At Pali, below the hill-fort of Sarasgad in Raigad, stands Ballaleshwar — the only one of the Ashtavinayak, and among the rare temples of any deity, where the Lord is known by the name of his devotee. Its beloved legend recounts the boy Ballal, whose intense worship of a stone as Ganesha was mocked and violently interrupted by the villagers and even his own father, who cast the stone away; Ganesha, moved by the child's unwavering bhakti, appeared, blessed him, and agreed to remain there forever bearing his name — Ballal-eshwar.
The idol sits with its trunk turned to the left, and the temple is unusual in that its offerings and prasad often take the form of besan (gram-flour) sweets. The stone that Ballal first worshipped is honoured close by as Dhundi Vinayak.
Rebuilt in stone so that the morning sun falls upon the deity, Ballaleshwar stands as a lasting testament that sincere devotion — even a child's — draws the Lord himself.
