Divine Ndristha Ganapati, Avhane, t. Shevgaon, Ahilyanagar

We have often heard various names of Lord Ganesha such as Mati Ganpati, Talyatla Ganpati, Dholya Ganpati, Navshya Ganpati, Trishund Ganpati, and Gupchup Ganpati; however, in the village of Avhane in Shevgaon Taluka of Ahilyanagar district, there is a unique Nidrista (sleeping) Ganpati. The idol of Nidrista Ganpati here is Swayambhu (self-manifested), and devotees believe that it contains a portion of the Moreshwar Ganpati of Morgaon. It is said that this is the only place in the state where Lord Ganesha is in a sleeping posture.


The legend of this temple is that a Ganesha devotee named Dadoba Dev used to live in the village of ‘Avhane’, located near Tisgaon on the Ahilyanagar-Paithan road. Every year, without fail, he would go to Morgaon for the darshan of Moreshwar. Due to his advancing age, traveling to and from Morgaon became difficult for him. At that time, the Ganesha devotee Saint Morya Gosavi appeared to him in a dream and told Dadoba to stop his pilgrimage to Morgaon. However, Dadoba was not convinced. He set out for his pilgrimage to Morgaon as usual. A stream on his path was flooded, and he was unable to cross it.


Even after waiting, there were no signs of the floodwaters receding. Therefore, chanting the name of Moreshwar, Dadoba stepped into the water; however, he was swept away by the swift current. Managing to save himself, he stopped at a spot. There was water on all four sides and a small piece of land like an island in the middle. Dadoba stood there waiting for the water to recede. It was there that Moreshwar appeared to him in a vision and said, “Return to your village, I am coming to your village myself.” Years later, Dadoba Dev passed away. Subsequently, while a farmer in the village of ‘Avhane’ was plowing his field, his plowshare got stuck in the ground. After digging the land, the farmer discovered an idol of Ganesha. That same night, Dadoba Dev’s son, Ganoba Dev, had a dream in which he was told to install the idol found by the farmer in his village exactly as it was. That Swayambhu idol is the Nidrista Ganpati of ‘Avhane’. A mark on the chest of this idol, caused by the plowshare, is shown here.

The Nidrista Ganpati temple is situated on the banks of the Avani River to the west of Avhane village. The temple is surrounded by a fortification, and one enters the temple premises through the gateway of this fortification. The cleanliness and tidiness in the temple courtyard make the atmosphere here feel serene. The temple structure consists of a Sabha Mandap (assembly hall) and a Gabhara (sanctum sanctorum). The Sabha Mandap of this temple is spacious and open on three sides. It was built in front of the original temple at a later date. There are a total of three Ganesha idols in the original sanctum. The main idol of Nidrista Ganesha faces south and is four feet long, three feet wide, and two feet deep in a sleeping posture. This idol is said to be more than 500 years old. Behind this idol, there is another Ganesha idol, and there is also an idol of Ganesha in the adjacent sanctum. Records indicate that Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur renovated this temple.

Festivals are held here on Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganesh Jayanti. Thousands of devotees come here for the Maha Aarti performed on these occasions. A large fair is held here on Angarki Chaturthi. Devotees can have the darshan of this Ganesha from 7 in the morning to 9 at night.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery