The Dashabhuja Ganesha Temple, Pune

The Dashabhuja Ganesha Temple is located in Pune, Maharashtra and it is one of the most important worship places for Lord Ganapati devotees in the city. It is situated on Karve Road and is barely 5 minutes away from the famous Mrutyunjayeshwar Temple, which is a holy shrine of Lord Shiva.

The period or era of construction of the temple is unknown but according to various references the temple had belonged to Sardar Haripant Phadke along with the Mrutyunjayeshwar Temple, a nobleman in the court of the Maratha Peshwas, and he later donated the temple to the Peshwas as a part of dowry. The temple is one of the five temples maintained by the Shri Devdeveshwar Sansthan, other being Parvati and Kothrud Pune, Sarasbaug Ganesh Temple, Parvati Temple, Mrutyunjayeshwar Temple and the Ramana Temple.

‘Dahsa’ is a Sanskrit word, which means ‘ten’ in English, and ‘Bhuja’ is the Sanskrit equivalent for ‘arms’. The idol of Ganesh here has ten arms and hence the temple is known as Dashabhuja Ganesha Temple.

As one enters the temple one can feel he divine presence of Lord in the surroundings along with peace and serenity. The Shikara of the temple is a beautiful display of artwork. The main attraction in the temple is the beautiful idol of Lord Ganesha in the sanctum of the temple. It has been beautifully crafted out on the stone of the main arch. It is in chrome colour and is an exquisite piece of artisanship. The trunk of the Lord in the idol is towards right and it is considered to be very sacred sign among his devotees. Goddess Riddhi is sitting on the lap of Lord and is beautifully carved out in stone along with the idol of Lord. There is a small temple of Lord Hanuman on the left side, just outside the Dashabhuja Ganesha Temple. The devotees offer garlands and oil to the idol of Lord Hanuman on every Tuesday and Saturday.

Every year on Ganesh Chaturthi, thousands of devotees come here to worship and pray to Lord Ganesha and participate in the aarti and celebrations. Lord Dashabhuja Ganesha has always occupied an important place in the hearts of thousands of devotees of Lord Ganapati and he continues to be the source of inspiration and spiritual exaltation for many.

For more information on various Ganesh Temples, visit Ishtadevata.