shreemant dagdusheth halwai ganapati temple in pune is dedicated to lord ganesha. it is one of the most famous temple in pune along with ma chaturshringi temple. if you are on a visit to pune then visiting these two temples should be on your itinerary.
the temple is popular all over maharashtra and is visited by lakhs of people during ganesh chaturthi festival. everyday hundred of devotees visit the temple. it is believed that prayer asked sincerely in this temple are fulfilled by lord ganesha.
the temple is located on a busy road in budhwar peth area (on the way from shivajinagar to swargate). so its very difficult to get parking. the temple is very artistically build, beautiful but small. the ganesha idol is very beautiful and richly decorated. the temple gets its name from shri dagdusheth halwai who made this temple way back in 18th century.
ganesha idol photo. you can buy the pooja material or thali from shops outside the temple. dhurva grass, coconut, jaswanti flower (red hibiscus) are favorite of lord ganesha. tulsi leaves are not offered to lord ganesha.
the ganesha idol is very large and very well decorated. the silver work around the idol is very beautiful and you will be mesmerized with the ganesha idol here.
the decoration around ganesha idol is changed often like mahalaxmi temple in kolhapur. on temple facebook page latest temple photos are updated every few days.
5 times a day aarti is done to lord ganesha. there is space in front of ganesha idol where you can sit for some time and pray to lord ganesha. the temple hall is very peaceful and full of spiritual vibrations. do sit for sometime in front of lord ganesha idol.
7.30 A.M. to 7.45 A.M. sakalchi aarti (morning aarti or prayer)
1.30 P.M. to 2 P.M. naivedyam and noon aarti
3.00 P.M. to 3.15 P.M. madhyana aarti
8.00 P.M. to 9.00 P.M. mukhya Aarti
10.30 P.M. to 10.45 P.M. shejarti
the temple is open between 6 am to 11 pm. for more info, do check temple website.
avoid visiting the temple during evening as the temple is right on road and crossing the road or getting parking for vehicle might be difficult. there is no virtually no space around temple for parking.
best to visit during morning or afternoon hours when there is not much rush. for last few years the temple security has been considerably increased because of the fear of bomb blast or terrorist attacks. photography is not allowed inside the temple.
if you are in a hurry then you can pray to lord ganesha from outside the temple also. because temple is made in such a way that main ganesha idol is visible from outside the temple also. so many devotees pray to ganesha from outside. on normal days, it does not takes more than 5 minutes in the queue. the main issue on regular days is getting parking and not the queue. i prefer visiting the temple in auto rikshaw.
the temple is managed by dagdusheth halwai sarvajanik ganapati trust which is well known for their social work in the field of educationa, old age home and helping poor people and children.
other popular ganpati temples in pune are sarasbaug ganpati and ashtavinayaka temples.