On the morning of 30th March, 2021, we woke up a little later than usual. It was the last day of our yatra and we had only two more temple to cover before heading back home. We assembled at the hotel lobby by 8.15 a.m. The checkout was very smooth. By 8.40 am. we had departed from Pune and were on our way to Ozhar Vighneshwar temple which was about 85 k.m.s away on the Pune Nashik highway. On the way, we stopped at a small hotel for breakfast which comprised on Poha, Vada, Dosa and masala tea.
The route to Ozhar was fairly smooth. All along we saw Sugarcane crops planted. We played songs to enjoy the journey which was completed in about 2 hours. We reached around 11.15 a.m. The temple is near a very scenic river called Kukadi. The infrastructure in this temple town was fairly good making it comfortable for tourists. The river nearby helps in keeping the place cool with a nice breeze blowing.
As per several Puranas, a king Abhinandana once performed a sacrifice and failed to give a share of the offerings to Lord Indra who was upset and invoked a demon called Vighnasura to destroy the sacrifice. The sages present were advised by Shiva, to whom they rushed for help, to pray to Lord Ganesha. When the sages prayed to Ganesha, He came and gave battle to the Asura who was defeated. He thus became known as Vighneshwara or Vignahara (Remover of Obstacles). It is believed that when Lord Ganesh is invoked before any activity, obstacles will not come in the way. The relieved sages consecrated an idol of Lord Vighneshwara at Ozhar.
The east facing temple can be reached by climbing a flight of steps. The idol, like all Ashtavinayaks, is believed to be Swayambhu (self-existent). The doorway to the temple is colourful and guarded by two gate-keepers. The courtyard of the temple is renovated and tiled with nice plants all around. The main temple is serene and filled with murals and colorful sculptures. We could walk in towards the Sanctum immediately and have a superb darshan of Vignahara Ganesh ji. In our hearts, we thanked Him for removing all obstacles from our journey. Without His divine blessings, it could not have been such a smooth yatra.
After this, we came out and took our customary pictures to remember the occasion. The courtyard and the doorway provided a nice backdrop for the photos. After this, we walked back towards our vehicle for the short ride towards Lenyadri which is at a distance of less than 20 k.m.s from Ozhar.
1 comment:
As usual well complied.
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