Day 2 of our tour, we left early in the morning and were at our fourth Ashtavinayak mandir, Chintamani of Theur much before the first rays of the sun could hit the earth.
A very large and well maintained temple complex, there is a meditation hall and a guesthouse for pilgrims inside. We joined a long queue adjoining a boundary wall beyond which we understood was the Palace of Madhavrao Peshwa who was an ardent devotee. The line moved quickly enough and soon we were in front of the Lord who sat cross- legged with diamonds in his eyes.
The original temple is stated to have been built by a descendant of Moraya Gosavi and subsequent blocks were added by Madhavrao Peshwa. Why is he called Chintamani Ganapati? Legend has it that sage Kapila was in possession of a gem called Chintamani which could fulfil all wishes. When an evil prince named Gana visited the ashram, Kapila entertained him as a guest using the Chintamani. The prince demanded Chintamani for himself and when refused, forcibly took away the gem. Kapila prayed to Ganpati who retrieved the Chintamani after a fierce battle. Sage Kapila offered the gem to Ganpati himself who wore it round his neck. People started calling him Chintamani Ganapati.
Among the bounties he bestows on his devotees is peace of mind, which we really experienced. After darshan, in the early morning light with a cool breeze blowing, as we performed the aarti and later sat down in the main hall, we could feel the inner peace and contentment spreading all over us.
Ganpati Bappa Morya!
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