The Ballaleshwar Vinayak temple is one of the Astha Vinayak temples near Pune. It is 120 km from Pune city, in the village of Pali which is about 28 km from Roha in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.
Moreshvar Vitthal Sindkar (Dighe) constructed the wooden Temple in 1640. It was reconstructed in 1760 to its present stone temple by Shri Fadnis. A devotee named Krishnaji Narayan Pinge constructed eight pillars in 1910. The temple is east-facing and constructed in such a way that as the sun rises, sun rays fall directly on the Ganesha Deity. It was built in a way that the word श्री (Shree) would form. The temple has a large bell that was brought by Chimaji Appa after he defeated the Portuguese in Vasai and Sasti.
It is the only Ganesha temple named after a devotee. The murti’s eyes and navel are studded with diamonds.
The legend: As per the Ganesh Puran, Kalyansheth was a rich businessman in Pallipur. His son Ballal was a devout child who spent most of his time praying and worshipping Lord Ganesh. Then, one day he invited all the children from his village for a special Pooja.
Ballal and his friends kept one large stone and worshipped it as Lord Ganesh. However, the children were so engrossed in their prayers that they did not return home for days. This irritated the villagers who complained to Kalyansheth. Then he came to the Pooja and destroyed the stone and tied Ballal to a tree as punishment.
Ballal cried and prayed to Lord Ganesh who appeared before him as a Sadhu. Ballal identified the Sadhu as the Lord himself and asked for his blessings. He also requested the Lord to always be with him and stay in this place. Hence, Lord Ganesh embraced Ballal and vanished into a stone. Then this stone became the Lord Ballaleshwar idol.
The large stone which Ballal’s father Kalyansheth threw to the ground was known as Dhundi Vinayak. This is believed to be self-manifested or Swayambu and is worshipped before Lord Ballaleshwar.
Temple timings: 5AM–10:30PM
Poojas: Several Archanas and Poojas are performed by the priests.
Accommodation: Several hotels are available and the Ballaleshwar Temple Trust also provides 24 Rooms and 2 Halls.
How to reach:
Road: Several buses operate from Mumbai, Thane, and Pune.
Rail: Nearest railway stations are Khopoli and Karjat. Several buses operate from these stations to Pali. The Indian Railways operates a train from Mumbai to Ballaleshwar Pali once daily. The journey takes 2h 45m.
Air: The nearest airports are in Mumbai and Pune at a distance of 105 km and 127 km respectively. Many taxis and buses that will take you to Pali from outside the airport.
