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Late medieval · Hindu · India
Ballaleshwar Temple, Pali
बल्लाळेश्वर (पाली)
Pali, Raigad, Maharashtra · 18.5352°, 73.2239°
Ganesha as BallaleshwarMarathaeast-facing stone temple laid out in the shape of the letter 'shri'Ashtavinayak
Sacred since
1640 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
1640; rebuilt in stone 1760
Maratha
History & significance
One of the eight Ashtavinayaka shrines and the only Ganesha temple known by the name of a devotee rather than of the god.
Sthala katha — the traditional account
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
A boy named Ballal worshipped a stone as Ganesha despite his father's beatings; the god appeared, healed him and agreed to remain there under the boy's name.