Vigneshwara Temple is one among the eight Ashtavinayaka Temples. It is a highly revered Ganesha shrine in the state of Maharashtra in India. The form of Ganesha that is worshipped here by devotees is known as Vigneshwara, which means lord of obstacles. The divine form is also known as Vighnahar or ‘remover of obstacles’. The legend behind this temple is related with the saga of Ganesha when he had conquered Vignasura, the devil of obstacles.

History

Vigneshwara Temple is located in Ozar, which is nearly 10 km away from Junnar. The temple was built in 1785. In 1967, it was rebuilt by Shri Appashastri Joshi. Shri Joshi is an ardent devotee of Ganesha. Legend has it that this is the very same location where Ganesha decided that he will be fighting with demon Vignasura as the sages requested him to do so. Lord Ganesha was given the name Vigneshwara by the demon Vignasura.

Legend also has that a saint had built Vigneshwara’s statue on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi in Ozar. After installing the statue, the sage started worshipping the deity. Tourists from different parts of the country visit Ozar to pay their respects to the deity that faces in the east direction. Lord Ganesha’s idol in this temple is adorned with several diamonds and precious stones. Riddhi Siddhi is also placed on both sides of the deity.

Vigneshwara Temple is known for its stunning mural and sculptural work. There are small rooms designed for meditation, a grand entrance and a courtyard as well. Additionally, there is also a stone pillar called Deep Malas seen at the entrance apart from the Panchayatan statues. These statues grace the temple’s four corners.

Religious Significance

Vigneshwara Temple is the seventh temple to be prescribed for visit in Ashtavinayak circuit most pilgrims often end up visiting Ozar as the fifth place. This is because the pilgrims find it convenient to visit Ozar at the fifth spot.

The Tamil Purana, Skanda Purana as well as the Pudgala Purana have elaborate records of the Vigneshwara Temple. King Abhinandana had carried out a sacrifice where he abstained from giving any offering to Indra, the god-king. This infuriated Indra. The angered Indra ordered to Kala (Time/Death) to annihilate the sacrifice. Kala assumed the demonic form of Vignasura (obstacle or obstacle-demon). Vignasura started creating obstacles in the process of sacrifice and destroyed it. Also, the demon caused much chaos in the universe. The demon created many hurdles in the sacrifices and the good deeds performed by sages as well as other beings. The sages turned to Lord Brahma or Shiva for guidance. Lord Brahma advised the sages to start worshipping Ganesha.

Once Ganesha heard the prayers of ascetics, he started fighting with the demon. Soon, demon Vignasura realized that he could not defeat Ganesha and he was left to surrender to the mighty. He agreed to not harassing other beings of the world. It was also decided that Vigna would be dwelling only in those places where Ganesha was not worshipped or invoked. There are few other versions of this legend. One states that the rueful Vignasura had to become Ganesha’s attendant. He had to cause troubles to them who did not worship the Lord. Ganesha was also requested by Vignasura to be named as Vigneshwara (Lord of Vigna or obstacles) to venerate the grand event. The sages were relieved and they sanctified Ganesha’s image in the form of Vigneshwara in Ozar to memorize this event.

How to Reach

From Pune, Ozar is at a distance of nearly 85 km. Ozar is off the Pune-Nashik highway and also 9 km to the north of Narayangaon.

Apart from one another Ashtavinayak Shrine, Lenyadri, Ozar is stated in Junnar taluka of the Pune district. Ozar is on the Kukadi River banks and in close proximity to the Yedagaon dam built on the river.