Moregaon
is a village located at a distance of about 50 km
from Pune, enroute to Aurangabad in Maharashtra,
and it houses a shrine to Mayureshwar Vinayak.
MoregaonMayureshwar
is considered to be one of the Ashta Vinayak shrines
of Maharashtra, celebrating eight instances of legends
related to Ganesha.
Legend has it that a demon by name caused untold
hardship to the inhabitants of the Universe, and
that responding to the pleas
of the Gods, Ganapati came down to the earth on
a peacock mount, waged a battle against Sindhu and
vanquished him. The peacock rider Ganapati assumed
the name Mayureshwar or Moresh. The original image
of Ganesha made of precious
metal was installed by the creator Bhrahma. The
Pandava princes are said to have installed a copper
image, when they visited Moregaon in the course
of their pilgrimage.
The name Moresh or Moregaon arises from
the fact that this rigion once abounded in peacocks. The
name Mayureshwar also arises from the legend that Vinayak
rode a peacock mount in a battle against evil demons.
The Temple :
An east facing image of Ganesha flanked by brass images
of his consorts Siddhi and Riddhi is enshrined in this temple.
Ganesha is depicted armed with a spear, while a cobra encircles
his head. Interestingly, the peacock mount, the cobra and
the spear (Vel) are all considered to be attributes of Kartikeya
(his brother). The temple is a well visited one, fortified
with lofty walls.
Festivals :
As with all other Vinayak temples, Ganesha Chaturti is celebrated
in great splendor here. Vijaya Dasami is celebrated commemorating
Ganesha's victory against the demons.
Clean rooms are
available at Maheshwari Bhakta Niwas (Tel:
02112-279236 & Tariff: Rs 200 for 4 persons; Rs
40 for unlimited thali), located near the
temple. The Brahmins in the village provide good meals
to visitors. Temple officials or even roadside shopkeepers
can direct visitors to their homes. One has to inform
them at least half an hour in advance (Rs 30 for a
filling home-made Maharashtrian meal).
Moreshwar's Pooja is done thrice a
day. In the morning at 5'Oclock Prakshal Pooja is
done. This pooja is done by Gurav poojari. 'Shodopachar
Pooja' is done at 7'Oclock in morning & at 12'Oclock
in the afternoon. These pooja's are done by Brahmin
poojari. At the time of pooja Ganesh Atharvashirsha's
Aavarthana (Repeatative cycles) are made.
In the morning pooja, Khichadi & Chapiti, in
the afternoon pooja full meal & in the night milk
& rice are offered as Naivaidyam to Mayureshwar.
Temple remains open for darshan from 5 a.m. to 10.00
p.m.
Two festivals on Bhadrapada Shudda Chaturti &
Magh Shuddha Chaturthi are celebrated on grand scale
in Morgaon.
Besides this Vijayadashami (Dasehara) & Somavati
Amavasya are also celebrated on big scale. On Vijayadashami
Mayureshwar's Palanpuin begins at 11'Oclock in the
night.
Palanquin procession is worth seeing. Fire crackers
made in the village are burst on a large scale. Palkhi
procession goes round the village for the whole night
& at the break of dawn palkhi reaches at the Someshwar's
temple. At that time, names villagers are read according
to their ancestral hierachy. Programme called Annasantarpana.
It means naivaidyam from different houses is gathered
& it is distrubuted among devotes as mahaprasad.
Nearly 10-15 thousand
devotees come for such yatra.
Shreemad yogindracharaya appeared in Morgaon
in Shaliwahan Shake 1499 & took samadhi in shake 1727.
He spent his
long 228 yrs life in worshipping & propitiating Ganeshyog.
It is said that Shree Mayureshwar, himself in the guise
of
Bhramin gave him 9 parts of Mudgal purana & he had
written his exposition on it. Importance of Ganapatis, yogaswaroop
& Yogageeta is described in it.
Samadhi Mandir of Shree Ganesha Yogindracharya on the south
coast of Kerela river is a place of tourist interests. In
the same mandir there are samadi's of Shri Ankushdhari Maharaj
& Shreemad Herambh Maharaj. Festivals & death anniversaries
of this sect is in Morgaon near the temple.
Morgaon is a birthplace of famous hermit Morya Gosawi.
He found Ganesh idol in Brahma Kamandalu Tirth. He consecrated
this idol in the temple at Chinchwad. Morya Gosawi's Palkhi
comes from Chinchwad to Morgaon on Bhadrapad & Magh
Shudh Chatruthi. He took samadhi at Chinchwad in 1655 A.D.
Sukhakarta Dukhaharta Varta Vighnachi ...... A great saint
Samarth Ramdas Swami wrote above said Aarti instantaneously
after taking Mayrushwar's Darshan. This Aarti has become
immortal in Maharashtra.
At the left side of Mayureshwar there is one small room
called Vighneshwar's owari (owari means place
reserved for meditation) At the end of seventeenth century
a great Ganesh devotee known as Ganesh Yogindra used to
stay in this owari. He had performed penances for 12 years.
He had written his comments on Sanskrit Ganesh Purana. He
took samadhi at Morgaon in 1727 A.D.
Morgaon Ganapati Devasthan Trust is under
control of Chinchwad Devasthan Trust.
On taking appropriate donations from devotees, various
types of rituals such as Pooja-Abhishek, Ekadashani, Sahastravartan,
Japayagna, etc, are performed by temple trust.
64 villages are donated to Morgaon. One fourth part of
the revenue collected from these villages is given to temple
district
magistrate trustees look after the adminstration of temple.
Shree Mayureshwar has many ornaments of gold, silver and
diamond.
Devotees coming to Morgaon should definately visit Saswad,
Samadhi place of Sopandev Maharaj. Sangameshwar and Changawateshwar
are also places of Pilgrim's interest.
Temple trust has proposed a wonderful scheme for Ganesh
devotees. The person who will give a life long donation
of Rs.31000 to trust, he/she will be allowed to stay in
Yatri Niwas free of charge for one day in year. As well
he/she will be allowed to do poojaetc of Varadvinayak on
his own on the particular day.
Mahad is surrounded by pictureseque surrounding.In monsoon
beauty of Mahad is undescrible. Population is very thin.
Mahad is very good for meditation & doing penances.
The great saint Gagangiri Maharaj's math is also a beautiful
& peaceful place. Walwan dam's water flows near this
dam. Gagangiri Maharaj had performed panance in the water.
