Karmandir Shri Girijatmaj, Lenyadri
Lenyadri hill, near Junnar, Junnar taluka, Pune district, Maharashtra
About
Shri Girijatmaj of Lenyadri is the sixth temple in the traditional Ashtavinayak yatra, and the only Ashtavinayak inside a cave on a hill. 'Girijatmaj' means the son of Girija, that is Parvati Maa. The shrine is in a large rock-cut cave in the hill above the Kukadi river near Junnar, reached by about 300 steps. Its wide hall has not a single pillar, and daylight from the entrance is what lights it. The murti is not a separate idol: it is carved into the back wall of the cave and covered with sindoor. Like the other seven, it is honoured as swayambhu.
The story
The Ganesha Purana tells that Parvati Maa once asked Shiv ji whom he meditated on. Shiv ji said it was Ganesh ji, the support of the whole universe. Wishing for Ganesh ji as her son, Parvati Maa did tapasya for twelve years in a cave on this hill. Ganesh ji was pleased and granted her wish. On Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi she worshipped a clay murti of Ganesh, and it came alive as her child. Devotees believe Ganesh ji spent his childhood here, and that from here he later rode a peacock to Morgaon to defeat the demon Sindhu. That is why he is worshipped here as Girijatmaj, the son of Girija.
In history, the hill holds about thirty caves, cut nearly 2,000 years ago, between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE, as living and prayer halls for Buddhist monks. Later, two cells at the back of the largest hall were joined and the cave became a Ganesh shrine. Old names for the hill include Jeernapur and Lekhan Parvat. The caves are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, and worship at the shrine goes on by temple tradition.
Visiting
October to February is the best time; in the monsoon the hills turn green but the steps get slippery. Carry water and climb slowly. Monkeys live along the way, so keep food packed away. Shivneri fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is close by, and Ozar's Vighneshwar temple is about 15 km away.
Festivals
- Ganesh Chaturthi (Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi)
- Maghi Ganesh Jayanti (Magh Shukla Chaturthi)
- Sankashti Chaturthi every month
