The self-manifested two-armed idol of Lord Ganesha at Redi is renowned across the state as the deity who fulfills wishes. Near the Redi port, in the mineral mining area, this idol miraculously appeared through a divine vision on 18th April 1976. Sadanand Nagesh Kamble, a young man from Nagola Wadi in Redi, was working as a truck driver for an iron ore company. His truck frequently travelled between the mining site and the port, carrying loads of ore. On 18th April 1976, he parked his truck at a particular spot. When he later tried to start the truck, it wouldn’t start. Eventually, he decided to sleep in the truck. Around dawn, he had a dream in which Lord Ganesha appeared and said, “I am here—bring me out.” Startled and frightened, Kamble tried starting the truck again, and this time it started instantly. He then informed the villagers about the strange experience. ... When the local people came to know of it, they sought divine guidance from the village deity, Shri Maulidevi, through an oracle. The response received was: “Dig until the idol is revealed.” Sadanand Kamble and Vasudev Juvelkar, with the help of some labourers from the mining company, began digging. Just two days after excavation began, parts of the idol—its face and ears—started becoming visible. On 1st May 1976, exactly twelve days later, the entire idol was unearthed. This idol, carved from a single piece of laterite stone, is six feet tall and three feet wide. It is in a seated posture, with one leg folded. One of the idol’s hands is raised in a blessing gesture, and the other holds a modak (a sweet). Shri Maulidevi gave another divine message that the idol should be installed at the same location where it was found. About a month and a quarter later, during further digging in front of the idol, a large mouse carved in stone—Lord Ganesh’s traditional vehicle—was discovered. The idol was then plastered and painted to enhance its appearance, but this process also obscured its original stone form. A beautiful temple has since been constructed at this site for Lord Ganesha. The temple is large and includes a spacious assembly hall. On every Sankashti (a sacred day dedicated to Lord Ganesha), large crowds of devotees gather here.
© Suresh Nimbalkar