As per Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is the God of prosperity and good will and is the remover of all obstacles that is faced by humans in their life. Hence before beginning any new venture people worship Lord Ganesha. The elephant faced God is prayed and loved by everyone who believes in Hinduism.

Every year people set out for Ashtavinayak pilgrimage which means visiting the eight auspicious Ganesh temples. Moryeshwar or Morgaon Ganesha temple is the most special and auspicious of all the eight temples. This temple is visited first and last during the pilgrimage and the pilgrimage is said to be incomplete without visiting this temple.

Morgaon Ganesha temple is located in Morgaon in Pune in Maharashtra. Morgaon is about 80 kms from Pune city. Here the temple is located in the middle of a village and the temple resembles a fort with a 50 feet high dome and four pillars on all the corners. The temple is made of black stone and has four gates.  The devotees are greeted with a tall stone pillar of oil lamp, a flight of steps leads one to the main entrance of the temple. Inside the temple is a six foot tall mooshak, the mount or vehicle of Lord Ganesha. The idol of Ganesha is in a sitting position and wears silver headed cobra above the crown. There are diamonds placed on the eyes and navel of the idol. All the pujas are done only by the priests and people are not allowed in the sanctum.

There are eight idols of Ganesha, which are the incarnations of the Lord, are placed on the eight corners of the temple is very peculiar and attractive. Another attractive feature here is the tall black statue of ‘Nandi’, the bull. As per the Hindu mythology, the statue was being transported from a nearby Shiva temple. But as soon as it reached the present place, it couldn’t be removed from there.

There are many legends related to how the temple got the name and why is it so famous and auspicious. It is said that the Lord used his vehicle or mount, as peacock which he later gave it to his brother, Skanda and thus got the name. Another belief is that the place had a large population of peacocks hence its Morgaon.

Moreover it is believed that Brahma the creator - God has himself sanctified the place twice and hence it is very special.

The festivals like Ganesha Chaturthi and Ganesh Jayanthi are celebrated with great enthusiasm and thousands of devotees come here to pay visit to the temple.

History of Morgaon Ganesha Temple

The Morgaon Ganesha temple was popularized by the Ganapatya saint, Morya Gosavi. The Brahmin Peshwas, who ruled Maharashtra during 18th century, were great devotees of Lord Ganesha. They have donated land and money for the development and establishment of the Ganesha temple.

Best Time to Visit

Ideally the temple is visited by the devotees throughout the year, but special pujas and festivities only happen during the Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganesh Jayanthi festivals. The Ganesh Chaturthi festivities last for a month and fairs and other celebrations are organized here during this time.

How to Reach

By Road

Located in Baramati taluka in Pune district, the place is well connected by good roads. There are frequent state transport service buses that ply from Pune to Baramati. The distance between Pune and Baramati is 64 kms.

By Rail

Jejuri is the nearest railway station which is only 15 kms from Morgaon and one can hire taxis or bus to reach Morgaon.  

By Air

The nearest airport is the Pune airport.