Pali : Shri Ballaleshwar

Ballaleshvar In the Sudhagad taluka of Raigad district, near the village Nagothane, Shri Ballaleshwar is situated in the Village Pali at a distance of 111 kms from Pune. Regular bus services are available from Mumbai and Pune.

Among the Astavinayaka, Ballal Vinayak at Pali is associated with a legend where Ganapati is said to have come to the aid of a young lad, who was a fervent devotee of Ganapati and is famous by his devotee's name. This place is very famous and spiritually awakened.

The legend

In Krita Yuga, there was a staunch child devotee of Ganapati called Ballal living in village Pali of country Sindhu. He was the son of a businessman called Kalyan and his wife Indumati. From childhood, Ballal was highly addicted to worshipping Shri Ganesh. Along with other children, he used to worship with small stones being treated as Gods. Once, the children went outside the village and saw a big stone. At the instance of Ballal, the children treated the stone as Ganapati and started worshipping. All of them got so engrossed that they forgot about hunger and thirst or about day or night. Their parents were waiting for the children at home. When the children did not return on time, they all went to Kalyan's house and complained about Ballal as he was the leader of all the children. Kalyan seth become furious. He took a stick and went out. He saw children listening Ganesh purana outside the village. With anger gone into his head, he broke the small temples build by the children and started chasing them. Ballal's companion fled away, but Ballal was caught by his father as he was submerged in meditation. He was beaten till blood started flowing from his body. His father tied him to a tree, then smashed all pooja materials collected by the children and threw away the big stone which children had treated as Ganapati. "Let me see which God protects you now", said the father and he returned home. Ballal started entreating Vinayaka. He was not concerned about his being beaten up or being tied to the tree. But he became furious seeing the temple smashed and idols thrown away. Though he was affected by pain, hunger and thirst, he kept on chanting the name of Gajanana till he fainted. Lord Ganapati was moved by the child's devotion and He appeared in the form of a Brahmin before Ballal and touched him. Immediately, thirst and hunger vanished, wounds were healed and Ballal felt a new vigour moving in his body. He prostrated before the Brahmin whom he recognised as Gajanan and worshipped him. Ganapati told him to ask for a boon. Ballal said "Let me have unshaken d evotion towards you. You must stay at this place and remove the miseries of the people who come to you". Ganesh said :"I shall ever remain here in my part form; I will take your name before mine and be called as Ballal Vinayak". Then, he embraced Ballal and vanished into a nearby stone. That stone statue is called Ballaleshwar. The stone idol which Kalyan Vaishya threw away is also called as Dhundi Vinayak. This is a swayambhu Mûrti. He is worshipped before Ballaleshwar is worshipped.

The murti

The image of Vinayak is sitting on a stone throne, facing east; its trunk is left turned. Diamonds are embedded in the eyes and navel. The background is made of silver where one finds Riddhi and Siddhi waving chamaras. Among Ashtavinayaka, Ballaleshwar is the only Vinayak who is famous by his devotee's name and who is dressed up as Brahmin.

The temple

Original wooden temple was renovated and a new stone temple was built in 1760 A.D. Temple complex is tiled and it encircles two lakes. Shape of the stone temple is in the form of letter "shri" facing east. During Dakshinayan, at sun rise, the sun rays falls exactly on the Vinayaka. There are two sanctums. People believe that temple walls are made quite strong by mixing lead with cement.