FEATURE STORY |
Pali
Where is this place?
| Village |
: |
Pali |
| Taluka |
: |
Sudhagad |
| District |
: |
Raigad |
How many kilometers is it from Pune?
111 kms
Which road do I take?
Head out from on the expressway, you'll find a bypass for Pali on your left after the second tollbooth when going towards Mumbai.
Public Transport?
| Railway |
: |
Nearest Station is Karjat, 30 Kms away, catch a bus from Karjat. |
| Buses |
: |
Both the government as well as private tour operators ply regular buses to the town. |
Good to know -
- Ballaleshvara at Pali is the only Ganesha who is famous by the name of his devotee - Balleleshvara.
- Unheri a place close to Pali is home to some Hot Springs - a unique phenomenon in this part of the world.
- It is claimed that the deity originally installed at Murud janjira was later moved to Pali
Stories anyone?
There lived a young boy named Ballal in the quaint village of Pali formerly known as Piller in the Kokan region of Maharashtra. A staunch devotee of Ganesha he was a son of a rich man. His father though was not very happy with Ballal's preoccupation with the lord for he spent a lot of time in prayer. His total devotion encouraged many of his friends to join him as well, and this severely displeased the elders of the village. Ballal's father was ordained to correct the situation. But Ballal was not to be found, at long last his father came upon him deeply engrossed in prayer deep into the forest. The enraged father threw away the idol Ballal was worshipping and put an end to the puja with a severe beating. He went on to tie the little boy to a tree and left him there. His parting words being "since you are such a devout slave of Ganesha let him come rescue you". In great pain, Ballal continued to chant the lords name. Some time went by before a Brahmin happened onto the chanting child and untied him from the tree, the Brahmin was lord Ganesha in disguise. Ballal was granted a boon for his devotion and Ballal implored Ganesha to make the region his abode. Ganesha granted Ballal his boon and took up residence in a stone that is to this day worshipped at the temple of Pali. The idol that Ballal's father had desecrated too was placed in the temple. The idol of Dhundivinayak nearby is believed to be that idol.
Temple Trivia -
- Renovated in stone in 1760 the original was made of wood.
- The two ponds in the vicinity of the temple provide the water for the lords worship
- An east-facing temple means that the first rays of the sun fall directly on the idol during dakshinayan.
- The Mooshak or the mouse faces the lord from the outer sanctum while holding a modak in his paws.
- The trunk of the lord is turned toward the left. The east-facing idol is 3 feet high and its eyes and navel are studded with precious stones.
- Idols of Riddhi and Siddhi flank the main idol.
- Devotees first visit the west facing Dhundi vinayak behind the main temple, this idol too is believed to be swayambhu.
- The huge bell 's origin is a matter of debate. While some claim it to be one of the five that Chimaji Appa looted from Surat. Others claim the bell to be part of the loot of the Peshwas during their raid on Vasai. Either ways the bell is a magnificent specimen of metallurgy. The bell has Portuguese markings on it and is made of an alloy comprising of five metals.
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