring the head of the first animal they came across. The attendants saw an elephant, cut its head and handed it over to Shiva. Shiva placed it on the boy’s body. This was how he was brought back to life. Shiva chose him as the chief of His attendants and the boy was named Ganesh (meaning chief attendant).All the gods blessed Ganesh and gave Him the honor of being worshipped in the very beginning of every important work, ahead of any other God.

History of the Temple:

Mr. Dagdusheth Halwai was a successful sweetmeat seller and a rich businessman in Pune. A very down to earth and righteous person, he, constructed the Ganesh Temple in 1893. Earlier, he lost his son in a plague epidemic. Both he and his wife sank into depression. To shun away this grief he built a beautiful Ganesh temple as per his Guru Madhavnath Maharaj’s advice.

Mr. Lokmanya Tilak, a famous name in the Indian freedom struggle, was a close friend to Mr. Dagdusheth. Tilak saw his dedication and also the construction of the temple and it was here that the idea of celebrating public Ganesh festival struck him. It proved to be an epoch making event in Indian history.The temple is a beautiful construction and boasts of a rich history of over 100 years. Jay and Vijay, the two sentinels made of marble catch the eye of all at the outset. The construction is so simple that all the proceedings in the temple along with the beautiful Ganesh idol can be seen even from outside.The Ganesh idol is a sheer beauty. 7.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide idol is adorned with nearly 8 kilos of gold. The devotees of Lord Ganesh offer Him gold and money and with every offering the Lord gets richer and richer. Moreover, heaps of coconuts offered to the deity are yet another feature of the temple.Daily pooja, abhisheka and the arti of Lord Ganesh are worth attending.

The lighting of the temple during the Ganesh festival is marvelous. Shrimant Dagdusheth Ganpati Trust looks into the maintenance of the temple. Various cultural activities like singing concerts, bhajans, Atharvasheersh recitation, etc are organized by the trust.

How to Get There:

This is one of the most famous temples in Pune and hence to reach there is not a big issue. Take a bus from Swargate going from Mahatma Phule Market, get down near the market and you will find the temple easily. Hiring a rickshaw is a better option.

So do come to bow down before Lord Ganesh and seek His blessings.