A flight of three hundred and sixty five steps takes you to the historic Garh Ganesh Temple. The temple is located on a hill near the famous Nahargarh Fort in the historic city of Jaipur. A unique aspect of the temple is that it has been designed much like a fort and matches the ambiance of Nahargarh Fort in whose vicinity the temple stands.
The temple attracts devotees of Lord Ganesh not only from within Rajasthan but also from other states in the country. Gadh Ganesh fair celebrations begin a day before the Ganesh Chaturthi.
Garh Ganesh Temple
Like any temple located on a hillock, the path to the Garh Ganesh temple passes through numerous twists and turns. A unique aspect associated with the Garh Ganesh temple is that it has a statue of Lord Ganesh in his baal roop (Childhood days).Legend associated with Garh Ganesh Temple
Hindu scriptures point to the fact that once Goddess Parvati desired to meditate and did not want to be disturbed. The Goddess created a statue of a boy from the dirt of her body and infused life in the statue. Lord Shiva came to pay a visit to Goddess Parvati and the small boy did not allow him to enter the room of Goddess Parvati.
Lord Shiva was infuriated on the developments and cut the head of the boy with his Trishul. Later Lord Shiva had to attach the head and trunk of elephant to the body of the boy which lay lifeless. As the incident occurred on this hillock, a temple dedicated to the baal roop of Lord Ganesh was built at this place.
Establishment of Garh Ganesh Temple
Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh-I is credited with the establishment of Garh Ganesh Temple. The foundation of Garh Ganesh temple was laid by the legendary King before he founded the city of Jaipur. This is the only temple of Lord Ganesh in baal roop throughout the country which does not depict the Lord Ganesh with a trunk. The King had got designed the temple in such a manner that he could view the temple from the historic City Palace in Jaipur. The King was a devotee of Lord Ganesh and ensured that he sought the blessings of the Lord before beginning his daily activities.Celebrations on Gad Ganesh Fair
Lord Ganesh is worshiped throughout India and the celebrations are unique at the Garh Ganesh Mandir too. A fair is celebrated annually to show respect towards the baal roop of Lord Ganesh. The fair usually begins a day before the Ganesh Chaturthi in Bhadrapada Shukla Paksha. The celebrations continue for a period of five days and the celebrations start by offering of Mehndi to the baal roop of Lord Ganesh.The statue of Lord Ganesh is decorated with green leaves and some flower garlands during the entire period of Garh Ganesh Fair celebrations. Devotees from all parts of the country visit Garh Ganesh temple during the annual fair. Special arrangements are made for the devotees and they relish traditional Rajasthani delicacies which are offered as Parsad during the festivities.