Shree Siddhivinayak Mandir Siddhatek (Ashtavinayaka Area), Karjat, Ahilyanagar

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

At the sacred site of Siddhatek, where the Bhima River flows southward, stands the Siddhivinayak Temple, the second destination in the sequence of the Ashtavinayaka pilgrimage in the state. Among the Ashtavinayaka, this is the only idol with a trunk turned to the right. It is said that Lord Vishnu established this Ganesha in the form of a Gandaki stone. Devotees believe that Ganesha with a trunk turned to the right observes strict purity and grants boons to his worshippers quickly, while also bestowing immediate consequences for sinful deeds.


The legend of the Siddhatek site is that when the thought of creating the universe arose in the mind of Lord Brahma, he performed penance to Lord Ganesha. Pleased, Lord Ganesha asked Lord Brahma to seek a boon. Upon this, Lord Brahma said, “O Ganesha, You are aware of the purpose for which I have performed this penance. Grant me the boon that this desire of mine may be fulfilled.” Accordingly, after Lord Ganesha said “Tathastu” (so be it), Lord Brahma began the creation of the universe. However, a crisis arose while doing this. Two demons named Madhu and Kaitabha, who had emerged from the ears of Lord Vishnu, began to obstruct Lord Brahma in his task.


Due to the increasing menace of the demons, Lord Brahma prayed to Lord Vishnu and requested Him to find a solution. Following this, a battle ensued between Lord Vishnu and the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. However, even after many days, Lord Vishnu could not achieve victory. He then went to Lord Mahadeva and asked Him where He was falling short in defeating these demons. Lord Mahadeva said, It is customary to offer prayers to Ganesha at the beginning of any undertaking. Since we have not done so, we are not achieving success. Following this, Lord Vishnu installed an idol of Ganesha in the form of a Gandaki stone on a hill and began chanting ‘Shri Ganeshaya Namah’. Pleased, Ganesha granted Lord Vishnu Siddhi. Empowered by Ganesha’s Siddhi, Lord Vishnu slew the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. The place where Lord Vishnu worshipped Ganesha and received Siddhi is the present-day Siddhivinayak Temple at Siddhatek. According to references in the Puranas, Maharishi Vyasa performed a Yajna at this site. Because of this, ash-like soil is still found here during excavations. Saint Morya Gosavi and the renowned Dattatreya devotee Narayan Maharaj of Kedgaon also performed spiritual practices here and attained Siddhi.

Historical events are also recounted in relation to the Siddhtek pilgrimage site. The British The primordial revolutionary Vasudev Balwant Phadke stayed here for some time to evade his pursuers. The Peshwas’ commander-in-chief, Haripant Phadke, hailed from this very village. His ancestral mansion can still be seen here today. Upon returning after the victory at Kharda, Phadke had brought special stones from there to construct the gateway of Siddhatek village. Once, due to a misunderstanding, the Peshwas stripped Haripant Phadke of his position as commander-in-chief. Following this, Haripant began worshipping Siddhivinayak in this temple. On the twenty-first day, he received a message from the Peshwas. At that time, he placed a silver idol of Siddhivinayak in a palanquin and traveled to Pune along with it. The misunderstandings regarding Haripant were cleared, and the Peshwas reinstated him to the position of commander-in-chief with honor.

Situated on the banks of the Bhima River, this temple at Siddhatek is located on a slightly elevated mound. Records indicate that the renovation of the temple and the construction of the spacious ghat on the Bhima River were carried out by Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar, while the road leading to the temple was built by Haripant Phadke, a commander of the Peshwas. In front of this north-facing temple stands a stone archway, which features a nagarkhana above it. On both sides of the entrance to the main temple, there are paintings of Moda and Pramoda serving as gatekeepers. The assembly hall (sabhamandapa) in front of the inner sanctum (garbhagriha) appears to have been built at a later period. Numerous paintings are depicted within the assembly hall. Among these, one can see distinctive paintings of Siddhivinayak blessing the sage Bhrushunda who is performing penance, as well as images of other deities.

On the stone throne within the sanctum sanctorum, the seated idol of Siddhivinayak with a trunk turned to the right is enshrined in a brass arch; it is 3 feet tall and 2.6 feet wide. Goddesses Riddhi and Siddhi are seated on the lap of Lord Ganesha. The prabhavali (halo) features the moon, the sun, and Garuda, with a serpent in the center. As the sanctum is located on the side of a small hill, one must circumambulate the entire hill for the temple parikrama. This circumambulation covers a distance of 1 kilometer. It is the firm belief of devotees that completing 21 such circumambulations fulfills one’s heart’s desires.

In this temple, both Chaturthis of the month are celebrated. During the annual festivals, celebrations take place from Bhadrapada Shuddha Pratipada to Panchami and Magha Shuddha Pratipada to Panchami. On these occasions, the idol is adorned with various ornaments. Every day at 5 o’clock in the morning, Kakad Aarti and Prakshal Puja are performed in the temple. Maha Puja is held at 11 o’clock in the morning, and Maha Naivedya is offered at 12 o’clock in the afternoon. At 8:30 in the evening, Siddhivinayak is offered Naivedya of milk-rice and soaked split chickpeas. Devotees can visit the temple and have the Darshan of Siddhivinayak between 5:15 in the morning and 9:30 at night.

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