On a small hill beside the Bhima river at Siddhatek, this is the second temple of the Ashtavinayak and the only one whose idol has its trunk curving to the right — a rare and, devotees hold, especially potent form. The tradition preserved in the Ganesha Purana tells how Lord Vishnu, unable to overcome the demons Madhu and Kaitabha, worshipped Ganesha at this spot and, receiving siddhi (accomplishment and power), vanquished them; the place thus became Siddhatek and the deity Siddhivinayak, the giver of success.
Because the shrine crowns a hillock, the circumambulation (pradakshina) here means walking a full round of the hill itself, a path of some distance that pilgrims complete on foot. The inner sanctum is remembered as the work of the queen Ahilyabai Holkar, and the temple is linked to the devotion of the Peshwa-era general Haripant Phadke, who is said to have circled it in faith and had his fortunes restored.
Siddhivinayak is sought above all by those beginning new ventures, for the grace to complete them without obstacle.
