मराठी
English
On the occasion of Maghi Ganesh Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesh was celebrated with great enthusiasm at Shri Kshetra Lenyadri, a prominent pilgrimage site among the Ashtavinayak temples, on Saturday, February 1. The devotees started arriving in large numbers for the early morning darshan of Shri Girijatmaj Ganapati. The idol of Shri Girijatmaj Ganapati and the temple were beautifully decorated with flowers for the occasion. Thousands of devotees took the opportunity to receive darshan. The area around Shri Kshetra Lenyadri witnessed a large fair on this day, with crowds of devotees throughout the day.
At 5:30 AM, an abhishek (ritual bath) and maha-puja were performed by Shri Sanjay Dhekane, the chairman of the temple trust. After the ritual, the devotees were allowed to take darshan. Between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM, there was a kirtan by H. B. P. Namdev Maharaj Walke, narrating the divine birth of Lord Ganesh. The Ganesh Jayanti celebration proceeded according to traditional practices. Later, a grand Mahaprasad (community meal) was offered to the devotees.
Present at the event were Shri Sanjay Dhekane (Chairman), Shri Govind Meher (Vice President), Shri Shankar Tamhane (Secretary), Shri Bhagwan Hande (Treasurer), trustees Shri Prabhakar Jadhav, Shri Machhindra Shete, Shri Suresh Wani, Shri Prabhakar Gadde, Shri Sadashiv Tamhane, Shri Kashinath Lokhande, Shri Vijay Varhadi, Shri Nandkumar Bidwai, Shri Jaywant Doke, Shri Kailas Lokhande, Shri Jitendra Bidwai, employees of the temple, and local villagers.
The temple also conducted Mahaarati at 6:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 6:00 PM. Various religious programs were organized for Ganesh Jayanti. The temple trust also provided several services to the visiting devotees. The health staff from the Shiroli Primary Health Center offered medical services to the devotees. To ensure smooth darshan, the temple trust made arrangements to manage the large crowds.
For the offering of Naivedya (food offerings to the deity), Shri Ram Maruti Kokane from Golegaon provided a variety of fruits, while Shri Kamalata Nathawate from Rajuri contributed 2,100 laddus for prasad. Throughout the day, dignitaries from various fields, as well as devotees from Junner, Pune, Ahmednagar, Mumbai, Thane, and Nashik, visited the temple for darshan.
From Sunday, January 26, to Sunday, February 2, an Akhand Harinam Saptah (non-stop chanting of Lord’s name) is being held as part of the Ganesh Jayanti celebrations. The event will conclude on Sunday, February 2, with a kirtan by H. B. P. Paras Maharaj Muthha. This information was shared by Shri Sanjay Dhekane, Chairman, and Shri Shankar Tamhane, Secretary, of the temple trust.
