Theur Chintamani Temple

Introduction to the Theur Chintamani Temple

Maharashtra has a set of eight Ganesha temples, which are to be worshipped in a specific sequence. These are called Ashtavinayaka temples. The fifth temple to be visited in the Ashtavinayaka pilgrimage is the Theur Chintamani Temple in Theur, Haveli Taluk, Maharashtra. Ganesha is the main deity of the temple. People worship him by many names, such as Vinayaka, Ganapati, Chintamani, Atharva, etc. The Theur village is at the convergence of three major rivers - Mula, Mutha, and Bhima. Theur Chintamani Temple is one of the larger and more popular of the Ashtavinayaka circuit.

Legend of the Theur Chintamani Temple

According to the legend of Theur, Brahma, the creator, was restless due to a wavering mind. He meditated on Ganesha at this spot to calm his troubled mind. "Theur" means "Sthavar," in Sanskrit, which means 'stable'. As Ganesh helped clear Brahma's worries, he became famous as Chintamani Vinayaka.

Despite being a Vaishnavite, Sudarshana was an ardent devotee of Shiva. His father, Vasudeva, and villagers tried to convince him of the superiority of Vaishnavism. But, Sudarshana was completely devoted to Shiva and used to visit Kanjanur Agneeswarar Temple despite fierce opposition from everyone.

According to the legend of Chintamani, King Abhijeet and his wife performed severe penance for a male child and were blessed with a son. She gave birth to a boy who was called Ganaraja, also known as Gana. When Ganaraja visited Sage Kapila's ashram, the sage fed the prince sumptuous food with the help of the precious jewel Chintamani. On hearing about Chintamani, Ganaraja became greedy and seized it from the sage.

Durga advised Sage Kapila to seek Ganesha's help. Then, Ganesha defeated Ganaraja under a Kadamba tree, retrieved the precious jewel, and returned it to Sage Kapila. So, the sage rewarded Ganesh by putting the jewel around his neck. Thenceforth, Ganesha became famous as Chintamani Vinayaka.

The Architecture of the Theur Chintamani Temple

The Theur Chintamani Temple was built in the 18th Century during the Peshwa period. It has a vivid architectural style.

Dharanidhar Maharaj Dev, from the family lineage of Shri Moraya Gosavi, built the Theur Chintamani Temple. It is in the North direction. The temple has a wooden Sabha Mandap, an extension of the temple which Madhav Rao built. Kadambtheertha Lake is near the temple.

The main hall of the Theur Chintamani Temple has a beautiful sanctum. A self-manifested idol of Ganesha is in the sanctum facing east direction. The idol also has a left trunk, with diamonds and carbuncle as its eyes. He is coated with sindur.

There are separate shrines for Mahadev, Vishnu-Lakshmi, and Hanuman. A Peshwa Wada, also known as Peshwa Palace, is behind the temple. It was once the residence of Madhav Rao. The lobby area has a black-stone water fountain. A beautiful garden is dedicated to the memory of Madhav Rao Peshwa's wife.

As Peshwas visited the temple frequently, they purchased two Panchaloha bells from Europe. One is in Mahad, and another is here.

Festivals in the Theur Chintamani Temple

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with pomp and glory in Theur Chintamani Temple. It occurs between August and September. A huge crowd flocks to the temple to worship the deity, and it is celebrated for ten days.

Maghi Chaturthi is another important festival that begins on the fourth day, or Chaturthi, and lasts till the eighth day, or Ashtami. Maghi Chaturthi generally falls between January and February.

Rama-Madhav Punyotsav is a fair organized by the temple in Kartika month. It commemorates the death anniversary of the temple patrons Madhav Rao and his wife Ramabai.