Historical Period18c CE
17th–18th c. current structure; deity antiquity pre-10th c.
3000 BCE18th century CEPresent
Sacred Facts · At a Glance
- Gender
- male
Primary Scriptures
2 sources- Gaṇeśa Purāṇapurana
- Mudgala Purāṇapurana
Ballaleshwar of Pali
Ballāleśvar at Pali (Raigad district) is the only Ashtavinayak temple named after a human devotee — the boy Ballāla, whose perfect devotion brought Ganesha in person to this site.
Tradition & Significance
Ballaleshwar is unique among the Ashtavinayak for two reasons: (1) the deity is named after a devotee, not after a divine episode; (2) the mūrti is the only Ashtavinayak Ganesha seated on a throne (siṃhāsana) rather than cross-legged. The story tells of young Ballāla, whose intense bhakti was ridiculed by village boys. When they assaulted him, Ganesha appeared in person to defend him and took up residence here permanently.
Wisdom Graph: Divine Associations
- Vāhana
- Mūshika
🛕 Principal Temples
- Ballaleshwar Temple17th–18th c. CE📍 Pali, Raigad, Maharashtra, IndiaFestivals: Ganesh Chaturthi · Māgha Śukla Caturthī
🎊 Festivals
- Bhadrapada (Aug–Sep) · 10 days
📜 Primary Scriptural Sources
- Gaṇeśa Purāṇapurana
- Mudgala Purāṇapurana
Sources & provenance
📜 1 Primary🎓 3 Scholarly
- 📜Primary sourceTraditional. Ganesha Purana — Ballala story (700)
- 🎓Scholarly sourceBook
