Divine Siddhivinayak / Omkareshwar Temple Pokharbav-Dabhole, Devgad, Sindhudurg

The Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple, situated in the nature-rich surroundings of Dabhole in Devgad Taluka, and the Omkareshwar Temple, which houses a Panchmukhi (five-faced) Shiva Linga amidst the flowing waters of a stream below the temple, are places of faith for countless devotees. It is said that the Siddhivinayak shrine is a living, awakened presence and the idol here is ancient. Due to the ancient well located next to these two temples, this holy site is famous in the taluka as Pokharbav Ganpati.

The legend of the temple states that previously, there was only the ancient temple of Siddhivinayak Ganpati here. One night, the priest of Dabhole Rautwadi, Shri Sridhar Raut, who performed daily rituals at this temple, had a dream. In it, a divine being emerged from the Pokharbav well located below the Ganesh temple, holding a Shiva Linga in his hand. He handed the Linga to the priest and instructed him to begin its worship according to scriptural rites. Following the vision, the priest, with the help of the villagers, searched the well located below the temple for many days. Thereafter, they found the Panchmukhi Shiva Linga under the water. The villagers went to Gagangiri Maharaj and told him about the discovered Linga. He advised them to build a temple near the stream flowing below the Ganesh temple and install the Shiva Linga that had remained in the water for many years. Accordingly, the villagers built a temple here and consecrated the Panchmukhi Shiva Linga.

The Pokharbav Ganpati Temple is located a short distance from Dabhole village on the Devgad-Achara road. Situated along the road and on a mountain slope, the construction of this small temple is quite simple. The temple is designed with an open-style assembly hall (Sabhamandap) and a sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha) in the center. The hexagonal sanctum is situated slightly higher than the assembly hall. On a pedestal in this sanctum stands an idol of Mushakraja (the mouse) holding a laddoo. In front of it, on a white marble platform, is the ancient Ganesh idol carved from a single piece of black stone. It appears that this idol was crafted from a triangular stone. The idol is four-armed (Chaturbhuj) with both legs bent at the knees and spread out. There is a small mouse next to the idol. It is said that previously, this Ganesh idol was in the open between three trees, but it was moved back due to road widening. The temple was built in ۱۹۷۹ at this ancient site.

There are stairs to go down to the Omkareshwar Shiva Temple, which is located to the right of this sanctum. One can descend about ۳۰ to ۳۵ steps from here to reach the stream. During the monsoon days, this stream cannot be crossed, but on other days, one can walk through the water of the stream to reach the Omkareshwar Temple on the other side. While descending the stairs, one can see several idols and sculptures. These include Lord Shiva, Shri Dattatreya, Gajanan Maharaj, the Sheshnag with a massive hood, a leaping tiger, and Hanuman flying with the Dronagiri mountain. In front of the Omkareshwar Temple is an ancient well, which is famous as Pokharbav.

After crossing the stream, one reaches the Omkareshwar Temple. The temple consists of an assembly hall and a sanctum. In the assembly hall, there is an idol of Nandi on a pedestal, while in the center of the sanctum is a Panchmukhi Shiva Linga shaped roughly like a tortoise. It is said that the stone of this Shiva Linga features the face of a tortoise on one side, a crescent moon on the second, and the faces of Shiva and Parvati on the third. There is a small Shiva Linga in the center above the Shiva Linga. There is a cave behind the sanctum. The assembly hall of the temple has a small dome-shaped spire, and the sanctum has the main spire.

Ganesh Jayanti and Mahashivratri are celebrated with great enthusiasm in this temple. On these days, Maha-Abhishek, Rudra-Abhishek, and other religious programs are organized for the deities. Thousands of devotees come here for Darshan at the Siddhivinayak and Omkareshwar temples during these times. There is also a crowd of devotees here every Tuesday and on Sankashti Chaturthi. This deity is renowned as a Ganpati who fulfills prayers. Rituals such as Abhishek, Ekadashini, Sahastravartan, and Satyanarayan Puja are performed at this temple for a prescribed fee.

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