Mangal Murthi Morya Ganapati Temple

The Mangal Murthi Morya Ganapathi  also know as Birla Ganapati is a staggering 54ft tall Ganapati statue just off the NH4, Mumbai road near to the Somatane toll gate. It's a difficult to miss statue as this place is well lit up at night too. The idol is visible from the NH 4\Old  Mumbai-Pune road to the left if you are travelling towards Mumbai just as you approach the Somatane tollgate.

The majestic Ganesh Idol

How to reach:

If you are travelling from Pune, take the old Mum-Pune road(NH4) and go till the Somatane tollgate. On the left hand side you should see the beautiful Ganesh Idol on a small hillock. The entrance to the temple is right after the tollgate and if you are travelling by car, you need to pay a toll of Rs.26.

The stairs to the temple

Right after you cross the tollgate , there is a left turn almost like a V-turn. You can see a big board for Prati Shirdi which is on the same road about 1.5 kms from this junction. After you take the turn, after about 500m there is a small road climbing up to the left leading to the parking lot of the temple. There is a board with 'Mangal Murthy Morya Temple' indicating the left turn. There is ample parking space once you make your way up and they charge some nominal amount for parking. I had to pay Rs.3 for my two wheeler. Then you have to walk up the stairs to the temple. The climb is pretty easy and even elders and children will enjoy it. The place is kept very clean and secured with cctv cameras.

View from different angle

Best Time to visit:

Morning or evening, any day of the year. Morning 10 am should be a good time as the Idol is facing North-east and the light conditions would be better to take a clear shot at this time. The idol is not covered so visiting the place is monsoons might not be a good idea. I went to this place at 5 in the evening and could not get clear photos as the sun shining right behind the Idol. However, it is a good peaceful place to be with your family in the evening.

Places nearby:
The Ghorvadeshwar Cave temple is just about a km apart and can be covered on the same day.
Pratishirdi at Shirgaon is on the same road some 3-4 kms ahead.

Route Map:

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