Shirdi-SaiBaba

SHIRDI DARSHAN (Near about Historical and Famous Places)

1. Bhagwati Mata Temple

Location : Kolhar, Tal. Rahata, District. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India, Distance from Shirdi 22 Km.

Importance : Jagrut Devsthan. There are Kolhapurs Mahalaxmi, Tulajapurs Tulajabhawani, Wanis Saptashrungi and Mahurs Renuka Mata a Combine only one temple in India.

2. Sant Janardhan Swami (Moungiri Maharaj) Samadhi Temple

Location : , Tal. Kopargaon, District. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. 12 Km From Shirdi

Importance : Nishkama Karmayogi Saint Param Poojya Shri.Janardan Swami (Moungiri) Maharaj is a Maharshi belonging to the traditionally illustrious great saints of our century. Swamiji throughout his life carried out with great devotion, the great task of awakening and liberating the common people from their narrow, routine, materialistic outlook in life.

Sant Shri.Janardan Swamiji was born on 24th September 1914 (Ashwin Shuddha Lalit Panchami, Shake 1836), in the holy land of Marathwada, i.e., at Tapergaon in Kannad Taluk, Aurangabad District in an ordinary humble family of farmers. His father was Shri.Appasaheb Patil Ugale and mother was Smt.Mhalsabai. Even in his early childhood days, he by his actions and words impressed and convinced every one of his divine qualities.

Swamiji practiced the “Sadhana” of religious faith and love of the “Varkari” sampradaya and in a short period he mastered “Yoga Siddhi” based on “Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras”.

Swamiji was an ardent bhakta of Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva since his childhood days. Therefore, he undertook severe fasts for his favorite deities regularly. He had vision of Nageshwara Shiva, Pinakeshwara Shiva and Pareshwar Shiva. He used to conduct religious rituals regularly which he practiced during his disciple-hood day’s right up to the end that is till the day he merged into “Parabrahma”. He personally studied all the Vedas, religious scriptures and complied the proved (Siddha) mantras and prepared rules for daily religious rituals. He would start his day at 3:30 am and finish all his daily rituals by Sunrise. Similarly, every day he would collectively with devotees conduct daily religious rituals, pranayama, japa and dhyana and deliver“Pravachana” every morning and evening.

Swamiji exhibited miraculous and divine powers on several occasions.

Swamiji personally took up and completed renovation / reconstruction work of several shiva temples which had become dilapidated due to inactivity by Shiva devotees, and also took up the construction of new Shiva Temples at 9 places in Maharashtra.

Swamiji also undertook valuable work related to the field of education. He established Gurukul type schools and schools based on Vedic traditions at Ellora, Dhamane, Aurangabad and Bhet Kopargaon. He established Hostels with free stay and food facilities for poor boys at Triambakeshwar, Nasik, Aurangabad and Kopargaon. He started “Goshala” in each of his Ashrams where a large number of Cows and Calves were taken care of.

Swamiji regularly conducted religious functions during the festival days of Akshay-Tritiya, Nagapanchami, Datta Jayanti and Guru Poornima. During the festival days Japa Anushthana was conducted. Special Yagna was conducted on Akshay-Tritiya day of every year. Annadan was done during these festival days in the Ashram.

Swamiji, who always consistently abhorred wealth, status, titles and publicity for himself, led a life of severe hard work and penance up to his age of 75 years. He fully devoted to general welfare of the masses and strived for world peace. Thus, Swamiji was an Ideal Social Reformer who always strived for the betterment of Society. Because of his life of sacrifice, even though Swamiji discarded his mortal body to the five elements of nature on10th December 1989 at 4:35 am in the Nasik Ashram, yet by his miraculous deeds he remains immortal – deathless and everlasting.

Just three days before his Mahanirvana he had instructed some ten or twelve of his close disciples, that his mortal remains should be buried in the Ashram at Kopargaon Bet. Accordingly his body was carried in a procession and buried in the Ashram at Kopargaon Bet on 11th December 1989. Lakhs of his devotees attended the burial. On the 16th day of his Mahanirvana (Shodashi) religious ceremony, 7 lakhs devotees were present.

On his first death anniversary, the groundbreaking ceremony (Bhoomi Pooja) of the “Samadhi Mandir” was performed. This ceremony was performed at the August hands of Jyothishpeethaddheesha Param Poojya Jagadguru Shankaracharya Vasudevananda Saraswati Swami and was attended by many Saints from different parts of India.

3. Vishwatmak Jungli Maharaj Ashram

Location : Kokamthan, Tal. Kopargaon, District. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. 8 Km. from Shirdi

Importance : Vishwatmaka

4. SaiBaba Tapobhumi

Location : Tal. Kopargaon, District. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. 16 Km From Shirdi.

5) Sadguru Shri Upasani Maharaj & Godawari Mata Samadhi Temple

Location : .Sakori, Tal. Rahata, District. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. 3 Km from Shirdi.

Godawari Mata : Shri Upasni Maharaj’s ashram at Sakori was later blessed by His close women disciple Shri Sati Godavari Mata. At present Sakori is a place of worship for thousands of devotees who come there all the year round. Meher Baba also occasionally visited Sakori after Maharaj dropped His body. Meher Baba had the longest association with Maharaj, amongst the five Perfect Masters.

6) Shri Virbhadra Temple

Location : Rahata, Tal. Rahata, District. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. 4 Km. From Shirdi

Importance :This famous Veerabhadra Mandir is situated in Rahata Village at a distance of just 5 Kilometers from Shirdi.

A special mention has been made about this Mandir in Chapter 5 of Shri Sai Satcharitra which is as follows:Once a Fakir from Ahmednager by name Javahar Ali, came to Rahata with his disciples and stayed in Bakhal (spacious room) near Veerabhadra temple. The Fakir was learned, could repeat the whole Koran and had a sweet tongue. Many religious and devout people of the village came to him and began to respect him. With the help of the people, he started to build an Idgah ( a wall before which Mahomedans pray on Idgah day), near the Veerabhadra temple. There was some quarrel about this affair, on account of which, Javahar Ali had to leave Rahata. Then he came to Shirdi and lived in the Masjid with Baba. People were captured by his sweet talk, and he began to call Baba his disciple. Baba did not object and consented to be his Chela. Then both Guru and Chela decided to return to Rahata and live there. The Guru (Teacher) never knew his disciple’s worth, but the disciple knew the defects of the Guru, still he never disrespected him, observing carefully his duties. He even served the Master in various ways. They used to come to Shirdi off and on, but their main stay was in Rahata. The loving devotees of Baba in Shirdi did not like, that Baba should stay away from them in Rahata. So they went in a deputation to bring Baba back to Shirdi. When they met Baba near the Idgah and told the purpose for which they came, Baba said to them that the Fakir was an ill-tempered fellow, he would not leave him and that they should better return to Shirdi without him, before the Fakir returned. While they were thus talking, the Fakir turned up and was very angry with them for trying to take away his disciple. There was some discussion and altercation and it was finally decided that both the Guru and Chela should return to Shirdi. And so they returned and lived in shirdi. But after a few days the Guru was tested by Devidas and he was found wanting. Twelve years before Baba arrived in Shirdi with the marriage-party, this Devidas aged about 10 or 11 came to Shirdi and lived in the Maruti temple. Devidas had fine features and brilliant eyes, and he was dispassion incarnate and a Jnani. Many persons, namely Tatya Kote, Kashinath and others regarded, him as their Guru. They brought Javhar Ali in his presence, and in the discussion that followed, Javahar was worsted and fled from Shirdi. He went and stayed in Bijapur and returned after many years to Shirdi, and prostrated himself before Sai Baba. The delusion that he was Guru and Sai Baba his Chela, was cleared away, and as he repented, Sai Baba treated him with respect. In this case Sai Baba showed by actual conduct how one should get rid of egoism and do the duties of a disciple to attain the highest end, viz., self-realization. This story is told here according to the version given by Mahalsapati ( a great devotee of Baba).

7) Shri Virbhadra Temple (shirdi Ban)

Location : Shirdi, Tal. Rahata, Dist. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. 2 Km. from Shirdi.

8) Shirdi Heritage City

Location : , Tal. Rahata, Dist. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. 1 Km. from Shirdi.

9) Changdev Maharaj Samadhi Temple

Location : Puntamba, . Rahata, Dist. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.12 Km. from Shirdi..

Importance : Puntamba is a market town situated on the banks of the Godavari River. The village contains the 14th and the final resting place of the sage Changdev. The town is known for old temples and traditional schools that specialize in study of the Hindu scriptures or the Vedas.

Changdev Maharaj was a mystical yogi turned saint who is believed to have lived in the village of Vateshwar along the banks of the Tapti River for 1,400 years.[1] Per popular belief, Changdev Maharaj achieved Bhuta Siddhi (control over the classical elements) based on his yogic powers and used these powers to perform various supernatural acts.[2] Even though Changdev Maharaj himself is believed to have had held godly status and followers, his current following is mostly amongst Varkaris due to his association with Dnyaneshwar and Muktabai.

10) Keshav Govinda Temple (Ban)

Location : Belapur, Tal. Shrirampur, District. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. 32 Km from Shirdi.

Importance : Jagrut Devsthan