Shri Siddhivinayak Temple Titwala

I have been visiting the Shri Siddhivinayak Temple of Titwala since my childhood. Earlier with my parents and now with my wife and kids. This Ganesh temple which is so close to Mumbai city has a connection with Sakuntala of Mahabharata epic and Peshwas, the Maratha Warriors. I was unaware of these historical facts till I digged the internet. The temple is located in Titwala village of Kalyan taluka in Thane district of Maharashtra, India.

According to wikipedia, the Sage Kanva was hermitage in Titwala village which was part of forest region. He had adopted Shakuntala who was abandoned by her parents Sage Vishwamitra and Apsara Menaka. The King Dushyanta of Gandhara Kingdom with his battle force was passing through the forest when he and Shakuntala fell in love with each other and got married.

The King Dushyanta had to leave the forest due to some emergency in his capital. But he promised Shakuntala that he will be back after things are normal in his capital. While leaving he gave her a ring as token of their love. One day, Sage Durvasa was passing through the forest. He stopped at Sakuntala house and waited for a welcome gesture. However, she did not pay attention as she was dreaming about her husband.

Sage Durvasa was a short tempered who didn’t like her behaviour. He cursed her that the person she was dreaming of, will forget her. Sakuntala realised her mistake and apologised for same. Sage Durvasa toned down his curse by saying that the person will recognise her only if she shows him the token of their love. Sage Kanva understood the gravity of this curse faced by Sakuntala. He suggested Sakuntala to build a shrine in honor of Lord Ganesh as Siddhivinayaka. He assured that by praying to Siddhivinayaka she would blessed and will be reunited with Dushyanta. This eventually became true and she met Dushyanta after a long time. Sakuntala and Dushyanta had a son named Bharata who went on to become Emperor Bharata.

As per locals, the temple built by Sakuntala was buried under a water tank. After years passed, during the reign of Peshwa Mahadevrao – I there was a drought situation in his town. He ordered his soldiers to reuse the tank for controlling drought situation in the town. While cleaning the tank, the temple was found buried under it. Immediately steps were taken to renovate the temple in a form of stone temple. Over the years, this temple was rebuilt by locals. In year 2009, it was renovated by the temple trust and Kalyan Dombivli Muncipal Corporation.

The temple is visited by thousands of devotees throughout the year. Especially on days such as Sankasti, Angarki, Ganesh Jayanti and Ganesh Chathurti. It is believed that newly married couples are blessed and separated couples are reunited if they visit this temple. The locals here have their own stories to tell. But to know the historical significance of this temple was a good learning.

Besides the temple, there is a lake where boating facilities are available. Just outside the temple there are small stalls of garland sellers. You will also find flower sellers with bunch of lotus flowers. The bunches of bloomed lotus flowers looks beautiful. Not to forget the tummy, there are only few food stalls near the temple. I along with family prefer to eat at the first food stall just outside the temple. You can relish on hot vadapav and potato/onion/gol bhajji, also known as pakodas. 🙂

Well, if you are on a tour to Mumbai, don’t forget to visit this historic temple.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 🙂

Here are some photos clicked by me during my recent visit to the temple.

Beautiful view of the temple with cocunut trees in the background

A view from the temple premises

A deepstamb in front of the temple

Big banyan tree in the temple premises

Beautiful lotus flowers

Garland seller stall

Small Ganesh idols

Lake near the temple

How to reach:
On the Central Railway line towards Kasara, get down at Titwala Station.
The temple is at a distance of about 2.5 km and can be reached either by Tonga or Autorickshaw.

References:

1. Siddhivinayak Mahaganapati Temple
2. Titwala
3. King Dushyant
4. Sakuntala
5. Apsara Menaka
6. Sage Vishwamitra
7. Sage Durvasa
8. Sage Kanva
9. Emperor Bharata
10. Peshwa Madharao I