Nidrista Ganapati Temple is located at Avhane Budruk village in Shevgaon taluka of Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra, on the banks of the Avani River. This is a rare and lesser-known Ganapati temple where Lord Ganesha is worshipped in a reclining or sleeping posture. Unlike the usual seated form of Ganesha, the idol here lies horizontally, making this shrine particularly unique among Ganapati temples in Maharashtra.
The age of the temple and the idol is described differently in local and secondary sources. The present temple is generally said to be more than 250 years old, while the Swayambhu idol is traditionally believed to be more than 500 years old. Since there is no widely cited inscription establishing an exact date, these figures are best understood as traditional and locally documented estimates.
The presiding deity is Lord Nidrista Ganapati, with Nidrista meaning one who is reclining or lying down. The idol is believed to be Swayambhu, meaning naturally manifested rather than installed by human hands.
The idol is approximately four feet long and about three feet wide. It is placed in a recessed chamber roughly two feet below the surrounding floor level, with the head facing south. Devotees consider this unusual reclining form highly sacred and believe that the deity fulfils the sincere wishes of those who pray here. Local tradition also associates this Ganapati with Lord Moreshwar of Morgaon, one of the most important Ganapati pilgrimage centres in Maharashtra.
The temple has a simple traditional stone structure, with a spacious sabhamandapa that is open on three sides and leads towards the sanctum. The temple complex has a boundary wall and entrance gateway.
The older structure is locally described as having Hemadpanti characteristics. The stone walls and the temple tower are decorated with traditional carvings, including representations of deities. The most striking feature, however, is the sanctum itself, where the large reclining Ganapati is placed below the normal floor level.
The history of Nidrista Ganapati is closely connected with the long-standing devotion of the local families and devotees of Avhane. According to the traditional account, the temple became an important centre of worship after the unusual Swayambhu idol was discovered in the village.
The temple is also associated with Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur. Local accounts state that the temple was renovated during his period and that support and land grants were provided to the family associated with the worship of the deity. This helped establish the shrine as an important local place of pilgrimage.
The Sthalapurana of Nidrista Ganapati begins with a devotee named Dadoba Dev, who was a great devotee of Lord Moreshwar at Morgaon. Every year, he would undertake the difficult journey to Morgaon to have darshan of Lord Ganesha.
As Dadoba Dev grew older, the journey became increasingly difficult. According to the traditional story, he prayed to Lord Ganesha about his inability to continue travelling to Morgaon. It is believed that Lord Moreshwar appeared to him in a dream or divine vision and indicated that he need not undertake the journey every year.
Later, Dadoba Dev is said to have received another divine indication that the deity himself would come to his village. After Dadoba Dev passed away, a farmer working in the area near the Avani River reportedly discovered a large stone idol while ploughing the land. The idol had a noticeable mark on its chest, traditionally believed to have been caused by the plough.
The villagers attempted to move the idol, but according to the legend, they were unable to shift it. It was then understood that this was the divine idol spoken of in the earlier vision. Dadoba Dev’s son, Ganoba Dev, is said to have received instructions in a dream that the idol should be worshipped exactly in the position in which it had been found.
Because the idol was discovered lying down and could not be moved, it continued to be worshipped in its reclining form. This is how the unusual form of Nidrista Ganapati came to be established at Avhane. Devotees traditionally believe that the deity is connected with Moreshwar of Morgaon and that the reclining form represents a special manifestation of Lord Ganesha.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with special prayers, rituals and large gatherings of devotees. Ganesh Jayanti is another important occasion when devotees visit the temple and offer special worship to Nidrista Ganapati.
Angarki Chaturthi is particularly significant, attracting devotees from Avhane and surrounding villages. On these special days, the temple becomes a centre of religious activity, with special pujas, aartis and a large gathering or jatra around the shrine.
