chintamani ganpati temple in theur, pune is one of the popular ashtavinayak temple. ‘ashta’ means eight and ‘vinayak’ means ganesha. there are 8 ganesha temples around pune (actually 5 in pune, 2 in raigad district and 1 in ahmednagar district) which are are visited by devotees to gain lord ganesha blessings.
legend about chintamani temple – each ashtavinayak temple has its own story and significance.
1. here in this chintamani temple, the word ‘chinta‘ means ‘worry’ and ‘mani‘ means ‘jewel’. so this temple is known for removing worries and tensions from your mind. you will find the temple very peaceful and calming to mind. so if you want to get rid of your worries then come to this temple and pray to lord ganesha with total devotion.
it is said that once lord brahma was feeling restless and he prayed to ganesha to calm his mind. at this place, lord ganesha brought peace to lord brahma’s mind and removed his worries (chinta).
the name theur originates from the sanskrit word ‘Sthavar’ meaning stable. so your restless mind will become calm, peaceful and stable if you pray to chintamani vinayak at this temple with full devotion.
2. another popular legend about this temple is from mudgala purana. once there was a king names guna who foricbly took the chintamani jewel (wish fulfilling jewel, just like kamdhenu cow) from sage kapila. kapila is a devotee of lord ganesha. so he prayed to his god for retrieving the chintamani jewel. as per legend, at this temple site ganesha took away the chintamani jewel from the king and gave it back to sage kapila. but sage kapila chooses to have his lord instead of the jewel itself. so, ganesha stays on in theur with kapila, taking the name of the jewel chintamani.
3. according to another legend, lord Indra was once cursed by sage gautama. so to get rid of sage gautama curse, indra worshipped lord ganesha at this place under the kadamba tree. thats why this place is also known as kadamaba-nagar, the town of kadamba trees.
lord ganesha is known for removing all obstuctions from life. he showers his devotees with wisdom and prosperity. ganesha also controls the muladhara chakra and thus kundalini shakti. ganesha is one god who is very easy to please and who also does not take much time to bless his devotees once pleased. always worship lord ganesha before starting any auspicious work.
ashtavinayak temples:
before writing about my experience in theur ganpati temple, i want to share little information about ashtavinayak yatra. devotees visit these 8 ganesha temple in a sequence and the journey is considered after visiting the first temple in the end. many tours and packages are there to visit this popular religious destination. normally it takes two days to visit all 8 temples (plus the first temple) to complete the spiritual journey.
lord ganesha is one of the most popular god in maharashtra and ganesh chaturthi is celebrated with lot of devotion. so around ganesh chaturthi many people visit these 8 shrines.
1. moreshwar temple – morgaon, pune district
2. siddhivinayak temple – siddhatek, ahmednagar district
3. ballaleshwar temple – pali, raigad district
4. varadavinayak temple – mahad, near Khopoli, Raigad district
5. chintamani temple – theur, pune district (although the temple is 5th in order of visit but some people visit it in second number of sequence… because of ease of travelling)
6. girijatmaj temple – lenyadri, pune district
7. vighnahar temple – ozar, pune district
8. mahaganapati temple – ranjangaon, pune district.
pictorial tour of chintamani ashtavinayak temple in theur:
1. the temple is about 25 km from pune but in the outskirts. so you will see agricultural fields or villages around the temple. this is the small lane leading to the temple. there were vegetable vendors selling fresh (just plucked) vegetables in this lane.
2. chintamani ganpati temple main gate. the main gate is very small as compared to the temple courtyard. when i looked at the temple gate, i felt its a small temple but actually the temple premises are big and can accommodate 500-600 people.
3. this is the main temple photo. devotees are standing in line under the wooden assembly hall (sabha-mandapa).
4. the inside of assembly hall. photos of other 7 ashtavinayak temples are hung in this hall.
i visited the temple on sunday. i had to stand in queue for around 20-30 minutes. i would not have minded if i had to stand in queue for hours also. because the energy of chintamani temple is very calm and peaceful. moreover i have observed that marathi people are very religious people and usually they don’t push you in the line.
5. the assembly hall view from outside. although the mobile phone is not allowed inside the temple. but still some people were talking.
6. looks like place for yagna or rituals. this is right before the inner sanctum of ganpati temple.
7. this is another photo placed outside the inner sanctum of ganpati temple.
8. ganpati photo placed outside the inner sanctum of chintamani temple.
9. sindur is applied to all idols of ashtavinayak temple. chintamani statue is considered swambhyu (self manifested). if you visit the inner sanctum then you will get to see the ganpati statue. here just for illustration, i am showed the photo of the ganpati statue.
9. the view when you do the temple parikarma.
10. chintamani ganpati temple
11. there are many small temples inside the temple complex like mahadeva (lord shiva) temple, vishnu-lakshmi temple, hanuman temple. you will see these temples as you do temple parikarma.
12. you can do abhishek in the temple. ladoo and modak prasad is also available. laddus and modak are the favorite food of lord ganesha and specially prepared for him during ganesha chaturthi festival.
you can have your lunch inside the temple itself. lunch is offered for nominal charge of 15 Rs. in this thali you get to eat rice, dal/lentil, aloo chana curry dish, chappati and sooji halwa/sheera. the food is served to you seated in table and chair. lunch timing is 12 to 2 pm. i suggest you to keep some kitchen napkins to wipe the wet plates. otherwise food is very good.
the lane leading to chintamani ganpati temple has 2-3 yatri nivas. but this yatri nivas is right inside the temple complex.
my experience – this was my first visit to this temple. before that i have visited mahaganpati temple in ranjangaon few times. the energy of both temples is very different. i find mahaganpati temple fiery and active energy. whereas chintamani temple energy is very relaxed, calmed and laid back. i have planned to visit it again. if you are looking for a place to get clarity in your mind then visit this temple and pray to lord ganesha and spend some time in the temple complex.