Cheriyanad Vinayaki Temple

Vinayaki, the female form of Lord Ganesha, is located at Cheriyanad near Alappuzha in Kerala. This rare female form of Vinayaka is known as Vigneshwari or Vallabha Ganeshaani, as described in the Mantra Shastras.

The Vinayaki temple is one of the many deities at the Cheriyanad Sree Balasubramaniya Swamy Temple, which is considered the Desadeva (God of Locality) of Cheriyanad village. It has a wooden statue of Vinayaki located in the “Balikal Pura” of the temple.Goddess Vinayaki has an elephant head and a female body.

The feminine form of Lord Ganesha is considered one of the most powerful goddesses. She grants wisdom to her devotees, and worshipping her before beginning any work will eliminate all obstacles. Goddess Ganeshani, or Ganeshwari, is regarded as a form of Shakti.

According to the Puranas, Andhaka, a powerful demon, was granted a boon by Lord Shiva that made him so powerful that every drop of his blood touching the ground would turn into another Andhaka. In his desire to have goddess Parvati as his wife, he posed a threat to her. To protect herself from the demon, goddess Parvati called upon all Shaktis. Since all divine forms embody both male and female aspects, all gods released their female energy or Shakti to consume the demon’s blood without it touching the ground. Thus, goddess Vinayaki emerged from Lord Vinayaka, as per the Matsya Purana.

As per Linga Purana, the goddess Vinayaki is a demoness deity. Vedas described the appearance of Vidya Ganapathi as the feminine form of Lord Ganapathi.