As the temperature drops and the mercury south, devotees of the famous Sarasbaug Ganapati temple decided to adorn the idol with a woollen sweater and cap to keep the Elephant God warm.

“I got the warm clothes specially woven. I had also got a special shawl made for the Sai Baba deity in Mumbai two year ago,” Dharmadhikari said. Sudhir Pandit, a trustee of the Sarasbaug Temple, said: “We welcome such gestures by the devotees. In fact, on behalf of our own Dev Deveshwar Trust we have also kept aside warm clothes for the deities.” Shrikar Pandav, priest of the temple, said a sudden increase in the number of devotees coming to the Sarasbaug Ganapati temple had been observed.

The Sarasbaug Ganapati temple is 250 years old and one of the heritage sites in Pune. This temple was established during the Peswa regime by Nanasaheb Peshwa. The temple is located on an island of about 25,000 sq.ft. in the middle of this lake at the foothills of Parvati hill. It is a popular place of worship for people across the state and also a popular hang-out for Punekars. The Sarasbaug temple receives ten thousand visitors a day on an average and this figure goes up to eighty thousand devotees per day on Ganesha Chaturthi and other festive occasions.

News Source – MidDay, Pic – Vivek Sabnis