- Rakhadi Baba Temple, Nimboli (3-minute walk from Fire Mountain)
Rakhadi Baba’s Temple in Nimboli is the site of a naturally arising shiva lingham. “The lingam is a column-like or oval (egg-shaped) symbol of Shiva, the Formless All-pervasive Reality, made of stone, metal, or clay. The Shiva Linga is a symbol of Lord Shiva – a mark that reminds of the Omnipotent Lord, which is formless. In Shaivite Hindu temples, the linga is a smooth cylindrical mass symbolizing Shiva. It is found at the centre of the temple, often resting in the middle of a rimmed, disc-shaped structure, a representation of Shakti. Bhagawan Nityananda cleared the jungle around and consecrated this shiva lingham for Rakhadi Baba.
http://www.nityanandatradition.org/lineage/rakhadi.html
- Nityananda Temple, Ganeshpuri (10-minute rickshaw into Ganeshpuri from Fire Mountain: Cost Rs. 100 each way. Rickshaw will seat 2 – 4 people)
Shri Bhagawan Nityananda is said to have been an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Still others say he was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and, still others claim that he was the very incarnation of Lord Krisha. Is it any wonder that, when people pressed Bade Baba about such details, he responded by saying “You want me to tell you about myself? How is that possible when I have realized that I am in everything and there is nothing around me in which I don’t find my own Self?” He went on to say that his parents and brothers were those who loved God and worked to serve God.
http://www.bhagawannityananda.org/
http://namonityananda.blogspot.in/2011/10/divine-land-of-ganeshpuri.html
- Shaligram (Live Samadhi) Temple, Ganeshpuri (near Nityananda Temple)
“Sadguru Shaligram Swami took Sanjeevan Samadhi on 27th of April 1961 in Ganeshpuri with the permission of Bhagwan Nityanand Swami. At that time, Bhagwan Nityanand himself told everyone that Brahmagayatri has blessed Shaligram Swami. He is a Hathayogi. He wants to take live Samadhi. So build a proper and good Samadhi with ash and precious items. Seat him in the Samadhi facing south. Do not crack his head because sitting in this Samadhi he is going to serve the mankind for 500 years”
http://www.bhagawannityananda.org/shaligram.html
- Muktananda MahaSamadhi, Gurudev Siddha Peeth (15 minute rickshaw ride from Fire Mountain. Cost: 150 each way. Rickshaw will seat 2 – 4 people)
Muktananda was born in 1908 near Mangalore in Karnataka State, India, into a well-off family. His birth name was Krishna Rau.
At age 15 he encountered Bhagavan Nityananda, a wandering avadhoot who profoundly changed his life. After this encounter, Krishna left home and began his search for the experience of God. He studied under Siddharudha Swami at Hubli, where he learned Sanskrit, Vedanta and all branches of yoga, and took the initiation of sannyasa in the Sarasvati order of the Dashanami Sampradaya, taking the name of Swami Muktananda. After Siddharudha's death, Muktananda began wandering India on foot, studying with many different saints and gurus.
In 1947 Muktananda went to Ganeshpuri to receive the darshan of Bhagavan Nityananda, the saint who had originally inspired Muktananda's search for God. He received shaktipat initiation from him at 15 August of that year. Muktananda often said that his spiritual journey didn't truly begin until he received shaktipat from the holy man Bhagavan Nityananda. According to his description, it was a profound and sublime experience. Muktananda spent the next nine years living and meditating in a little hut in Yeola. He wrote about his sadhanaand kundalini-related meditation experiences, in his autobiography. In 1956, Bhagawan Nityananda acknowledged the culmination of Muktananda's spiritual journey, and gave him a small piece of land at Ganeshpuri, near Bombay, instructing Muktananda to create an ashram there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muktananda
- Vajeshwari Goddess Temple, Vajeshwari (25-minute rickshaw ride from Fire Mountain. Cost: 200 each way. Rickshaw will seat 2 – 4 people)
The Shree Vajreshwari Yogini Devi Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Vajreshwari.
The Puranas mention the region of Vadvali (aka Vajeshwari) as a place visited by Rama and Parashurama, avatars of the god Vishnu. The legend says that Parashurama performed a yajna (fire offering) at Vadvali and the hills of volcanic ash in the area are its residue.
The primary deity of the temple, Vajreshwari (vajreśvari), also spelled Vajreshvari, also known as Vajrábái and Vajrayogini, is considered an incarnation of the goddess Parvati or Aadi-Maya on earth. Her name literally means "the lady of the Vajra (thunderbolt)". There are two legends about the goddess' origins, both associated with the Vajra.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajreshwari_Temple https://youtu.be/pxYuijjOOP4
https://www.facebook.com/169735623050673/videos/10151604235398150/
- Gorakshanath/Matsyendranath Mandir, Vajeshwari (next to Vajeshwari Temple)
There are several temples in India dedicated to Gorakshanath. According to tradition, his samadhi shrine (tomb) resides at the Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur. However, Bhagawan Nityananda has stated that the samadhi shrines of both Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath reside at Nath Mandir near the Vajreshwari temple about a kilometer from Ganeshpuri, Maharashtra, India.
https://www.internationalnathorder.org/natha/ https://youtu.be/Pj0iM-N9ztw
https://www.facebook.com/169735623050673/videos/10151604198183150/
- Parusharama Temple (~45-minute car ride each way. Cost: 1800 roundtrip for car that seats 6)
Parshurama is a Chiranjivi (immortal) avatar.
In the Mahabharata, he is the teacher of warrior Karna. In the regional literature of Kerala, he is the founder of the land, the one who brought it out of the sea and settled a Hindu community there. He is also known as Rama Jamadagnya and Rama Bhargava in some Hindu texts. Parashurama retired in the Mahendra mountain, according to chapter 2.3.47 of the Bhagavata Purana. He is the only Vishnu avatar who never dies, never returns to abstract Vishnu and lives in meditative retirement. Further, he is the only Vishnu avatar that co-exists with other Vishnu avatars Rama and Krishna in some versions of the Ramayana and Mahabharata respectively.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parashurama
He spoke about Lord Parashuram spending most of his childhood days there at the Holy Mandakini (aka Mandagni or Fire) Mountain where he had also performed a yagna.
This temple is believed to have been built by Bhima (Pandava) and he shared that this temple was worshiped by many and many sages including tantriks came for sadhana. We were told there are some mysteries to this temple. On entering the temple it was enchantingly beautiful and we got into a deeper enclosure where the idol of Lord Parshurama stood. http://namonityananda.blogspot.in/2011/10/divine-land-of-ganeshpuri.html
- Parusharama Tapovan Ashram and Vedic Studies Institute (~30-minute car ride each way. Cost: 1200 roundtrip for car that seats 6)
A classic Vedic school for the training of young boys in the science of the Vedas.
https://www.facebook.com/169735623050673/videos/10151611836888150/
- Shri Atmalingeshwar Mandir, Shivansai (~30-minute rickshaw ride each way. Cost: Rs. 700 roundtrip. Rickshaw will seat 2 – 4 people)
It is a great devotional place must visit in Vasai-Virar. This temple of Lord Shiva is believed to be filled with high energy and devotees here believe you can feel the aura of Mahadev himself.
https://www.facebook.com/169735623050673/videos/10151604223788150/
- Jivdani Goddess Temple, Virar (~1 hour car ride each way. Cost: 2000 roundtrip for car that seats 6)
The legendary story of Jivdani Devi is as follows: During their forest journey, Pandavascame to Shurparaka. They visited the holy temple of Vimaleshwar consecrated by Lord Parashuram and on their journey to Prabhas halted on the banks of Vaitarni river. There they worshipped the Bhagavati Ekaveera on the banks of Viraar Tirtha and seeing the serenity and lofty nature decided to carve caves in the nearby mountains. They did so on the hills nearby and installed and worshipped the Yoga Linga of Ekaveera devi in one of the caves. They called her Bhagavati Jeevadhani (That is Goddess, who is the real wealth of life). Doing so Pandavas also made a set of small caves now known as "Pandav Dongri" about a mile from Shirgaon for the hermits. Many yogis used to stay in Pandav Dongri and have darshan of Jeevdhani Devi.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jivdani_Mata
Nityananda Cave on Mt. Mandagni (aka Mt. Mandakini) (~half day challenging hike. Pricing upon request)
Bade Baba (Nityananda) mentioned that many famous Siddhas lived in the mountain. The great Sage Vasishta performed a yagna here at Ganehspuri. The hot kunds (more than 360 of them) in this area were created by Sage Vasishta the comfort of the sages who had come for the yagna. In very ancient times many famous Siddhas have done tapas in this region. During one of the yagna, Sage Vasishta installed the idol of Lord Ganesh in a temple and thus the name 'Ganeshpuri'.
http://namonityananda.blogspot.in/2011/10/divine-land-of-ganeshpuri
http://firemountainretreat.blogspot.in/2009/10/we-climbed-to-top-of-mount-mondagni.html