Ganesh Temple, Jhansi

This small Ganesh temple stands at the approach to Jhansi Fort and is set apart from most temples in the region by its dome-shaped roof. A marble image of Ganesh is enshrined inside. Its fame comes from 1842, when Raja Gangadhar Rao married Manikarnika Tambe here and she received the name Rani Lakshmibai; the queen is also said to have come here to pray.

The temple is said to date from about 1760, but nobody knows for certain who built it. Some credit Vishwas Rao Lakshman, who governed Jhansi as subedar for the Maratha Peshwas between 1766 and 1769, and others his successor Raghunathrao Newalkar, founder of the Newalkar line. Ganesh Chaturthi, falling in August or September, has been the main festival here since before the Rani's time, and many local families still pray at the shrine before bringing a Ganesh idol home. The fort, the Rani Mahal, the Government Museum and the chhatri of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao are all close by.