Girijatmaj Temple is a Lord Ganesha Ashtavinayak Temple also known as Lenyadri Ganpati Temple located Inside Lenyadri caves in the Pune district of  Maharashtra State. It is one of Maharashtra’s eight Ashtavinayak Temples. Girijatmaj Ashtavinayak Temple is the only temple of the Ashtavinayak which is on a mountain.

At this location, Goddess Parvati prayed for a child for 12 years. Ganesha came into existence in this way. Additionally, the temple is known as “Girijatmaj,” where “Girija” stands for “Devi Parvati” and “Aatmaj” for “son.” Lenyadri, also known as Ganesa Lane or Ganesh Pahar Caves, is a group of 30 rock-cut now known as Buddhist caves in the Pune district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. They are about 4.8 kilometres (3.0 miles) north of Junnar.

Story Behind Girijatmaj Temple

According to the Ganesh Puran, When Goddess Sati took on the form of Parvati, she desired to bear a son. On the Lenyadri mountain, she performed severe repentance (Prayer).

Parvati spent 12 years in the caves of Lenyadri performing penance in order to have Vinayak as her son. Ganapati was pleased and bestowed the boon she desired. On Bhadrapada Shuddh Chaturthi, Parvati scraped the dirt from her body, mixed it with oil and ointment, and formed an idol of Ganesh. She was performing pooja on that idol when the idol came to life and informed Parvati that, as she had requested, he had taken Avatar to her home.

On the eleventh day, he was named Ganesh, which means a person who controls the three qualities of Satva, Raja, and Tama. Lord Shiv Shankar bestowed upon him the boon that whoever remembers Ganesh before beginning a task will complete it successfully.

Ganesh spent 15 years of his childhood in Lenyadri. Sindhu, the demon king, sent demons such as Krur, Balasur, Vyomasur, Kshemma, Kushal, and others to kill Ganesh on Lenyadri. Ganesh, on the other hand, killed all of these demons as a child. Ganapati also performed numerous Balleelas in this location. As a result, Lenyadri is considered a holy place.

History of Girijatmaj Temple

According to Ganesh Puran, this place is also known as Jirnapur or Lekhan Parbat. Moreover, Devotees believe that the Pandavas carved the caves during their exile period. Lenyadri Ganpati temple is south-facing and monolithic – carved out from a single rock.

Between the first and third centuries AD, the caverns were discovered. Cave 7’s Ganesha sanctum was constructed in the first century AD. According to Puranas, Devi Parvati practised tapascharya for twelve long years in order to have a son in this cave. Lord Ganesh himself appeared before her after the very long tapascharya.

The architecture of Girijatmaj Temple

Its architecture is similar to that of a Buddhist vihara, but cave 7, which is thought to be the Girijatmaj temple, wasn’t discovered until the first century AD. It consists of a lobby without pillars and 20 cells of various sizes. A central entranceway leads into the spacious lobby beneath a veranda with pillars. The hall is now used as a sabha-mandapa by the Ganesha temple. 283 stone and brick steps must be climbed in order to reach the passageway.

Devotees constructed 283 stone steps to get to the Lenyadri Ganpati Temple.
There are also hints of mortar and artistic creations that were added during the renovation and later modified, possibly as recently as the nineteenth century. The artistic works depicted Ganesha as a young man, along with his plans for marriage, battles with demons, and other things.

The enormous columns of the Shri Girijatmaj Ganpati Temple are carved with images of elephants, horses, lions, and other animals and are located in front of the enormous section doors. Also, before each cavern, there are columns with different carvings.

Facts about Girijatmaj Temple

• There is no power to illuminate in the temple. The temple is developed with the end goal that during the day it is constantly illuminated by the sun-beams.
• The Sanctorum of the temple houses a wide variety of astounding craftsmanship which honours the works of Shri Guru Dattatray.
• To reach the main sanctum of the temple, pilgrims will have to climb a flight of 338 stairs.
• Right in front of the temple, there are two water reservoirs that remain covered with water.
• The main temple hall, also known as Sabha mandap, has approximately eighteen rooms that saints used for tapascharya.
• The Shri Girijatmaj Lenyadri Ganapati rock statue can be found in one of the rooms. The Archaeological Survey of India oversees all 30 Lenyadri Caves, including the Shri Girijatmaj Lenyadri Ganpati Temple.
• Once you get there, the view of the Kukadi River and the soothing vibrations from the Lekhan mountain are a treat for the senses.

Famous Festivals In Girijatmaj Temple

• The Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated from the first to the fifth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, where Ganesh Chaturthi is the fourth day. The palkhi of Ganesha is taken for three consecutive days in these festivals
• The Magh Utsav is an important festival at the Varadvinayak Temple. The colourful festival of Holi is in the month of Phalgun (February/March), on Phalgun Shudh Poornima.
• In the month of Bhadrapada, a five-day festival is celebrated starting from Pratipada to Panchami at Shri Varadvinayak Mahad.
• On Ashwin Shudh (September/October), devotees observe the Dusshera festival. During the merriments, lord Ganpati is taken on a cart parade across the town.

How To reach Girijatmaj Temple

Girijatmaj temple is nearly 95 km from Pune and well connected through various modes of transportation.

By Air: The nearest airport is Pune, which is well-connected to all major Indian cities.

By Rail: The nearest railway station is at Pune, 94 km from Girijatmaj.

By Road: Girijatmaj Temple Lenyadri is nearly 95 km from Pune. Junnar is the nearest town at a 5 km distance. Lenyadri has excellent transportation, with numerous buses departing from Mumbai, Thane, and Pune.

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