Chodavaram Ganesh temple
Chodavaram Ganesh temple
Lord Ganesh’s swayambhu temples are found at Kanipakam and Chodavaram in Andhra Pradesh. Chodavaram is in Visakha district. The legend of Chodavaram Vinayaka temple is very special.
The idol of Vinayaka at Chodavaram is a Swayambhu. The idol was found in a small spring of water. It is a black stone idol and is three feet long and three feet wide. The idol is visible only till the chest. Two hundred years back, the village heads wanted to shift the idol to a nearby Shiva temple. They tried very hard to take out the idol of Ganesh from the spring of water. But there was no end to the trunk of the idol. Red mud which appears to have mixed with blood was coming when it was being dug. The effort to take out the idol was stalled and a temple was built at the same place where the idol was present.
Another interesting fact about the Chodavaram Ganesh temple is that devotees believe that the idol is growing every day. They say that there is a lot of difference in the size of present idol. The crown which was made for the idol sixty years back has become small for the head of the Ganesh idol.
In 1956, Dr Chunduru Venkanna panthulu worked very hard for the development of Chodavaram Ganesh temple along with his family. Later devotees formed as Balaganapati Sangham and are extending their cooperation in developing the temple.
On special occasions, Chodavaram Vinayaka idol is decorated with ornaments and devotees from all corners of the state come to have the darshan of the Lord. Devotees believe that Lord Ganesh solves all the problems of the devotees.