Swami Samarth Ramdas is supposed to have composed the aarti in the Mayureshwar temple. It is believed that the pilgrimage of the Ganesha temples should start and end with Mayureshwar. The bhajan itself is very popular with every aarti being accompanied by the bhajan.

Source: Temples and Legends of Maharashtra, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

PicureCredit: Kalyandasdomgaon, Creative Commons

Popularly called Astavinayak temples, the group of eight Ganapati temples are around the Pune and Konkan region. The deities are monolith and are also Swayambhu, self formed and not man made. Astavinayak is a popular pilgrimage that many pilgrims cover in two or three days. It is a commonly held belief that if a pilgrim visits any one of the 8 temples, they must visit the others as well to receive the full benefit of the pilgrimage.

Source: Temples and Legends of Maharashtra, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

PicureCredit: Scoutmytrip.com

Torana Ganapati in Sringeri is worshipped in the doorframe. There is no GarbhaGrha and the door is always in closed state. The 32nd Acharya of the Peetham, Jagadguru Sri Vriddha Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji used to reside adjacent to the temple of Goddess Sharada. One occasion, the Acharya had a vision of the Ganapati when he was contemplating on resolving an issue in the mutt affairs. He offered His prayer by offering a dhurva to the image of Lord Ganapati carved on the Torana of the door nearby, and the problem got resolved. Since then, the Ganapati has come to be worshipped as Torana Ganapati.

Source: Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri

https://sringeri.net/temples/sri-torana-ganapati

PicureCredit: SR Ramanujam

https://sringeri.net/temples/sri-torana-ganapati

Mount Bromo is in Java, Indonesia. It is an active volcano. The word Bromo is derived from Brahma. The Ganesha deity is supposed to have been installed 700 years ago and he is believed to protect the residents from the volcano. The Ganesha is actively worshipped even now. The volcano itself is one of the most visited tourist places in Java.

Source:

PicureCredit: Virendra Dhir

The frieze is around the Kantaka Cetinga Stupa, near Mihintale in Sri Lanka. A double procession of ganas converge towards a central dwarfish elephant headed figure whose trunk is turned to the left. This is undoubtedly, Ganapati

Source: Ganesha; The Auspicious, The Beginning by Shakunthala Jagannathan and Nandhita Krishna

PicureCredit: Ganesha; The Auspicious, The Beginning by Shakunthala Jagannathan and Nandhita Krishna

Ganesh Chaturthi is a national holiday in Mauritius. In addition, Shivratri, Thaipoosam, Ugadi and Deepavali are also national holidays. This is a reflection of the strong connection that Mauritius has with the Hindu culture.

Source: https://www.officeholidays.com/countries/mauritius/2022

PicureCredit: Prakash Sookun Facebook

Ganesha was the family deity of Peshwas. They devoted a good deal of money and attention on the construction and renovation of Ganesha temples around Pune region. These temples pre date the Peshwa region and the avataras date back to far remote times. But the form in which these temples are seen today is a result of Peshwa patronage. The Sarasbaug Ganapati temple in Pune is considered as the family temple of Peshwas.

Source: Temples and Legends of Maharashtra, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

PicureCredit: Pakshya Creative Commons

Mukkuruni Vinayagar within Madurai Meenakshi temple in Tamil Nadu receives this offering on Vinayaka Chaturthi each year. Once Ganpati was looking for physical work and was asked to transport some material in a cart. At the end of the work when he was asked to specify his wages for the work, Ganpati asked for 30 kgs of rice (Mukkuruni in Tamil). To mark this legend, a single modak is made with 30 kgs of rice and 30 kgs of jaggery and other material, eventually weighing about 72 kg. The cooking takes 24 hours.

Source: Bhoga Naivedyam by Sujata Shukla Rajan

PicureCredit: Indian Express

Rāma had given this ancestral deity, called Ranganātha, to Vibhīshana and told him not to put the deity down until he reached Lanka. When Vibhīshana came to the beautiful Kāverī River, he was overwhelmed with the desire to bathe. He gave the deity to Ganesha in disguise, and Ganesha agreed to hold it for him, under the condition that Vibhīshana would come promptly if he called for him three times. When Vibhīshana was underwater, taking his dips in the Kāverī River, the boy called out thrice. Of course, Vibhīshana could not hear him. The boy put down the deity of Ranganātha, and so it is that the deity has been worshipped on the island of Shrīrangam ever since.

Source: India: A Sacred Geography by Diana Eck

PicureCredit: SR Ramanujam

Ganesha worship is very popular in Japan and spread through Buddhism. Sōshin Kangiten is the most enigmatic and elusive Japanese version of Gaṇeśa. Ganesha represents Dual God of Boundless Bliss. The Japanese Dual Kangiten is an elephant-headed deity couple in embrace. It represents the unity of contrasting genders and opposites. Avalokiteśvara (a Bodhisatva) is believed to have seduced and calmed down Vinayaka resulting in the harmonious union.

Source: Lode Rosseels, Gaṇeśa’s Underbelly, Universiteit Gent

PicureCredit: Ganesha; The Auspicious, The Beginning by Shakunthala Jagannathan and Nandhita Krishna

Ganesh Chaturthi had been a popular festival for a long time. Tilak introduced the large scale public worship of Ganpati (Sarvajanik) as a form of patriotic movement to overcome the restrictions that British had imposed on large gatherings in the civil society. Further, the festival had already gathered a character of a classless casteless celebration. The organisation of Sarvajanik Ganpati was also intended to overcome a perceived weakness of the Hindu society to organise itself. Tilak initiated the Sarvajanik Ganpati in 1893 in Pune.

Source: Ganesha Chaturthi: Cultural-Historical Background and Celebration by Singh, Rana P.B. and Ratate, Madhav J.

PicureCredit: SR Ramanujam

Gokarna is a popular tourist and pilgrimage place in Northern Karnataka. The famous Gokarna linga, a piece of solid reddish rock is twisted like an old stump. Here Ravana had to perform his evening rituals and gave the linga that he was carrying to Ganesha who was in disguise. Ganesha put the deity down and Ravana could not pick it up again. He tried so hard to remove the linga forcibly from the place where it was stuck. In this process the lingam was twisted.

Source: India: A Sacred Geography by Diana Eck

PicureCredit:

In Lenyadri, Ganesha is worshipped as Girijatmaj. Ganesha is Swayambhu in a cave. The name of the idol ‘Girijatmaj’ comes as ‘Girija’ meaning Devi Parvati and ‘Aatmaj’ meaning Son. It is said that in this particular cave Devi Parvati performed tapascharya for twelve long years for the gain of a son. After this long tapascharya, Lord Ganesh himself came before her. Leni means caves in Marathi. The temple faces the southern direction and is rock cut within the cave. It closely resembles a Buddhist Vihara.

Source: Temples and Legends of Maharashtra, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Shree Lenyadri Ganpati Devsthan Trust, https://lenyadriganpati.com/en/a-homepage-section/

PicureCredit: https://lenyadriganpati.com/en/a-homepage-section/

Unakoti is in Tripura. It is a Saivite pilgrimage site that dates back to atleast 7th – 9th century. Unakoti means one less than a crore. It is believed that as many rock cut carvings are available here. These carvings are located at a beautifully landscaped forest area with green vegetation all around. The main Shiva sculpture is about 30 feet tall. There are various other stone as well as rock cut images at Unakoti.

Source: Tripura Tourism

https://tripuratourism.gov.in/archaeological-sites

PicureCredit: SR Ramanujam

Ganesh Tok is a popular tourist place in Gangtok. It offers excellent views of the city and is at a height of about 6500 feet.

Source:

PicureCredit: Kailas98, Creative Commons

This temple is called Uchhi Pillayar, meaning Ganpati at the top. The temple is on top of a Droog (steep rock). It served as a fortification and was a scene of many battles involving the Vijayanagara empire, Nayaks of Madurai, Nawabs and the British. The rock is 83 mts tall. The Ganapati temple on top of the hill, another Ganapati temple at the foothills and a rock cut Shiva temple are among the most visited in the city. Rockfort is also a popular evening spot due to the strong breeze on top and as the rockfort offers commanding views of the Cauvery river, the agricultural fields and the Srirangam temple.

Source:

PicureCredit: SR Ramanujam

The earliest literary references to Ganapati as the Lord of the ganas are in connection with deities other than Ganesha himself. Rig Veda addresses Brihaspatu as ganaanaam tvaa ganapatim havaamahe. The description is also transferred to Indra on another occasion when he is also addressed as Ganapati. Later work such as Taittiriya Aranyaka refers to Dantin, who has a twisted trunk (vakratunda) and who holds a sheaf of corn, a sugarcane and a club.

Source: Ganesha; The Auspicious, The Beginning by Shakunthala Jagannathan and Nandhita Krishna

PicureCredit: https://greenmesg.org/stotras/ganesha/gananam_tva_ganapatim.php

This was found in Luristan in western Iran. The figure in the plaque appears to be bearded, a sign of great wisdom. The quill is also a symbol of learning and knowledge. The plaque is dated prior to the Taittriya Aranyaka and corresponds to what is called as later Vedic period by historians.

Source: Ganesha; The Auspicious, The Beginning by Shakunthala Jagannathan and Nandhita Krishna

PicureCredit: Ganesha; The Auspicious, The Beginning by Shakunthala Jagannathan and Nandhita Krishna

A Yakshi would knock down the soldiers who were guarding the Padmanabhapuram palace of the Travancore dynasty. A soldier once retrieved a Vinayaka deity from a river and held it with him during the guard duty and was spared the wrath of the Yakshi. The deity was then celebrated as the war God and the Nair Brigade of the dynasty was made responsible for protecting the deity. The deity was later moved to Trivandrum and the Madras regiment of the Indian Army is now responsible for maintaining the temple. The Apex Board and the Executive Authority of the temple are headed by the Colonel and the Commandant of the Madras Regiment of the Indian Army.

Source: Bhoga Naivedyam by Sujata Shukla Rajan

PicureCredit:

Trinetra Ganapati temple is in Ranthambore Fort within the national park. Ganesha is present in this temple with his full family consisting of Riddhi and Siddhi (consorts) and two sons (Shub and Labh). His vahana, mouse, is also present.

Source: Rajasthan Tourism

PicureCredit:

Dholkal Ganesh is at a beautiful spot located 3000 feet high in Dantewada district in Chattisgarh. The Ganesha is a 3 feet stone deity believed to be made during the Naga dynasty between 10th and 11th centuries. The deity commands a panoramic look over the dense forests around. As the Ganesha became popular it attracted visitors to the area. Irked by this, Maoists are believed to have broken and pushed the deity down the cliff in January 2017. The deity was restored by an ASI team led by Padmashri Arun Kumar Sharma, aged 84. The local residents desired that the deity is reinstalled at the same spot rather than relocated to the safety of a museum. This was done on Basant Panchami day on February 1, 2017.

Source: https://dantewada.nic.in/

The Return of God

PicureCredit: Open, The Magazine