This 'Ganesh' likes 'bellam' a lot!

At 6:30 am K Satya gets busy attending customers and packing lumps of jaggery they come asking for.

Along with Satya, other vendors next to her vie with one another to pack jaggery for the devotees who frequent the stalls lined before 'Sri Ananda Ganapathi' temple located at one of the cramped lanes at Official Colony in Maharanipeta. The demand for the jaggery lumps varies from a quarter kg to any quantity upwards.

Also known as 'Bellam Vinayakudu', the Elephant-headed God here can be appeased by offering jaggery.

Unlike in other shrines, what makes the deity exclusive in the temple is the trunk of the Ganesh being twirled down towards the right.

Centuries ago, the shrine was said to be developed by a Chola king. The locals say that the temple's also known as 'Butchi Ramalingeswara Swamy Alayam' as it was rebuilt by Butchi Ramayya Pantulu.

Narrating chapters of the temple's history, chief priest D Srikanth Sarma says, "Moon God is known to be a ruler of the heart, commonly known as 'manakkarakudu' and symbolises happiness. It is believed that Moon God himself had consecrated Ganesh and that's the reason the trunk of the deity twirled towards the right. Since Ganesh is fond of 'bellam', it is believed that God grants boon to those offering it to him with love and devotion."

A self-manifested (swayambu) 'Sivalingam' slightly tilted towards southeast forms a part of the shrine. However, except the Sivalingam, Sarma says, the other deities including Suryanarayana and Trishakti Annapurna Devi were believed to be consecrated by the Moon God. Another exceptional feature is that the Sun God on the premises faces south.

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

A large crowd gathers on every Wednesday at the temple as it is considered to be a special day for Ganesh. In addition, elaborate rituals are performed every 'chavithi' that falls after the full moon and during 'sankataharachaturthi'. The temple celebrates 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival that lasts for nine days. Celestial bath with aromatic substances followed by a 'homam' is performed during special occasions.

Those who want their wishes fulfilled offer jaggery and revisit the temple with a larger quantity of jaggery once they were blessed.

The temple bells ring louder as devotees continue to frequent the shrine, offering kilos of jaggery and seeking blessings of Ganesh.

On regular days, the doors of the shrine remain open for the devotees from 6 a.m. to 11:30 am and again between 5 pm and 8 pm.