Day 2 – Vighneshwar – Girijatmaj
Where is it Located?
Lenyadri Ganapati Road; Post Golegaon, Taluka Junnar, District Pune, Maharashtra.
How to reach here?
- By Road, from Mumbai – 151 km via Kalyan Murbad – Malshej road
- By road, From Pune – 96 km, via NH60 highway.
- By rail, the nearest railway station is Pune, Talegaon, or Kalyan if coming from Mumbai.
- By road from Ozar (we travelled from Ozar) – 15 km.
Best time to visit?
Any time throughout the year.
- During the monsoons (June – September) it is humid, temperature around 30 deg
- Hot during summers, temperature going upto 40 deg
- Winters are comparatively milder, temperature around 28 deg.
Timing
5 AM to 9 PM
Entry Fee
Entry Fee – Rs 25 (For Lenyadri Caves , Parking charges – Rs 20 for 2 wheeler; Rs 50 for 4 wheeler.
For those who are unable to climb, there is a facility of palkhi carried by 4 people, costs around Rs 1000 per person.
Where to stay?
I notice only one sign of Bhakt Niwas or Guest houses in the vicinity of the mountain (refer picture below). Its quite an isolated mountain on which the temple is located. No villages or residences around. My recommendation would be to stay in nearby populated towns like Manchar (we stayed here overnight) and travel for darshan during the day. Though while browsing through the worldwideweb I read somewhere about the location of the Guest house of Lenyadri being very scenic, but have not seen the guest house myself.
Our Experience
A lot of brainstorming, permutations and combinations were done before finalizing our 2 day itinerary for the Ashtavinayak Yatra. And I am glad that the final plan has turned out to be perfect. In fact we were unaware that we have the best for the last. We are about to experience the best part part of our little tour.
The drive from Ozar to Lenyadri is nothing short of heavenly. The roads are so well maintained; the fields – the little houses en route – the greenery around us – all this makes us feel that we are transposed to another parallel universe.
“Is this the same earth which is supposedly destroyed by mankind or am I in some parallel of the current world. Here, the land is still flourishing with greens, air is still pure and full of oxygen, little birds still effortlessly gliding around in the sky. Unable to see mankind or their urbanisation here. All we see is life and joy.” Far far away I see a mountain which I am supposed to climb and experience the divine energy of Lord Ganesha. Can’t wait to imbibe all your energy Lord. Bless us and your mankind always. May the world be filled with peace and may all species live together in perfect symbiosis; emulating the garden of Eden.
These are the thoughts fleeting through our minds right now
We park our car in the designated parking lot and start our ascend towards the temple. Its a mountain cave (Lenyadri in local language means mountain cave) and 18 Buddhist caves are carved out from this one stone. Though there are only 325 steps, it seems very far. My fitness quotient is at an all time low, hence climbing all the steps seems like a big ordeal for me. I have to take repeated breaks in between. (I make a mental note that I need to restart my fitness regime soon). Finally, we reach the top of the mountain, the view from here is surreal. Maybe I should pinch myself to ensure its not a dream.
Once we reach the caves, we rush to get a glimpse of our favourite God. The Ganesh temple is in the 8th cave. There are no lights inside the cave, the temple is constructed in such a way that it is lit by natural sunlight throughout the day. Hence, the temple closes soon after sunset.
My humble request to everyone who visits this temple (or any other temple for that matter) – please shut off your phones here, do not open the torch from the phone to see bappa. The lord is visible to everyone even without our so called “brilliant inventions”. Feel his divine presence through your mind, experience his love and blessings though your heart. This way the darshan will stay in your mind and heart for ever, taking a few pictures from your mobile phone will not assist you in remembering Lord.
We stayed up on the mountain top for some time sinking in the angelic sights and the spiritual vibes of the temple and its surroundings.
Finally, after the last darshan of our trip, we leave with peace in our minds and joy in our hearts. Its 2.30 and we start our journey back home.
It has been a worthwhile trip and the best birthday party I have had in all these 44 years of my life. I think henceforth I would do a pilgrimage on my every birthday. I am grateful to God for every breath that I take and the opportunity I got to pay my tributes to him for all that he has given me.
For those who want to utilize their time and spend the day here, you may visit Shivneri Fort (Birth Place of the great king Shivaji Maharaj). It is 13.1 KM, i.e. around 27 Min from Lenyadri. Or if you are coming post rains, then on your way to back Mumbai stop by at the Malshej Ghat and enjoy the waterfalls, grilled corn and piping hot ginger tea here.
Day 1 – Varad Vinayak – Ballaleshwar – Mahaganapati
Day 2 – Vigneshwar – Girijatmaj