Bade Ganesha Ji Ka Mandir
Situated near the tank of the
Mahakaleshwar Temple, Bade Ganesha Ji Ka Mandir houses a massive
statue of the elephant-headed God of Wisdom and Prosperity, Ganesha.
The head of the elephant symbolises sagacity, prudence and
forethought that the Hindus attribute to divinity.
In the middle of the Ganesha temple lies a unique idol of loyalty and
faith, that of the monkey-god, Hanuman. Nowhere else but in this
temple Hanuman is depicted with five faces. Known as Panchamukhi
(five-faced), Hanuman here symbolises courage, loyalty, devotion,
strength, and righteousness. The Ganesha temple is also an important
centre of learning.
This reflects on the status of temples in ancient Vedic times, circa
1500 b.c. when houses of prayer were study centres too. This practice
is prevalent even today in the South Indian temple complexes where
idols are worshiped and religious teachings are imparted.
In Ujjain, the Bade Ganesha Ji Temple is an institute for teaching
astrology and Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language considered the root
of other Indian languages. |
