Day 1 – Varad Vinayak – Ballaleshwar – Mahaganapti
Where is it Located?
VILLAGE – Mahad, Khalapur Taluka, Raigad District. 3 kms off the Mumbai – Pune Highway, near Khopoli. State of Maharashtra in India
How to reach here?
By Road – 63 kms from Mumbai, 85 kms from Pune, 25 kms from Karjat, 21 kms from Lonavala, 6 km from Khopoli.
Train – Khopoli railway station on the central line is the closest railway station.
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
6 AM to 9 PM
Entry Fee
Entry FREE, Parking free.
Where to stay?
Afternoon lunch is provided by the temple as prasad. The only place to stay overnight in Mahad is the Varadvinayak Ganpati Bhakta Niwas (Temple Guest House). There are no “apparent” hotels or restaurants here. Though there are a few homes around here, I have not come across any homestays here for traveler’s convenience. However, if one talks to the temple officials, then they can connect the tourists with the residents of the village who gladly help. So, plan a stay over only if you get confirmation of availability from the Temple Guest house, otherwise plan Mahad as a transit. Another option would be to stay overnight in one of the several resorts and hotels in Khopoli, which is around 6 km away from Mahad.
Our experience
Our plan was to start our journey at 6.30 AM. Unfortunately, we got delayed and we now leave at 9 AM after a quick breakfast at home, as we do not want to waste time for a break in between.
We reach Mahad at around 10.30 am. Mahad is a very small and beautiful village where some quiet quality time can be spent. There is no dedicated car parking area, so we park the car at a convenient place where a couple of other cars are also parked. The village looks deserted, seems like not may devotees are here today for darshan.
There is a 5 minute walk from our parking space to the temple. The Varad Vinayak temple is very small and simple, not very ornate with sculptures or paintings like other Hindu temples. Here we are allowed inside the main sanctum (the garbhagriha) and pay tributes to our beloved devotee. We walk up to a very small lake behind the temple, where the idol is said to be self-originated.
We also visit the Navgraha temple and a Datta mandir behind the Varad Vinayak temple. There is a beautiful lake view from the Guest house as it is situated adjoining the lake.
Such a beautiful start of the day. After this darshan, I had to pinch myself “is this really happening?”. It had been in my mind for a long long time to visit the famed Ashtavinayak temples, but was not sure when and how it would be possible. Now, I am getting into the pilgrimage vibe and totally enjoying this divine journey. We leave Mahad at aound 11 AM and now off to Ballaleshwar in Pali.
Day 1 – Varad Vinayak – Ballaleshwar – Mahaganapati
Day 2 – Vighneshwar – Girijatmaj