PM Modi Marks 25 Yrs In Public Office At Delhi’s Shri Vinayak Mandir, A Temple With A 65-Yr History

Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a major milestone in his political journey on Wednesday, October 7, as he completed 25 years in public office. On the occasion, PM Modi visited the Shri Vinayak Mandir in Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar and offered prayers to Lord Ganesha, seeking blessings for the well-being of his “family members across the country.”

PM Modi Offers Prayers At Shri Vinayak Mandir In Delhi

The milestone marks 25 years since PM Modi first took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001. He served as Gujarat CM until May 2014 before becoming Prime Minister in May that year, a position he continues to hold.

For the occasion, PM Modi performed puja at the Shri Vinayak Mandir and prayed for the happiness, prosperity and good health of people across the country. He also invoked Lord Ganesha, traditionally worshipped as Vighnaharta, seeking blessings for the nation’s continued progress.

आज नई दिल्ली के श्री विनायक मंदिर में पूजा-अर्चना की।

भगवान श्री गणेश से देशभर के अपने परिवारजनों की सुख-समृद्धि और उत्तम स्वास्थ्य की कामना की।

विघ्नहर्ता की कृपा से सबका कल्याण हो और देश निरंतर प्रगति के मार्ग पर आगे बढ़ता रहे। https://t.co/ZPADyotAFk

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 7, 2026

But did you know that the temple where the Prime Minister chose to mark the occasion has a story of its own.

Located in Sarojini Nagar, the Shri Vinayak Mandir has its roots in Delhi’s South Indian community. The temple’s official history states that, as early as 1950, members of the South Indian community in the capital felt the need for a temple where devotees could follow their traditional pujas, rituals and rites.

A group of philanthropists and Delhi residents subsequently came together to form the Sree Vinayaka Mandir Committee, which was registered in 1953. The committee’s primary objective was to establish a temple dedicated to Lord Vinayaka in the national capital.

A small temple, complete with a sanctum sanctorum and surrounding prakaram, was then built through voluntary contributions from the public. The idol of *Sree Siddhi Buddhi Sametha Karpaga Vinayakar, sculpted by sthapathis from South India, was consecrated on August 24, 1961, in what was then known as Vinay Nagar, now Sarojini Nagar.

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A Temple That Has Grown With Delhi’s South Indian Community

Over the years, the temple grew beyond its original structure. Idols of Lord Hanuman and the Navagrahas were added, while a separate shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva was consecrated in June 1983. The Shiva temple houses a Swayambhu Linga of Omkareshwarar brought from the Narmada river, along with idols of Parvati, Ganesha and Kartikeya.

Today, the Shri Vinayak Mandir is not just a place of daily worship. Its history reflects the role temples have traditionally played as centres of cultural and community life.

The temple conducts daily abhishekams and pujas, along with special rituals during important occasions. It has also hosted several major Vedic programmes, including Maharudram, Athirudram, Maha Mrityunjaya Homam and Sahasra Chandi. The temple has also been conducting evening Veda classes for beginners since 1979.

The temple celebrated its golden jubilee in 2011, marking 50 years since the consecration of its main Vinayaka idol. The celebrations included a year-long series of Vedic rituals and cultural programmes, followed by a Swarna Bhandhana Kumbabhishekam in June 2011.

One of its distinctive traditions is the recitation of Swapageetham at the end of the day. Devotees have darshan of Lord Vinayaka with his consorts Siddhi and Buddhi before a set of eight special shlokas is recited and the curtain to the sanctum is drawn. The temple also follows a Siddhi-Buddhi Vivaha ritual, which is performed every year after Vinayaka Chaturthi.

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Cover Image Courtesy: X/@narendramodi