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Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The roots play a major role in keeping a plant alive, so is Swayambhu Panchmukhi Ganesh idol located at Snehlataganj who has been a hope for lots of devotees. The idol was unearthed during an excavation in the house of Radheshyam Joshi in 2002. In 1984, Satyanarayan Joshi, son of Radheshyam Joshi, brought an Ankada (Aak) plant from Silawatpura and planted it in the courtyard of his house.
In general the Ankada plant grows up to 8 feet but over the years this plant grew into a tree over 25 feet. ‘We discovered the Ganesh idol years back in November 2002. One day the Shivling from the temple in my house suddenly disappeared and all family members began searching for it.
While we were looking, I received a call from Yasoda Kaushik, the daughter of my paying guest. She told me she had urgent information to tell. I was already anxious about the missing Shivling, so I asked her to speak without delay,’ Satyanarayan Joshi said.
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Yasoda said, ‘I had a dream in which Ganesh extended his hand and told me to take him out. He was buried beneath the Ankada plant in your courtyard.’ Later, I found the Shivling near the temple, which felt like a miracle to me, as we searched at the same place before as well. Reflecting on Yasoda's words, I visited Silawatpura, the place from where I had originally brought the Ankada plant.
The temple priest there advised me to carefully dig around the plant and search for the idol,’ Joshi added. During excavation, we unearthed the Panchmukhi Ankada Ganesh idol in 2002. After which we built a temple and ashram in the same courtyard, now known as Swayambhu Panchmukhi Shree Aankdeshwar Ganeshdham.
The installation (sthapana) of the idol was completed in 2004 by Shri Shri 1008 Mahamandleshwar Girjanand Saraswati Maharaj. This is the only Panchmukhi Ankada Ganesh idol in the city. The idol's trunk is positioned on the right and it is unique in having no stomach and five faces facing in different directions.
