India is filled with a wide range of sacred temples in its every nooks and corner. And, among the multiple crores of Gods and Goddesses worshipped here, Lord Ganesha is the ‘Pratham Pujjya’ i.e. he is the first God to be worshipped before starting any new thing. It is believed that beginning any auspicious work with his blessings will assure its success!
Hindus keep visiting several Ganesh temples around the country to get His blessings. Just like the holy temples of Siddhivinayak in Mumbai, Dodda Ganesha in Bangaluru, Dagdusheth in Pune, Moti Doongri is a famous Ganesha temple in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Moti Doongri Ganesha Temple, Jaipur:
This holy temple of Lord Ganesha is situated on the Moti Doongri hillock. It is spotted about 4 km away from the world-famous Hawa Mahal of Jaipur. Moti Doongri is also known as Pearl (moti) Hill (doongri). It is one of the most popular hangout spots for the local people as well as tourists of Jaipur. The Pearl Hill is embraced by the Ganesha temple surrounded by Moti doongri fort and the Lakshmi Narayan temple.
History:
Moti Doongri, Jaipur temple was built in 1761 by the famous architect of that time, Seth Jai Ram Paliwal. Maharaja of Amer commissioned him for doing so. It is said that the idol of Ganesha is almost 500 years old.
Architecture:
There is a myth about Moti Doongri Fort. It is believed that its architectural plan has been copied from a Scottish Castle and the Ganesha Temple is constructed with Nagara style. Both the Birla Mandir and the Ganesha Temple are engraved on marble stones. This offers a spectacular view of all the art-lovers of the world. The mythological images engraved on the stones look impressive to watch, thus worth a visit. The legend and heritage of Moti Doongri, Jaipur are beyond time. You will require a day to pay a visit here as only the Ganesha temple is lying on a 2 Km spanned area. The beauty of the architecture will not waste your day!
Best Time to Visit:
The best time to visit Jaipur is definitely between October and March, as this is winter time here and temperature varies between 8 and 32°C.
How to Reach?
The best way to Jaipur is through airways to Jaipur Airport. But you can also take a train or bus to reach here. This city is very well connected through railways and roadways to many of the countries. It is 275 km away from Delhi.
Interesting Facts and Trivia About:
The legend of this ancient Ganesha temple says the story of Mewar King and his wish for making this temple. For constructing a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha demanded an idol of His, which the king collected during one of his journeys. Then one day he decided that he will put the idol on a bullock cart and will be built the temple where the cart will stop. And, history says that the cart stopped at Moti Doongri. So, he passed his order to Seth Jai Ram Paliwal for constructing a beautiful temple here where the idol of Ganesha will be installed. This is how the Ganesha Temple at Moti Doongri was founded.
Nearby Attractions:
• The temple includes a gorgeous shrine made of marble on which the idol of Lord Ganesha is mounted with his rat (vehicle of the lord). Besides this, there is a Shrine of Lord Mahadev which includes a Shiva Lingam.
• Moti Doongri has another temple of Lakshmi Narayan i.e. Birla Mandir. It is situated just a few km away from the Ganesha temple.
• The fort of Moti Doongri, Jaipur, is another attraction here. It surrounds the Ganesha temple. The fort includes a palace too, which belonged to Maharani Gayatri Devi and her son. After her death, still, this palace is a royal property and people are not allowed to enter it.
If you come to visit Jaipur, your journey will not be completed by paying a visit to Moti Doongri. Explore more about this 18th century Ganesha Temple in Rajasthan.
When you are planning a visit to Jaipur, definitely there is many more to explore, so prepare your travel-list including the entire major tourist destinations of the pink city and get set go! Happy Journey!