Mayureshwar

According to the Upasana Khanda of the Ganesha Purana, there lived a demon long ago named Sindhu. He was immensely powerful and had thrown all three worlds into turmoil. The devas grew desperate and took refuge with Lord Ganesha.

The Ganesha Purana tells us that to end this demon's terror, Ganesha mounted a peacock — mayur in Sanskrit — and rode into battle. After vanquishing Sindhu, Ganesha chose to remain at that very spot. Because he came seated on a peacock, he came to be called Mayureshwar — the Lord of the Peacock.

Tradition holds that the name Morgaon itself comes from this peacock. Mayur means peacock in Sanskrit, and gaon means village in Marathi. According to the Ganesha Purana, Ganesha is believed to be present here in svayambhu form — that is, he manifested on his own, without any human crafting.

It is traditional belief that both the start and the finish of the Ashtavinayak pilgrimage happen here at Morgaon. Devotees take darshan (sacred viewing of the deity) here first, then visit the other seven shrines, and finally return to Morgaon to complete the circuit.

The Mayureshwar temple at Morgaon sits on the banks of the Karha River. Tradition regards this as the heart of the Ashtavinayak pilgrimage. The temple compound has four towers along its boundary walls, with large sculptures flanking the main entrance. The site falls within Pune District, Maharashtra.

Devotees travel from far and wide for darshan here. The largest gatherings are seen during Magh Chaturthi and Bhadrapad Ganesh Chaturthi. The temple grounds also contain what tradition describes as an ancient Nandi statue, pointing to the great antiquity of this sacred place.

• The temple is open throughout the year and devotees come daily for darshan.
• Special celebrations are held on Magh Shukla Chaturthi and Bhadrapad Ganesh Chaturthi.
• Aarti (ritual lamp ceremony) is performed every morning and evening.
• Pilgrims doing the Ashtavinayak circuit traditionally begin their journey with darshan here.