Titwala is a small town near Kalyan in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
History
Shakuntala, with her friends. Painting by Raja Ravi Varma
According to legend, this village was part of Dandakaranya forest where the Katkari tribe lived (the tribal hamlets are located even now close to the town across the Kalu river, approached only by boats). Sage Kanva had his hermitage here. Kanva was the author of several hymns of the scripture Rigveda and one of the Angirasas. He had adopted Shakuntala, who was abandoned immediately after her birth by her parents, sage Vishwamitra and the celestial damsel Menaka. Shakuntala’s story has been narrated in the Hindu epic Mahabharata and dramatised by Kālidāsa, considered the greatest poet and dramatist in Sanskrit language, in his play called the Abhijñānaśākuntalam (“The Recognition of Shakuntala").
King Dushyanta of Gandhara Kingdom while on a battle campaign was passing through the forests when he and Shakuntala fell in love with each other and got married according to the Gandharva rite (exchanging garlands as a marriage vow) in the hermitage. Since Dushyanta had to leave Shakuntala after some time due to unrest in his capital city, he gave Shakuntala a royal signet (a ring) as a sign of their love, promising her that he would return for her.
Once, while Shakuntala was in the hermitage in a pensive dreaming mood thinking about her husband Dushyanta, she did not pay the desired reverential attention to sage Durvasa who was visiting the place. Durvasa, known for his short temper, felt offended by this slight, cursed Shakuntala saying that the person she was dreaming of would forget about her altogether. However later, Durvasa toned down his curse to mean that the person who had forgotten Shakuntala would remember everything again if she showed him a personal token that had been given to her. As per the curse, Dushyanta refused to recognise her.
According to local legend, sage Kanva, realising the gravity of the issue faced by his adopted daughter Shakuntala, directed her to build a shrine in honour of god Ganesha as Siddhi Vinayaka. He assured her that by her sincere prayers Siddhi Vinayaka would bless her and she would once again join her husband Dushyanta. This eventually came true after considerable effort and lapse of time and by which time Shakuntala who had conceived after marrying Dushyanta, also gave birth to a son who came to be known as Bharata according to Mahabharata epic. Pandavas and Kauravas were descendants of Bharata.
Mahaganapati Temple
It is the site of a temple of Ganesha and purportedly the hermitage where Shakuntala was born.
The Siddhivinayak Mahaganapati Temple is located at Titwala. The day of 'Angarika Chaturthi', a holy day in the Hindu Calendar, attracts large crowds. Titwala attracts visitors from the suburbs of Mumbai. Though a part of KDMC (Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Corporation), the town still lacks infrastructure and amenities. Believers claim that if Mahaganapati is worshiped regularly, marriages of those wanting to be united can be arranged and that conflicts between husband and wife can end and those that desire a son, will have one born to them.
The Siddhivinayaka Mahaganapati temple built by Shakuntala with the stated legendary background was submerged under a tank. During the rule of the Peshwa Madhavrao I, to resolve the drought situation in the town, the tank was de-silted to provide drinking water to the town. It was during the de-silting operations that the temple was found buried. The image of god Ganesha was found by Peshwa sardar Ramchandra Mehendale buried in the silt. Soon thereafter, the renovation of the temple was undertaken and a stone temple was built. Peshwa Madhavrao I consecrated the ancient Ganesha image in this new temple, after the conquest of Vasai fort. Initially, the temple was very small with a wooden sabha mandap (audience hall), which was in a run-down condition. Since the Peshwa temple had also degenerated over time, in 1965–66, renovation work was initiated again and a new temple was constructed at the same location
Layout
Titwala is surrounded by rivers. The village is divided in half by the rail line. The western side, falling under the KDMC administration, is not developed, although a police station and a water purification plant are located near the temple. During the floods of 2005, it was cut off from the surrounding cities, including its rail line.
The population pattern of the town follows the road connecting the station and the temple.
Titwala covers an area of 507.881 hectares with a population of 1,485 (per the Census of 1971).
Source: wikipedia