Ganesha
Temples Ranthambore
The Ranthambore Ganesh
ji is very old temple on the palace of Ranthambore fort. It is very heart
touch place for devotee and visitors. Ranthambore Ganesh Temple
dedicated to Lord Ganesha is located in the fort of Ranthambore, about
12 kms from Sawai Madhopur It is said that; in 1299 AD, there was a war
between King Hammeer and Alauddin Khilji. During the time of war they filled
there godowns with foods and all the necessary things in Ranthambhore Fort,
where King resides. Since the war lasted for several years, the stock in
godowns were over. One night when King Hammer; who was a great devotee
to God Ganesh, was sleeping, he dreamed that Lord Ganesh came to him and
said that by tomorrow morning all the problems and lacking would be over.
In the morning an idol of Lord Ganesh with three eyes*(Trinetra), embossed
from one of the fort’s wall. As a miracle the war was over and the godowns
were full. In 1300 AD King Hammer built a temple of Lord Ganesh and placed
Riddhi Siddhi, his wife and two sons Shub Labh along with the idol of Ganesh.
His vehicle mushak (mouse) is also placed there.
Ganesh Chaturthi holds
a special place in Ranthambore and is celebrated to commemorate the
origin of Lord Ganesh, who is said to have been born on this day. The Ganesha
temple in the fort of Ranthambore is one of the most eminent Ganesha temples
of Rajasthan.
On this day, thousands
of devotees visit the temple. There are songs and 'bhajans' praising Lord
Ganesha. The area has its own share of markets where you can find general
merchandise and small trinkets to shop for.
The Ranthambhore fort,
in turn, is said to have got its name from two adjoining hills - Rann and
Thambhore. It lies on the Thambhore hill, overlooking the Rann and offers
some breathtaking views of the Park.
The walls of the fort
are about 7 kilometers in length and include an area of nearly 4 square
kilometers. All around the fort, one can see many old ruins, including
palaces, temples, cenotaphs, step-wells and houses.
The Ranthambore fort is
surrounded by massive stonewalls which are strengthened by towers and bastions.
The stone for the masonry was mined from inside the Fort and the mines
were later turned into ponds for water storage.
The main approach to the
Fort lies through a narrow valley, which had four fortified gateways. Of
these, only the first gate - Misradhara gate, is still standing. There
are many ruined buildings inside the Fort, with Hammir's Court, Badal Mahal,
Dhula Mahal and Phansi Ghar being the most prominent of them. The Fort
also has many cenotaphs, temples and gates.
The Ganesh Temple, which
lies very close to the main entry gate to the Fort, attracts a steady flow
of pilgrims, mainly from the rural hinterland. During the annual Ganesh
festival, tens of thousands of pilgrims visit the temple, from all over
the country.
Most of the visitors to
the Fort tend to stay in the Western part of the Fort. Very few visitors
go to the eastern part of the fort, which is nearly wild. A small perennial
stream called Gupt Ganga flows in this part of the Fort. Here one can see
a large number of birds, Langurs, the odd small cat and sometimes, even
leopards. The fort is one of the best places to look for the very rare
and elusive Fishing cat.
The fort is a must see
for all visitors to Ranthambhore. A good day to visit the fort is Wednesday,
the day of the Lord Ganesh, when a lot of local people visit the Ganesh
temple dressed in their best finery.
Shri Ganeshji Maharaj, Ranthambore
Fort, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan- 322021, Phone 093 23 716855
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