About Ganapati Temple

Sangli is a City and the district headquarters of Sangli District in the state of Maharashtra, in western India. It is known as the Turmeric City of Maharashtra due to its production and trade of the spice. Sangli has situated on the banks of river Krishna and houses many sugar factories. The Ganesha Temple of Sangli is a historical landmark of the city and is visited by thousands of pilgrims.

The Ganapati temple situated on banks of river Krishna at Sangli is a most beautiful temple in south Maharashtra. It is a tutelary deity of Sangli. Thorle (elder) Chintamanrao Patwardhan consecrated the idol in 1843. This temple is very famous for its artistic construction. It is built out of black stone made available from the hills of Jyotiba. The temple has a large premise, covering a sprawling two acres. It comprises of a platform, an excellent hall and a "Nagarkhana". The door of the sanctum is carved out of different colored natural wood. The temple is located on the eastern bank of river Krishna.

Of all the objects of interest in Sangli town in point of beauty and magnificence. Gane's temple is of the greatest attraction and draws hundreds of devotees every day. It is said and believed by one and all that the Patvardhan Sardars achieved power and success and ultimate greatness due to the blessings, of this deity. It is the Kuldaivat of not only the Patvardhans but of at least more than half the population of Sangli. Besides the main temple of Ganes there are four more, but smaller ones, of Suryanarayana, Cintamanesvar, Laksmi-Narayan, and Cinta−manesvari, which together with the chief deity forms the Ganapati panchayat.

A huge and massive gate of red sand−stone, recently constructed, leads into the spacious courtyard planted with coconut palms and very many other trees and plants, in the midst of which stands the sacred temple of Ganapati. The gate has the grandeur of its own and is the work of skilled architects and artisans of great repute. It is composed of three arch−shaped entrances, each crowned with gumbos. The central arch is loftier and bigger than the side ones and has superb stone jali lattice work. They are also decorated with many other patterns and carvings. From the threshold of the gate, one can have a complete view of the inside of the temple.

Ganes Chaturthi festival is the most important of all and attracts thousands of persons. The temple enjoys in grants made by the Patvardhans which continue till the present day. To look after the maintenance of the temple a Ganapati Pancayatan Trust has been created. In the backyard of the Ganes temple court, there is a small black stone idol of Kuranesvari. It is housed in a small arch of stone. The goddess is said to fulfill the wishes of her devotees and hence people attach much religious significance to it. People visiting the Ganes temple generally take darsana of this goddess too.