Lord Ganesh accepts jaggery here in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: The roads wore a deserted look on a Sunday morning. But one of the dingy lanes at Maharanipeta paints a different picture. Carrying kilos of jaggery, the devout wait to get a glimpse of 'Bellam Vinayakudu' that nestles peacefully in a quiet corner of the street near Official Colony. Also known as Sri Ananda Ganapathi, the temple, the priests say, is centuries old.

Although the 'chavithi' festivities came to a close, the shrine continues to draw crowds as the wish-fulfilling elephant-headed God gets busy 'accepting' jaggery as a token of love and devotion and granting boons.

However, unlike most deities wherein the trunk is twisted towards the right or positioned straight, the trunk for this Ganesh is twirled to its right. This is one of the unique features of Bellam Vinayakudu.

Legend has it that since Moon God, who is known to be the ruler of the heart (manakkarakudu), had consecrated the Ganesh, and hence the trunk of Lord Ganesh is curled towards the right. "Moon God is a ruler of heart and represents happiness.

The elephant-headed God is fond of jaggery. By offering Him his favourite snack, it is believed that devotees would get their wishes fulfilled," explains D Srikanth Sarma, chief priest of the temple.

Except self-manifested (swayambu) Sivalingam at the shrine, the rest of deities Suryanarayana and Trishakti Annapurna Devi were consecrated by Moon God himself. While most Siva temples face towards east, this one is slightly tilted towards southeast.

Another interesting feature of the shrine is that the Sun God here is south-facing. Centuries ago, the shrine was subsequently developed by a Chola king. "This temple is also known to be Butchi Ramalingeswara Swamy Alayam as it was rebuilt by Butchi Ramayya Pantulu then," elaborates Srikanth Sarma.

Situated a few kms away from Bellam Vinayakudu Aalayam, a Kanchu (bronze) temple of 'Vaisakheswara Swamy Alayam' was believed to be consecrated by celestial being in the seabed. "Bellam Vinayakudu is located just opposite the Kanchu temple," adds the chief priest.

Vinayaka Chavithi may just have concluded but every 'chavithi' that falls after the full moon, elaborate rituals will be performed from 5 pm to 8 pm at the shrine. By offering jaggery to Bellam Vinayakudu, devotees have a strong faith that they will be bestowed with His blessings.