Bohra Ganesh Ji
Ganpati Bappa Morya!!!
A symbol of wisdom and harbinger of good luck, this GOD is the truly the cutest and the most worshipped amongst all. His terrain of worship extends to many faiths and religion. He is an integral part of everyone’s wardrobe of faith.
Known as Ganpati and Vinakya, He is widely revered as removal of obstruction. The elephant face gives him the distinct look. He resides in everyone’s heart and is the God of beginnings to all of us. One such place that He resides is in the Bohra Ganesh temple of Udaipur. This temple is one of the oldest temple of Ganeshji in the city.
About the temple
Built about 350 years ago, somewhere around the 17th century in the outskirts of Udaipur, the temple induces enormous trust amongst the worshipers. As the city has extended its geography, this temple is now very near to the Mohan Lal Sukhadia University and a stone throw away from the Thokar Railway station. The entire area is named after the temple and is called Bohra GaneshJi.
As you enter the premises in the centre of the temple there is the main sanctum which abodes the east facing standing idol of Bappa in the dance posture. This idol is considered as Chamatkari or magical.
As a symbol, devotees carry a stone from the temple that represents the GOD himself.
The Lord is festooned with garlands and clothes are made up of Zari. The worship and care of the temple is done by a Joshi family and the priest is changed every Wednesday so that everyone gets a chance to serve Bappa.
It is believed that before any event such as a marriage or a new purchase, if started with the worship of Lord Ganesh- the occasion will accomplished well with the blessings of the deity. Generally “Bhog” is offered to Bappa with large gatherings of people attending the same at the extended part of the temple.
The temple earns the same respect in Udaipur, as the Moti Dungari temple in Jaipur.
The temple is thronged by thousands of devotees every week and Wednesday’s are special as it is considered to be the day of Ganeshji.
The Interesting Nomenclature
There is very interesting story behind the name of the temple. Originally the temple was known as “Borganesh”. According to the legend, about 70-80 years ago people who needed money for marriage and business purposes used to write the requirement on a slip of paper and leave it before the idol. Soon, Bappa used to get the amount released, but in turn they had to return the money with interest. In India, it is generally the Bohra community which is involved in business of lending money. For this reason the Lord got the name Bohra Ganesh.
However, this practice stopped when the people did not return money with interest. Though it has now become a universal belief that devotees with real trust in Bohra Ganesh will get their wishes fulfilled.
Festivals and Offerings
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Charturthi is celebrated in the honor of Lord Ganesha, as an auspicious event at the temple. On this day, temple is open from midnight till early morning and witness around 2-2.5 lakh devotees visiting the temple. It becomes quite a daunting task for the security guards to monitor the crowd throughout the day and night.
Annakoot celebrations
Govardhan Puja or Annakoot, celebrated just after Diwali, is an auspicious event at Bohra Ganesh temple. On this day, devotees offer “Chappan Bhog” (meaning 56 dishes) is offered to Bappa. A ritual called “Aangi” is performed at early dawn, followed by the feast of Chappan Bhog. In the evening, a priest performs the “Maha Aarti” and then offers Prasad to the devotees.
Timings and How to reach
The temple is open from morning 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
The temple is around 2 km from the main city center and 5 kms for the city railway station. The best way to reach is via a rickshaw or a car / cab. After the darshan do not miss the mouth-watering Kachoris at the Thokar Chauraha.
So come and get blessed from Bappa!!!