Huge crowds throng Nagpur's Tekdi Ganpati temple on Ganesh Chaturthi

Nagpur and the rest of Maharashtra are celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi, with the city's well-known Shri Tekdi Ganpati temple seeing a huge crowd of devotees since the morning of September 14.

The temple premises have echoed with chants of "Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangalmurti Morya", with long queues of devotees forming for darshan.

The temple, located on a hillock in the Sitabuldi area, is about a kilometre from Nagpur railway station. Tekdi Ganpati is counted among the important and revered Ashtavinayak temples of Vidarbha and is also considered a swayambhu (self-manifested) site. Devotees from different parts of the city and Vidarbha are arriving here for darshan on Ganesh Chaturthi.

The history of Shri Tekdi Ganpati temple is said to go back around 250 to 275 years. The temple gained special importance during the rule of the Bhosale kings. Devotees believe the temple houses a vermilion-coloured swayambhu idol of Ganesha, which, according to legend, appeared amid the roots of a shami or peepal tree.

Another popular legend holds that during the Bhosale era, the area had a lot of water, and some devotees and members of the royal family would travel by boat to the temple premises for darshan.

Tekdi Ganpati enjoys special devotion among devotees as "Navsacha Ganpati", the deity believed to fulfil vows. Devotees come here to make a wish and return for darshan once it is fulfilled, which is why the temple sees a steady flow of visitors through the year, though the numbers rise sharply on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Worship and religious rituals began at the temple from the morning of Ganesh Chaturthi. Floral decorations, devotional songs and chants for Bappa have added to the festive atmosphere. Given the crowds, special attention has been paid to darshan arrangements and security.

The heavy turnout at the Tekdi Ganpati temple, as Ganeshotsav begins in Nagpur and across the state, once again highlights the city's long tradition of devotion to Ganpati.