Shree rsod Ganapati Temple rsod, Jalgaon, Jalgaon

Located near Jalgaon city, on the border of the villages Tarsod, Nashirabad, and Murarkheda, stands a seventeenth-century awakened (Jagrut) Ganpati temple. It is famous as the Tarsod Ganpati. Siddha Purusha Shri Govind Maharaj of Padmalaya, Narsimha Saraswati Swami Maharaj of Alandi Devachi, and Zipru Anna Maharaj of Nashirabad used to meet at this temple. It is said that Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon also visited this temple to meet Zipru Anna Maharaj. This place, sanctified by the touch of the feet of these great saints, is a place of faith for many devotees in the district.

According to records here, this temple was established in the year 1662 by Moreshwar Hanmant Deshmukh of the village Murarkheda. At that time, this region was under the jurisdiction of the Naik Nimbalkars. This Ganpati has long been renowned as one who fulfills the vows of devotees. When the armies of the Marathas and later the Peshwas went north for battles, they would camp in the Murarkheda and Tarsod area. Maratha and Peshwa commanders would offer prayers to this Tarsod Ganpati to ensure their military expeditions were completed without obstacles. It is said that this temple is also mentioned in an ancient record of the Shegaon Sansthan.

It is said that devotees from Nashirabad, located a short distance from this temple, used to travel on Sankashti Chaturthi to the Padmalaya shrine in Erandol—the half-seat (Ardhapitha) of Ganesha—for the darshan of the ‘Amod’ and ‘Pramod’ Ganesha deities. The great Ganesha devotee Govindshastri Barve lived there. After receiving a vision of Ganesha, he renovated the ancient Padmalaya temple. One day, this Siddha Purusha told the devotees of Nashirabad that one form of the Padmalaya Ganpati resides in the village of Tarsod near Nashirabad. Thereafter, devotees from the surrounding area began coming to the Tarsod Ganpati temple for worship. After some time, Govindshastri himself came here and performed the Maha-Puja of this Ganpati. Since then, a large number of devotees have been coming for the darshan of this Ganpati every Tuesday, Sankashti Chaturthi, Vinayaka Chaturthi, and Angarika Chaturthi. Many newlywed couples in the district begin their married life after seeking the blessings of this Ganpati.

This temple, situated on the border of Tarsod village, is surrounded by a perimeter wall. One enters the temple courtyard through the gateway in this wall. After climbing four steps, one enters the assembly hall (Sabhamandap) of the temple, which is slightly elevated from the ground. The temple structure consists of an assembly hall and a sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha). In the assembly hall, there are black stone idols of Nandi and Mushaka on a marble pedestal. The sanctum sanctorum here is the original ancient temple. It appears that the assembly hall was built around it in later times. There is a small door to this sanctum sanctorum, through which one enters. Inside the sanctum, the self-manifested (Swayambhu) idol of Ganpati, adorned with vermilion, rests on a silver throne on the ground.

In the courtyard of this temple, there is a Shiva temple on a high pedestal. In this open-style temple, there is a Shiva Linga in the center. Additionally, there are temples of Maruti and Ekvira Devi in the temple premises. There are many trees and an ancient well in this area. Adjacent to the temple is a ‘Hated Nala’ (stream). It is said that once an elephant was washed away in the floodwaters here, which is why this stream was named Hated. Next to the temple, there is a spacious Vakra-Tunda Mandap and a Bhakta Niwas (pilgrim accommodation).

A fair (Yatra) is held at this temple on Kartik Shuddha Purnima (Tripurari Purnima). The birth anniversary of Ganpati is celebrated here on Magh Shuddha Chaturthi. On this occasion, many religious programs are organized. Daily, the Maha-Aarti is held at 7:30 AM, the Madhyanha Aarti in the afternoon, and the sunset Aarti in the evening. On the days of Sankashti and Angarika Chaturthi, the Kakad Aarti is held at 5:30 AM and the Maha-Aarti at 7:30 AM. Hundreds of devotees are present for these Aartis. Devotees can have the darshan of this Ganesha daily from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. On Angarika and Sankashti Chaturthi, the temple is open from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

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