Shri Khawle Mahaganpati Temple is located at Taramumbri village, about 2 km from Devgad town, in Sindhudurg district, Konkan region of Maharashtra. The temple is a family-owned ancestral shrine (Devghar) belonging to the Khawle family, surrounded by coconut groves and the serene Konkan landscape, close to the Arabian Sea.
The tradition of Shri Khawle Mahaganpati is more than 320 years old, dating back to 1701 CE. This makes it one of the oldest continuously celebrated Ganapati traditions in Konkan. The worship and festival have continued without interruption for over three centuries, preserved across multiple generations.
The presiding deity is Shri Mahaganpati, worshipped in a household yet highly sacred form. The deity is believed to be vow-fulfilling, compassionate, and quick to respond to sincere prayers. Devotees strongly believe that Mahaganpati here blesses families with children, protection, prosperity, and peace.
Shri Khawle Mahaganpati is not a large stone temple but a traditional Konkan-style ancestral shrine. The sanctum is simple and sacred, emphasizing devotion over grandeur.A unique architectural and ritual feature is that a new Ganapati idol is handcrafted every year, without using moulds. The idol is about 5 feet 9 inches tall and is made using nearly 1.5 tons of natural clay collected from family-owned land. The preparation begins from Narali Purnima, following strict traditional methods.
According to tradition, an ancestor of the Khawle family named Shivtandel served as a naval officer (Sarakhel) in the Maratha naval forces stationed at Vijaydurg Fort. Shivtandel and his wife remained childless for many years and prayed deeply for divine blessings.
One night, Lord Ganapati appeared in Shivtandel’s dream and instructed him to install and worship Ganapati at his residence and conduct the festival with devotion. Obeying this divine command, the Khawle family began Ganapati worship in 1701 CE. Soon after, Shivtandel and his wife were blessed with a son named Ganoji, strengthening their faith in Mahaganpati.
Later, in 1756, Ganoji was captured during a naval conflict and did not return. His samadhi (memorial) is located in the Khawle family fields at Taramumbri. Even today, the family performs lamp and incense offerings every Monday at this samadhi, maintaining a sacred connection between ancestor worship and Ganapati devotion.
This sthalapurana highlights how Mahaganpati became the guardian deity of the Khawle lineage, protecting the family through generations. Today, members of the 9th, 10th, and 11th generations continue this worship with the same discipline and devotion.
One of the most extraordinary aspects of this temple is that Mahaganpati appears in three distinct forms during the 21-day festival:
On Ganesh Chaturthi day, the idol is coated in white lime, with only the eyes painted, symbolising purity and divine birth.
By the fifth day, the idol is fully decorated with red colour, golden crown, silver ornaments, and yellow pitambar.
On selected days (7th, 11th, 15th, 17th, and 21st), continuous artistic decoration gives the deity changing divine appearances, attracting large numbers of devotees.
This rare tradition has earned recognition in the Limca Book of Records.
The Ganesh Chaturthi festival here is celebrated for a full 21 days, unlike most places. Daily rituals include abhisheka, pooja, aarti, and bhajans. The night before immersion is observed as a Jagar, with all-night devotional singing and prayers.
On the day of Ganapati Visarjan, a rare ritual called Pind-daan (Pindana) is performed in front of the Ganapati idol for the Khawle ancestors. This practice is extremely rare in Ganesh festivals and adds deep spiritual and ancestral significance. Thousands of devotees receive Mahaprasad on this day.
