Titwala Mahaganapati Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Thane district has no airport at present.

• By train

  Titwala station is on the Central line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway, between Kalyan and Kasara.

• By road

  Transport facilities are available from Titwala station to the temple.

Rules to know

• Devotees are not allowed to wear leather articles such as a wallet, belt or handy bag.

Why devotees come here

Titwala Mahaganapati Temple is a Ganesha shrine in Titwala, a town near Kalyan in Thane district, Maharashtra. It is also called Titwala Ganesh Mandir. Lakhs of devotees visit, especially on Angarika Chaturthi.

Titwala is one of the most revered religious sites in Thane. Local legend says the site is the hermitage where Shakuntala was born. The legend adds that the sage Kanva told her to build a shrine to Ganesha as Siddhi Vinayak. The temple stands on the bank of the Kalu river.

The temple is believed to be associated with the Mahabharata era. One account says Peshwa Madhavrao I consecrated the ancient Ganesha image in a new temple, after the conquest of Vasai fort. During the de-silting of a tank in the town, the temple was found buried in silt. A new temple was built on the same site in 1965-66. In May 2009, the temple trust and the Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation completed a renovation.

The shikhara (pinnacle) carries carved images of eight Ganesha shrines from near Pune, known as the Ashtavinayaka. Visitors come from the suburbs of Mumbai. Thousands visit, especially on Ganesh Chaturthi and Sankashti Chaturthi.

Festivals

• Bhadrapada, August to SeptemberGanesh Chaturthi

  Thousands of devotees visit, and more than 500,000 people gather for worship at the temple.

• Magha, January to FebruaryMaghi Ganeshotsav

  Ganesha's birthday.

• A Tuesday on the fourth day of the bright lunar fortnightAngarika Chaturthi

  Lakhs of devotees visit on this day.

• A holy day in the Hindu calendarAngarki Sankashti Chaturthi

  Large crowds visit on this day.

Tips for your visit

• Address: Titwala Ganesh Mandir, Titwala, Kalyan Taluka, Thane District, Maharashtra.
• The temple has a sacred pond and peaceful surroundings that suit meditation and devotion.
• Most visitors come on Tuesdays.

Questions people ask