Pranav Ganesh Mandir

The Pranav Ganesh Mandir is perhaps the biggest Ganesh temple in the surrounding area. On January 26, 2012, Swami Tejomayananda and Swami Brahmananda performed Kalashabhishekam at the Pranav Ganesh Temple as part of the 3-day long elaborate rituals and puja leading to the consecration of the 5.2 feet tall, beautiful and pristine white marble idol of Lord Ganesha. A joyous occasion, the final day saw more than 1,500 devotees doing kalashabhishekam of the Utsav Murti.

The Temple has beautiful granite flooring and majestic ceilings – but it is the location, on the hilltop, that gives an added magnificence. It is designed in the shape of a Sri Yantra – a geometric of the cosmos order. The dimensions of the structure in all directions are in multiples of the number nine, making the entire temple very precise and beautiful. The “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha” likhita japa books sent by thousands of devotees were placed under the sanctum, a day before the inauguration. Neatly wrapped in orange cloth, they are displayed underneath the garbha girha (dome) on a specially made platform.

There is a Dhyana Mandir or meditation hall one floor below the sanctum, where seekers may sit silently, absorbing the powerful vibrations. The single visual image on the wall is Om, glowing with blue backlighting.

Shri Ganapati represents a Man of Perfect Wisdom, and a fully realised Vedantin. Westerners are shocked to notice that Hindus revere a Divine Form which is so ridiculous and absurd. But the Elephant-headed Lord, who destroys all difficulties in life, indeed represents the highest and the best that have ever been given in our scriptures.
– Swami Chinmayananda