Chintamani at Theur

The Chintamani is the name of a Jewel, but this Chintamani is the wish-giving jewel and this jewel was with the sage called Kapila. The Chintamani Temple of Theur is located in the aveli taluka, 22 km from Pune, near the confluence of river Bhima and the conjoint river Mula-Mutha. This temple is "very big and famous" of all the Ashtavinayaka temple in Maharashtra state, India. Chintamani Idol is "Purvabhimukha"(East facing), a left trunk with carbuncle (a red precious stones) and its eyes are studded with precious diamonds.

Lord Chintamani Vinayak

The Chintamani Vinayaka temple is associated with the Ganapati saint Morya Gosavi dated between 13th to 17th century. The current structure of the temple was built by Morya Gosavi and his descendant. This temple is also a spiritual magnet for the Peshwa rulers, especially Madhavrao I (1745–1772) who renovated and made additions to the temple structure.

Existece of Chintamani Vinayaka

According to the Mudgala Purana, Gana or Guna or Ganasura was the son of king Abhijit and his wife Gunavati. Guuna was a strong, a great warroir, hot-headed king but a greedy king. Once Gana pleases the Lord Shiva father of Lord Ganesha with his worship. Then Gana become the King of three worlds - Heaven, Earth and Patala(underwrld) and Lord Shiva also decreed that Gana could not be killed by anything that possessed any of the three gunas(Satvaguna,Rajoguna and Tamasaguna). Once Gana and all his family with his army arrives at the hermitage of the sage Kapila Maharshi. Kapila Maharshi treated the prince and his army with delicious food prepared by the help of the wish-granting jewel called Chintamani. The greedy prince desires to acquire the jewel and asks the sage Kapila, when sage refused to give him Gana seizes it from the Kapila Maharshi.

To retrieve the gem, sage Kapila, a great devotee of Ganesha, prays Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha with his army appears in Gana's dream and one of His soldier cuts Gana's head. Gana's dream break up and Gana wakes up and marches towards Kapila's hermitage with his army, to assassinate the sage Kapila. Abhijit, father of Gana stopped son and advised him to return Chintamani to the sage Kapila, but in anger, Gana starts to destroy the hermitage of sage. Ganesha himself beheads the arrogant prince and Siddhi, the Goddess of "power" destroys Gana's army. Thus Lord Ganesha return the Jewel to sage Kapila. But make his mind to stay his Lord in that place instead of Jewel prasentation. He pray Lord Ganesha fulfill his wish and stay in this place, Lord Ganesha agreed and stay there and got the name Chintamani Vinayaka. All it happens under Kadamb tree, that's why Theur is also called "Kandamb Nagar".

According to another legend, The God Brahma meditated at Theur and his restless mind became sthavar means stable due to Ganesha's blessings. Since Ganesha got rid of Brahma's Chintas ("worries"), he became known as Chintamani. "Sthavar" is sanskrit word and it become the village name "Theur".

According to one more story, the God-King Indra worshipped Ganesha at Theur, under the

Kadamba tree to get rid of the sage Gautama's curse. The place was thus known as Kadamaba-Nagar.

Chintamani Temple - Theur

Whenever Morya Gosavi trips to the Moregaon from chinchwad his home town, he visits the

Chintamani temple. And especilly on every fourth lunar day after the full moon, he visits the

temple without fail. Once he did 42 days fast on his guru's advice and got blessings of Lord

Chintamani in the form of Siddhi(Spiritual Power).

The Theur and Morgaon temples with other Ganapati Centres near Pune got the royal patronage from the Brahmin Peshwa rulers of the Maratha Empire during the 18th Century. God Ganesha is the Peshwas's "Kuladaivat" means family deity. Peshwas donated land and cash to construct and renovate the temple. The Theur temple has been a spiritual magnet of the Peshwas, especially Senior Shrimant Madhavrao I. Madhavrao used to visit before engaging in any battle and after a battle to take blessings. Madhavrao did an abhisheka of milk which is everlast. The Chintamani Ganpati temple was construct and developed by Shri Daharnidhar Maharaj Devji a heir of Morya Gosaviji. The wooden Sabhamandap(assembly hall) of the temple was built by Madhavrao Peshwa after hundred years. Now recently, the shikhar(the crest) of the temple was deorated with gold plate. Chimaji Appa,donated a large European bell who was the brother and military commander of the Peshwa Baji Rao I, which hangs in the temple now also. After seizing the Vasai Fort, he had acquired it as war prize from the Portuguese.

A Overry is built in the temple for meditation, its one of the important section in any temple.

But now-a-days there is no Ovarry in temples. The temple's main gate located to North is very

small compare to the scale of the temple. There are number of smaller shrines in the temple complex, Mahadev temple(Lord Shiva), Lord Vishnu and Goddess Mahalakshmi temple and Hanuman temple etc.,

The residence of Madhavrao I called the Peshwa Palace and Peshwa Wada is using for day-to-day activities of the temple.

Theur village is surrounded on three sides by the Mula, Muth and Bhima river. The deepest

point of the river is known as the "Kadamba teertha".

Milan Tomic

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