My Ashtavinayak Yatra on an Old Super Splendor Bike

I undertook a motorcycle pilgrimage from Vashi, Navi Mumbai, to the Girnar Datt Temple and the Dwarka Shri Krishna Temple on April 18, 2023. On June 19, 2023, I went on a motorcycle pilgrimage to Mathura and Vrindavan. On August 10, 2023, I traveled by motorcycle to the Meenakshi Temple in Trichy and Madurai. I had too much rode on bike so short break, On August 25, 2023, I traveled by train to Tarapith Temple west bengal.

I undertook all these pilgrimages to gather the necessary information for my scripture. After obtaining the required knowledge, I decided not to go on any further motorcycle pilgrimages in 2023 and instead devoted my entire day to writing my religious book.

In 2023, I immersed myself in writing a book on religion. I would wake up in the morning and sit in front of my laptop from 8–9 AM until 2–3 AM the next day, writing continuously. I only left my chair to wash my hands before meals or to use the bathroom; otherwise, I stayed seated, writing and eating. Sometimes, I wouldn’t step outside the house for 4–5 days at a time.

Due to my limited vocabulary, I often asked my mother for specific words. When I couldn’t find the right one, I’d search in other religious texts or online. Sometimes, a single missing word forced me to rewrite an entire sentence. At other times, if a word eluded me, I’d pause that chapter and start another.

Seeing my frustration while hunting for words, my mother would say, “Watching you study so intensely is giving me a headache. Take a break—go for a walk.” I’d reply, “Right now, I’m in the flow of writing; I’ll keep going. The day my travel mood strikes, I’ll hit the road nonstop.”

One day, while writing the chapter on “33 forms of Gods and Goddesses”, as I described the three forms of Lord Ganesh, it suddenly hit me: I hadn’t done the famous Ashtavinayak Yatra of Maharashtra on my bike. I immediately stopped writing and began planning the pilgrimage. I mapped out a route on Google Maps. Once it was ready, I looked for an auspicious day to start. Devout pilgrims often choose festival days, but my faith is milder—I prefer quieter days with fewer crowds to avoid long queues for darshan. It was May, with no major festival the next day, so I decided to begin right away.

I told my mother, “Tomorrow morning, I’m heading out on my bike for the Ashtavinayak Yatra.” She had only visited one of the eight temples—Varadvinayak in Mahad. She advised, “Enjoy the trip fully; don’t rush it.”

She worried I’d complete the 3–4-day journey in a single day, as I often plan quick returns even for pilgrimages.

My Route Through the Ashtavinayak Temples (starting from Vashi, Navi Mumbai):

1. Girijatmaj Temple, Lenyadri

2. Vighnahar Temple, Ozar

3. Mahaganapati Temple, Ranjangaon

4. Siddhivinayak Temple, Siddhatek

5. Moreshwar Temple, Moregaon

6. Chintamani Temple, Theur

7. Ballaleshwar Temple, Pali (detour to Jejuri Temple en route)

8. Varadvinayak Temple, Mahad

I left home at 6 AM. My first stop was Girijatmaj Temple in Lenyadri, 150 km away. I arrived by 10 AM, bought a darshan ticket, and entered the cave temple.

I tried meditating in the cave, but it didn’t work. Lying down for reflection felt uncomfortable too. At 11 AM, I ate at the temple canteen and headed 16 km to Vighnahar Temple in Ozar, arriving by 11:30 AM.

After darshan, I sat by the pond for five minutes, but the intense sun blocked any breeze. I continued 64 km to Mahaganapati Temple in Ranjangaon, reaching it at 2 PM for darshan. There, a devotee mentioned a shortcut to Siddhatek, so I took it—80 km away—and arrived at Siddhivinayak Temple by 5 PM for a quick two-minute darshan.

Next, I rode 60 km to Moreshwar Temple in Moregaon, arriving at 7 PM. This was the first temple with a queue—I waited 10 minutes. While in line, I checked maps and spotted Jejuri Temple nearby, so after darshan, I detoured 20 km there.

I reached the base of Jejuri Gad at 8 PM. A bike road allowed me to ride most of the way up, climbing only 10 steps instead of 200. The steps and floor were vibrant with turmeric. I queued for 30 minutes for darshan of Khandoba (Lord Shankar). Many newlywed couples were performing rituals, stirring in me a strong desire for marriage.

Afterward, I rode 40 km to Chintamani Temple in Theur. Very hungry by 9 PM, I stopped for egg bhurji at a roadside cart. Eating it reminded me of an office incident where a girl withheld prasad because I’d eaten eggs that day. It felt odd heading to Ganapati darshan after non-veg, but as a committed non-vegetarian, I decided not to pretend otherwise. I enblissed the meal and continued.

A local suggested a quiet shortcut—no traffic, off the main road. Google Maps confirmed it, so I took it and reached the temple at 10:20 PM. It had closed at 10 PM. I booked a ₹300 room in a Dharmashala. Exhausted and dust-covered from the day’s ride, I showered for a full hour—far longer than my usual 10 minutes—yet still felt gritty.

After freshening up, I lay down for reflection. In one day, I’d visited five Ganapati temples and one Shiva temple—six in total. I hadn’t offered fruits or flowers anywhere; I simply folded my hands in obeisance.

I pondered: Why is Lord Ganesh called Ashtavinayak? A faint spark ignited in my mind, but the full picture remained unclear. Whenever memory fails me, I turn to Ganesh. There’s an inner mind within me—named Ganesh—that recalls all my words and actions.

Kedi: Why is Ganapati called Ashtavinayak?

Ganesh: Ganapati is the lord of 8 dimensions; that's why Ashtavinayak.

Kedi: Which 8 dimensions?

Ganesh: Time, space, energy, power, cycle, light, vibration, matrix, etc.—these 8 dimensions.

Kedi: But time as a dimension is controlled by Shiva, so how can it be Ganapati?

Ganesh: Ganapati is the one who generates time; Shiva is the one who controls time.

Kedi: Are the lord of the dimensions and the controller different?

Ganesh: Both are the same. The Supreme God Ganapati Himself assumed 7 different forms of God to control the dimensions.

Kedi: Does Ganapati have different forms?

Ganesh: Ganapati has a total of 3 categories: 1. Complete Supreme God, 2. Incomplete Supreme God, 3. God (Bhagwan).

Kedi: What is the difference between Complete Ganapati, Incomplete Ganapati, and God Ganapati?

Ganesh: Complete Ganapati is omnipresent, calm, stable, alone, and lord of 9 dimensions. Incomplete Ganapati is everywhere within Hiranyagarbha, restless, unstable, attached to Gauri, and lord of 8 dimensions. God Ganapati resides in the same human body along with God Kalki.

Kedi: How to recognise all three?

Ganesh: The Ganapati who is seated alone on a lotus is the Complete Ganapati. The Ganapati who is with Gauri is Ucchista Ganapati. The Ganapati who is mounted on a horse is God Ganesh.

Kedi: I haven't seen Ganapati mounted on a horse.

Ganesh: God Ganapati and God Kalki will descend after the second phase of the final Kali Yuga. When God Kalki and Ganesh descend, then you will see the form of God Ganapati mounted on a horse.

Kedi: What is the difference between Supreme God (Parameshwar) and God (Bhagwan)?

Ganesh: The one who cannot enter a human body is Supreme God; the one who enters a human body is God (Bhagwan).

Kedi: What is the meaning of Chintamani Ganapati?

Ganesh: There are 9 types of spiritual gems on Earth, one of which is Chintamani. Whoever obtains Chintamani no longer has any worry about any situation or circumstance in life. The Supreme God Ganapati is the creator of that very Chintamani, so Ganapati is called Chintamani.

Kedi: Which are the 9 spiritual gems?

Ganesh: Nag Mani, Kaustubh Mani, Paras Mani, Chandrakant Mani, Chinta Mani, Syamantak Mani, Neel Mani, Rudra Mani, and Uluk Mani—these 9 gems.

Kedi: What is Nag Mani?

Ganesh: It is a black-coloured divine gem, which the immortal Kripacharya has for life.

Kedi: What happens if one gets Nag Mani?

Ganesh: Nag Mani provides religious knowledge. Whoever tries to acquire religious knowledge, the Nag Mani itself follows that person and gives power to obtain religious knowledge. As soon as someone stops practising religious topics, the Nag Mani leaves their body.

Kedi: Can I get Nag Mani?

Ganesh: You should get it, but you practise more devotion to food (pet pooja) than to god worship (dev pooja).

Kedi: What is Kaustubh Mani?

Ganesh: It is a red-coloured divine gem, which the immortal Parashurama has for life.

Kedi: What happens with Kaustubh Mani?

Ganesh: Kaustubh Mani gives unstoppable fame. Whoever works for nation-building, the Kaustubh Mani follows that person and provides power to complete their national work. As soon as someone stops doing national work, the Kaustubh Mani leaves their body.

Kedi: What is unstoppable fame?

Ganesh: Someone gets fame for their work; when they stop the work, their fame decreases or ends. If someone's fame does not decrease even after death but increases, that is called unstoppable fame.

Kedi: Can I get Kaustubh Mani?

Ganesh: The day you do a big national work, you can get Kaustubh Mani.

Kedi: What is Paras Mani?

Ganesh: It is a saffron-coloured divine gem, which the immortal Ved Vyasa has for life.

Kedi: What happens with Paras Mani?

Ganesh: Paras Mani provides massive followers. Whoever works for society-building, the Paras Mani follows that person and provides power to complete their social work. As soon as someone stops social work, the Paras Mani leaves their body.

Kedi: Can I get Paras Mani?

Ganesh: The day you do big social work, you can get Paras Mani.

Kedi: What is Chandrakant Mani?

Ganesh: It is a yellow-coloured divine gem, which the immortal Ravana has for life.

Kedi: What happens with Chandrakant Mani?

Ganesh: Chandrakant Mani provides unconditional love. Whoever continuously serves their loved ones selflessly, the Chandrakant Mani follows that person and provides power for selfless service to loved ones. As soon as someone stops selfless service to loved ones, the Chandrakant Mani leaves their body.

Kedi: Can I get Chandrakant Mani?

Ganesh: Those who are pampered by their mother or wife get Chandrakant Mani quickly. You are your mother's boy; if you serve your mother more, you can get Chandrakant Mani.

Kedi: Is there anyone who is a pampered wife?

Ganesh: Those who are pampered by their mothers are fortunate; those who are pampered by their wives are very fortunate.

Kedi: What do I need to do to become my wife's pampered?

Ganesh: First, you need to get married. Without marriage, you can become someone else's wife's pampered, but not your own wife's.

Kedi: What is Chinta Mani?

Ganesh: It is a green-coloured divine gem, which the immortal Ashwatthama has for life.

Kedi: What happens with Chinta Mani?

Ganesh: Chinta Mani provides freedom from all types of worries. Whoever works with single-minded devotion, the Chinta Mani follows that person and provides power to complete their work. As soon as someone stops working with single-minded devotion, the Chinta Mani leaves their body.

Kedi: If someone gets Chinta Mani, will all their work happen automatically?

Ganesh: No. After getting Chinta Mani, they won't worry whether their work gets done or not. They won't worry about injury, loss, illness, or death.

Kedi: If I have no worry about anything, how will I do any work?

Ganesh: No work requires worry; it requires purpose. When you get a purpose, you won't need to worry about whether the work happens or not.

Kedi: Can I get Chinta Mani?

Ganesh: The day you work with single-minded devotion to achieve your purpose, you can get Chinta Mani.

Kedi: What is Syamantak Mani?

Ganesh: It is a sky-blue-coloured divine gem, which no immortal has obtained.

Kedi: What happens with Syamantak Mani?

Ganesh: Syamantak Mani provides instant fame. Whoever excels in a popular work, the Syamantak Mani follows that person and provides power to complete the popular work. As soon as someone stops the popular work, the Syamantak Mani leaves their body.

Kedi: Can I get Syamantak Mani?

Ganesh: The day you excel in a popular work, you can get Syamantak Mani. But its effect lasts for very little time, and it also brings defamation and stigma.

Kedi: Why defamation and stigma?

Ganesh: If someone suddenly gets fame, society starts searching for negative things about that person and begins defaming and stigmatising them.

Kedi: If I get Syamantak Mani, will I also be defamed and stigmatised?

Ganesh: You will already be defamed before getting Syamantak Mani, and before anyone stigmatises you, you will have revealed all your mistakes and become unstigmatised. Therefore, one who is already defamed and unstigmatised cannot be defamed or stigmatised by anyone after getting Syamantak.

Kedi: How can I be defamed already?

Ganesh: Instead of hiding your mistakes, you tell people about them like jokes. You are so innocent that even defamation starts feeling like praise to you.

Kedi: What is Neel Mani?

Ganesh: It is a blue-coloured divine gem, which the immortal King Bali has for life.

Kedi: What happens with Neel Mani?

Ganesh: Neel Mani provides immense wealth and prosperity. Whoever grabs opportunities to earn money, the Neel Mani follows that person and provides power to seize money-earning opportunities. As soon as someone stops seizing money-earning opportunities, the Neel Mani leaves their body.

Kedi: Can I get Neel Mani?

Ganesh: The day you start searching for money-earning opportunities, you can get Neel Mani. But whenever you get an opportunity, you think there is no knowledge in it, and you ignore it. Until your mindset of only seeking knowledge changes, you cannot get Neel Mani.

Kedi: What do I need to do to get Neel Mani?

Ganesh: First, acquire a money-earning mindset, and accept that always seeking knowledge is not necessary—some work should be for money, some for fun.

Kedi: What is Rudra Mani?

Ganesh: It is a purple-coloured divine gem, which the immortal Hanuman has for life.

Kedi: What happens with Rudra Mani?

Ganesh: Rudra Mani provides power to do all types of work. Whoever has supreme devotion toward religion, country, or ideals, the Rudra Mani follows that person and provides power to complete all types of work for their supreme devotion. As soon as someone stops devotion, the Rudra Mani leaves their body.

Kedi: Can I get Rudra Mani?

Ganesh: The day supreme devotion for country or religion awakens in you, you can get Rudra Mani, which gives power for all types of work.

Kedi: What is Uluk Mani?

Ganesh: It is a white-coloured divine gem, which the immortal Vibhishana has for life.

Kedi: What happens with Uluk Mani?

Ganesh: Uluk Mani provides divine vision. Whoever continuously practises meditation, the Uluk Mani follows that person and provides power for premonition and analysis. As soon as someone stops meditation practice, the Uluk Mani leaves their body.

Kedi: Can I get Uluk Mani?

Ganesh: The day you do any work mindfully and continuously practise meditation, you can get Uluk Mani. But Uluk Mani is of no use to you.

Kedi: Why is Uluk Mani of no use to me?

Ganesh: With Uluk Mani, you would know that going ahead you will fall, yet you would still go ahead to experience how it feels after falling. Uluk Mani is useful for those who don't want to fall in life or make any mistake. But you deliberately make mistakes to know what happens after making a mistake.

After experiencing a deep spiritual realisation connected to the Ashtavinayak temples and the nine divine gems, I finally drifted into a peaceful sleep. I woke up early at 5:00 AM and headed straight to Chintamani Ganapati Temple, Theur, for darshan. To my good fortune, there was no queue, and I received direct darshan without any waiting.

Outside the temple, I enblissed a cup of hot tea and then began my journey toward Ballaleshwar Ganapati Temple in Pali, approximately 140 km away. I reached Pali by 9:00 AM, completed darshan, and then went to the temple canteen to decide on my meal.

Since lunch was scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM, I spent the waiting time wandering around the temple premises, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere.

After getting tired from roaming, I sat down in the ground-floor lobby of the canteen—the dining hall being on the first floor. While waiting, an elderly man sat beside me and started a conversation. He shared that he had been visiting this temple two to three times every year for the past five years and intended to continue until his last breath. According to him, every visit brought a unique spiritual experience.

The first 10 minutes of conversation felt pleasant. Suddenly, however, he began narrating every painful incident from his 58 years of life, one after another. I was already struggling with hunger, and now my mind felt overwhelmed too.

I politely interrupted and said: “Please share one issue at a time. Before I can understand one, you mention four or five more—it’s difficult to follow. As a writer, I genuinely want to understand each experience deeply.”

The moment I mentioned that I was a writer, his tone changed completely. He responded sharply: “You’ve grown so old and should be ashamed—still living off your family’s money. You need a proper job and should take responsibility.”

He lectured me as if he were a close relative—though many relatives show more humanity than this. It felt as if I were enblissing luxuries at his expense. For a moment, I wondered whether being a writer was a crime. Without overthinking, I calmly asked: “Is being a writer a sin? Am I doing something wrong? Please guide me.”

Before he could respond, a group of 8–10 cyclists rushed upstairs for lunch—they had also been waiting for 11 AM. I ignored the man completely, as if he never existed, and followed the cyclists to the first floor. I finished my meal quickly and left for my next destination.

My next stop was Varadavinayak Ganapati Temple, Mahad, about 40 km away. I reached Mahad by 1:00 PM. Among all the temples I visited that day, this one had the heaviest crowd. The regular queue would have taken nearly two hours, but there was an option for mukh (facial) darshan from a distance. I completed the darshan in just one minute and then explored the temple surroundings.

By 2:00 PM, I started my journey back home to Vashi, Navi Mumbai, with 54 km remaining. Upon reaching Panvel, I called my mother and said,

“I’m just 10 minutes away—please prepare an omelette for lunch.”

I sped up and finally reached home by 3:30 PM.

End of the Day: Laughter & Reflections

After reaching home, I took a bath, had my meal, and lay down to rest. Throughout the journey, I had been updating my travel on WhatsApp Status. As soon as I posted that I was home, messages and calls started pouring in from friends and special clients.

They teased me:

“Did you go for Ashtavinayak darshan or play touch-and-run?”

“Are you trying for a Guinness World Record?”

“By the time I finished breakfast yesterday, you had already completed darshan at the next temple!”

Conclusion: That day, I had intended only to have darshan of the Ashtavinayak, but due to my curiosity, I also gained knowledge of the nine divine gems and the eight dimensions of the Ashtavinayak.

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