Divine Mayureshwar Temple Desle Pada, Bhopar Road, Dombivali East, Thane

The Siddhivinayak Mayureshwar Temple in Dombivli, Thane district, is a place of deep faith for many devotees. This temple was built on the lines of the Mayureshwar Temple in Morgaon, which is the first Ganpati among the Ashtavinayaka. The temple was established by Sandhyatai Amrutey, a dedicated worshipper of Lord Ganesha who is committed to the spread and promotion of the Ganapatya tradition. Thousands of devotees attend the various festivals held here. A unique feature of this place is the Ganesh Art Gallery, which houses a collection of approximately 3,000 Ganesha idols in various forms.

Sandhyatai Amrutey, who has been promoting and propagating Ganesha devotion for many years, received the inspiration to build this temple from her father, the senior Ganapatya (Ganesha devotee) Mahadev Lokhande. On 4 May 2001, the foundation stone laying ceremony for this temple, constructed on a spiritual pedestal, and the adjacent Angiras Ashram was performed by Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray. On 11 May 2005, the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, the temple’s pinnacle (kalash) was installed and consecrated by Ganesh Maharaj of Kempwad. On 30 April 2006, the family deities and the pinnacle were installed by Sandhyatai Amrutey and Dilip Amrutey.

After passing through the Desale Pada-Bhopar arch on Manpada Road in Dombivli East and reaching near the Lodha Heritage complex arch, the temple arch is visible after a few steps. Upon entering the gate, one can see a fountain and a selfie point on the right side. A few steps from here is the two-story temple building. The ground floor houses the Ganesh Art Gallery, and the first floor contains the Mayureshwar Temple. It is customary to have darshan of the deity in the adjacent Nagna Bhairava temple before visiting Mayureshwar. The temple containing the idol of Nagna Bhairava also houses a Yajnashala, idols of the Navagrahas, an idol of Goddess Annapurna, and idols of Nag-Nagini.

The Mayureshwar Temple consists of a Darshan Mandap (viewing hall), Sabha Mandap (assembly hall), and Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum). The Darshan Mandap contains idols of Nandi and Mushaka. In the center of the Sabha Mandap is a marble tortoise idol. The walls here feature portraits of Gondavalekar Maharaj, Sai Baba, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Ramdas Swami, Swami Samarth, and Gajanan Maharaj. To the left of the Garbhagriha is an idol of Ganesha Gayatri, and to the right is an idol of Ganesha Dattatreya. In the intricately carved Garbhagriha, on a marble pedestal, sits the vermilion-smeared idol of Ganesha with his trunk turned to the left, similar to the Mayureshwar of Morgaon. There is a serpent above the idol’s head, and idols of Riddhi and Siddhi on either side. The silver arch (makhar) here is captivating and features the Ashtavinayaka carved upon it. Between the Ashtavinayaka figures is a serpent hood, with a Kirtimukha above it. Below the Ashtavinayaka idols, on both sides, are elephants with raised trunks. This intricately carved arch also features peacocks, fairies, Gajantlakshmi, the Om symbol, as well as the sun and moon. Devotees can visit the temple and have darshan of Mayureshwar daily from 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM.

Major festivals are celebrated in the temple on Ganesh Jayanti (Tilkund Chaturthi) and Vasant Panchami. On both these days, a Deepotsav (festival of lights) is celebrated by lighting thousands of lamps. Since Lord Ganesha arrived at this temple on the day of Phalguna Purnima, a special festival is held here on that day. Large festivals are also held on Ganesh Chaturthi and Rishi Panchami. During the Navratri festival, a nine-day darshan ceremony of Ganesha Gayatri Mata is held. A grand festival of the Ganesha Dattatreya deity is celebrated on Dattatreya Jayanti. Special worship of Ganesha is performed on Sankashti and Vinayaki Chaturthi. A palanquin procession is also taken out on Guru Purnima. A grand celebration also takes place on 4 May, the birthday of Sandhyatai Amrutey. Additionally, various religious programs are held on Gudi Padwa, Tripuri Purnima, and Akshaya Tritiya.

The temple also hosts continuous religious recitations (parayans), yajnas, pujas, rituals, spiritual camps, chakra parayans, and discourses by Sandhyatai Amrutey. The temple is managed by the Mayureshwar Seva Mandal Public Charitable Trust. Established on 23 January 1996, this trust carries out various spiritual and social projects. The trust provides assistance to kidney patients, needy and promising students, and institutions for the mentally challenged. The trust also provides aid to people during various natural and man-made disasters.

For a nominal fee, one can visit the ‘Ganesh Art Gallery’ on the ground floor of the temple. It contains replicas of Ganesha idols from many states in India as well as various countries including China, Thailand, and Dubai. The collection of about 3,000 Ganesha idols includes an idol made of conch shells, idols in the form of Vitthal and Dnyaneshwar, Ganesha on a peepal leaf, idols made of various metals and gemstones, panchadhatu idols about 800 years old, and a Ganesha made from yak horns. The idol of Ballaleshwar, which was visited by Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray, is also kept here. The gallery is open until 7:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.

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