Mahaganpati Ganpati Temple Ranjangaon is one of the Astha Vinayak temples of Maharashtra. It was built between the 9th and 10th century. Later it was renovated during the Peshwa period. Madhavrao Peshwa used to do Pooja here and built a stone sanctum around this swayambhu or self-radiated idol around 1790 A.D. This temple’s Ganpati idol was inaugurated and donated by the “Khollam” family, a goldsmith family based in Ranjangaon.
In Ranjangaon, villagers don’t get Ganesh idol their homes, rather, everyone goes to the temple for Ganesh pooja.
The Legend: The demon Tripurasura become the king of three world i.e. heaven, hell and earth and started creating more havoc. Lord Shiva tried to defeat him but failed. Narada Muni, advised lord Shiva to worship Lord Ganesha. So Lord Shiva worshipped Ganesha here and got His blessings and was then able to kill Tripurasura. So lord Shiva build a temple installed the Mahaganpati idol in this temple.
Festivals: Ganesha Jayanti is the main festival here. The temple priests perform several Poojas and Archanas.
Timings: 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Accommodation: Several good hotels and a yatri nivas are available.
How to reach:
Road: Regular buses from Pune Station and Shivaji Nagar are available – from Pune, Ranjangaon is 51.5 km.
Train: The nearest Railway station is Yevat which is about 29.5 km.
Air: Hadapsar Airport is the nearest airport 43.4 km. Pune airport is 51.5 km.
