Vighnahar Ganapati Temple, Ozar
Ganesha as Vighneshwara / Vighnahar (Remover of Obstacles) temple · Ozar, Pune, Maharashtra, India
The Vighnahar (Vighneshwara) Ganapati Temple at Ozar, in Junnar taluka of Pune district, Maharashtra, is one of the eight Ashtavinayaka shrines of Ganesha. It stands on the bank of the Kukadi river, about 9 km from Narayangaon on the Pune–Nashik highway, according to Maharashtra Tourism.
Here Ganesha is worshipped as Vighneshwara or Vighnahar, the lord and remover of obstacles. The temple is known for its gilded spire, said to have been offered by Chimaji Appa, the Peshwa-era commander, and for the lamp festival held each Kartik Purnima.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Vighnahar Ganapati Temple, Ozar
The Ashtavinayaka are eight Ganesha shrines in Maharashtra, six of them in Pune district. The Pune district administration describes their images as swayambhu, found in nature rather than made by human hands, with temples built where they were discovered. In the prescribed order of the Ashtavinayaka pilgrimage Ozar is the seventh shrine, according to Maharashtra Tourism and Wikipedia, though Wikipedia notes that many pilgrims visit it fifth because the route is more convenient.
The temple's legend explains its name. According to the account summarised by Maharashtra Tourism and by Wikipedia from the Mudgala Purana and other texts, the god Indra, angered when King Abhinandana held a sacrifice without an offering to him, sent Kala (Time) to wreck it. Kala took the form of the demon Vighnasura, who went on to disrupt rites and trouble sages everywhere. Ganesha fought and subdued him, and the defeated demon asked that his name be joined to Ganesha's. Devotees therefore worship Ganesha here as Vighneshwara, and believe the image was consecrated by the sages to mark the victory.
The image itself is regarded as swayambhu. Wikipedia and Maharashtra Tourism describe it as facing east, with its trunk turned to the left, covered in sindoor and flanked by brass images of Ganesha's consorts Siddhi and Riddhi; Wikipedia adds that the eyes are set with emeralds and the forehead and navel with diamonds.
Heritage
History of Vighnahar Ganapati Temple, Ozar
The temple owes its present form largely to the Peshwa period. Maharashtra Tourism and Wikipedia both record that Chimaji Appa, younger brother and military commander of Peshwa Baji Rao I, renovated the temple and, after capturing Vasai Fort from the Portuguese, covered its spire with gold as a thanksgiving offering. The gilded pinnacle, known as the Sonyacha Kalash, remains the temple's most recognisable feature.
Wikipedia records a further renovation in 1967 by Appa Shastri Joshi, a devotee of Ganesha. No authoritative date for the temple's original foundation was found.
Architecture and sacred features
According to Wikipedia, which draws on the Maharashtra state gazetteer and other works, the east-facing temple stands in a walled compound entered through a large gateway guarded by two stone dvarapalas, with four musicians carved on the lintel. Two tall stone deepmalas (lamp towers) stand near the gate in front of a corridor of seven cusped arches, and small meditation rooms flank the entrance. The central temple has three doorways, two halls, the first holding images of Dhundiraj Ganesha and the second a white marble mouse, Ganesha's vehicle, and walls covered with murals and coloured sculpture. Maharashtra Tourism highlights the carved stone pillars at the entrance and the murals of Ganesha's stories.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
Ozar is busiest at Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh Jayanti and the Kartik Purnima lamp festival. Follow the temple's rules on dress, photography and queues in the sanctum, and confirm current darshan timings and any lodging arrangements with the temple before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with the temple administration before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Vighnahar Ganapati Temple, Ozar
Ganesh Chaturthi
Maharashtra Tourism calls it the temple's most important festival, with decorations, kirtans and processions.
Ganesh Jayanti
Ganesha's birth anniversary, marked with special pujas, abhishekas and a community meal, per Maharashtra Tourism.
Kartik Purnima lamp festival
A five-day festival in which the temple and its deepmalas are lit with oil lamps and devotees bathe in the Kukadi, per Maharashtra Tourism and Wikipedia.
Location
How to Reach Vighnahar Ganapati Temple, Ozar
Maharashtra Tourism gives Ozar as about 9 km from Narayangaon on the Pune–Nashik highway, about 85 km by road from Pune and about 182 km from Mumbai. Pune's airport and railway station, each about 85 km away, are the nearest, the same source says. The Lenyadri caves, another Ashtavinayaka site, are about 15 km away and Shivneri Fort about 20 km.
Location: Ozar, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Nearest airport: Pune (about 85 km, per Maharashtra Tourism)
Nearest railway station: Pune (about 85 km, per Maharashtra Tourism)
More in Hindu temples in Maharashtra · Ganesha as Vighneshwara / Vighnahar (Remover of Obstacles) temples · Temples in Junnar Taluka · Temples in Pune District
Questions
Vighnahar Ganapati Temple, Ozar: Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Ganesha at Ozar called Vighneshwara or Vighnahar?
According to legend, Ganesha defeated the obstacle-demon Vighnasura here, and the demon asked that his name be linked with Ganesha's. Vighneshwara/Vighnahar means lord or remover of obstacles.
Which number is Ozar in the Ashtavinayaka yatra?
It is seventh in the prescribed order, but Wikipedia notes many pilgrims visit it fifth because the route is more convenient.
Who gilded the temple's spire?
Chimaji Appa, brother and commander of Peshwa Baji Rao I, covered it with gold after capturing Vasai Fort from the Portuguese, according to Maharashtra Tourism and Wikipedia.
Where exactly is Ozar?
In Junnar taluka of Pune district, on the Kukadi river, about 9 km from Narayangaon and about 85 km from Pune. It is different from the town of Ozar near Nashik.
What festivals are celebrated at Ozar?
Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh Jayanti and a five-day lamp festival from Kartik Purnima, when the deepmalas are lit.
Is the Ganesha image man-made?
Devotees regard it as swayambhu (self-manifested). The Pune district administration describes all the Ashtavinayaka images this way.
Sources and attribution
- Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra — Ozar (Ashtavinayak)
- Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra — Ashtavinayak leaflet
- District Administration, Pune (Government of Maharashtra) — Religious Places – Ashtavinayak
- Wikipedia — Vigneshwara Temple, Ozar
Further reading: Vighnahar Ganapati Temple, Ozar on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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