Gajanan Maharaj Mandir (Shegaon)

India / Maharashtra / Shegaon / station to mandir road
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The origin of Gajanan Maharaj is untraceable.
Gajanan Maharaj is prince amongst saints who first appeared in Shegaon on 23rd February 1878 . A rich moneylender Bankatlal Agarwal is credited with discovering Maharaj at 12.22 pm while scratching food particles from abandoned patravalis to give credence to the saying that Food is Bhahma and should not be wasted. " Annam Brahmeti " is what Maharaj seemed to have expressed. Maharaj was scantily attired and made gesticulations befitting an insane person. But it is the greatness of Bankatlal who did not consider him as insane and logically argued as to why Maharaj must be scratching food particles when sumptuous food was available nearby in a family celebrating a fertility ritual.

There are different schools of thought as to the origin of Maharaj. However no one has been able to conclusively prove when and where Maharaj was born and how he came to Shegaon.

According to Shri Dada saheb Khaparde , a close associate of Lokmanya Tilak , Maharaj was a erudite Brahmin from Telanghana or modern Andhra Pradesh and was well versed in Vedic scriptures and knowledge . Some people have had heard Maharaj speak in Telugu dialect. Many are of the opinion that Maharaj seldom spoke and often made utterances which were cryptic which people could not immediately relate or understand.

Some researchers are of the opinion that Maharaj ran away from home when a small child of 11 or 12 years . He is supposed to have born to a couple identified as Bhavaniram and Shahubai. Gana Sable is supposed to be Maharaj’s name according this group.It is claimed that Maharaj was born in Thal , a hamlet close to Shegaon. A group of people headed by Shri Dada Pandey of Nagpur are setting up a Pratisthan called Sri Gajanan Maharaj Janmasthan Pratishthan in Thal. There is however no clinching evidence , but Pandey swears otherwise . Those with inquisitive bent of mind may contact Shri Dada Pandey at Sri Gajanan kripa , Near Nehru Putla, Itwari , Nagpur 440 002 on Tel No 0712-761578.

It is said that Maharaj was seen by his mother in a fair and when she pleaded with to return home , Maharaj then unknown is supposed to have said – "Ab hum tumhare nahin aur tum hamare nahin" ( now I am not yours, nor you, mine )

In his book " Shegavicha Saavla Deva " the author Sumanbandhu has tried to examine the origin of Maharaj . According to one source in Khamgaon , Shri Pethare , Maharaj was from a family of Deshastha Brahmins of Latkar lineage and Gargya gotra. Another scholarly source from Nagpur Late Shri Aprabuddha claimed that Maharaj was from the family of Gokhales.

It is believed that Maharaj was in the ashram of Akkalkot Swami Samartha for a few days. The young boy when on the way to Akkalkot made Swami say " Ganapati aala re aala " while playing chess, with a reference to Bal Gajanan ( Maharaj). A photo of 11 year old maharaj can be seen in Amravati in Narayan Jamkar’s temple. After getting initial lessons, Maharaj was directed to go and seek training from Yashwant Deo Mamlatdar in Nasik. Maharaj is supposed to have abandoned all his clothes and ran towards Nasik. There in Nasik, Maharaj used to hold several parleys with Brajabhooshan , a great devotee of the Sun God. Deo is supposed to have also put Maharaj in contact with Raghunathdas who was staying near Kapildhara . Thus a rough cut diamond was being polished to attain glitter. Maharaj imbibed lessons in Yoga sadhana, meditation, and detachment. and later attained tremendous prowess in Yoga sadhana under Narsing baba of Akot, a disciple of Kotashya Valli who came from Punjab to Akot in 1850.

While Maharaj was performing sadhana , one Balshastri Gadge of Laad- Karanjya was impressed with the young boy and waited till he finished with his sadhana. Upon completion, Bal shastri is supposed to have invited Maharaj to Lad Karanjya in Vidhabha and Maharaj seems to have obliged. This period is reckoned as 1865when Maharaj stepped into Vidharbha as a young shining star on the horizon.

Maharaj and Bal shastri went to Murtizapur and Maharaj was taken in procession from the Rly Station to Karanja. From there Maharaj suddenly disappeared putting Balshastri in a quandry . However he was traced later and brought back to Shastri’s house. In Shastri’s house, Maharaj imbibed finer points of Vedshastra and music.

From here Maharaj went to Baggi via Chandur where he took darshan of Maniram Baba , a realised soul who hailed from Ayodhya.

From here Maharaj came to Akot and spent a couple of years with Narsing baba . Narsing baba was senior in age, wearing a cloth turban and a " cloth" to cover the vital organs , carrying a stick in his hand. Narsing Baba used to live in a small hut and would wander in the thick jungles fearlessly where wild animals would wander. Perhaps his power was so large that even wild animals must have been tamed by his prowess. Gajanan Maharaj performed the yogic feet of getting the water level in the well to rise upon which Narsing Baba is supposed to have cautioned him not to demonstrate his prowess as devotees would trouble him. Maharaj used these powers sparingly thereafter .

In the jungles of Akot , while Maharaj without any clothes on his body , was in deep meditation . A nomadic woman got attracted to Maharaj’s strong frame and sharp features and under the act of touching Maharaj’s feet , came physically close to Maharaj with a view to fufill her biological desires.

Maharaj had achieved great control over His five senses and was not to be tempted by such desires - " jitendriya " that He was - just a seminal discharge of a drop rendered the dry grass scorch and turn black. This woman then realised that if the biological union with her was to really happen , she could be turned to ashes herself. She then apologised for her conduct and went away. ( source - V K Phadke in the souvenir released to inaugurate GM temple in Kanhor, Badlapur )

After supervising Narsing Baba’s samadhi arrangements on 28-1-1888 , Maharaj is supposed to have calmed the bereaved devotees/disciples of Narsing Baba with some soothing and comforting advice and then, moved to Shegaon at the behest of HIS MASTER, Guru Swami Samartha.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gajanajmaharaj_shegaon_india
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   20°47'30"N   76°42'6"E

Comments

  • the holy place :)i admire
  • good place i like it
  • SHRI SANT GAJANAN MAHARAJ IS OUR GREATEST GOD.sadanand khedkar
  • one of the most femous place
  • दरवर्षीप्रमाणे यावर्षी ११८ वा श्रीरामजन्मोत्सव दि. २३.०३.२०१२ ते दि. ०१.०४.२०१२ पावेतो परंपरेनुसार कार्यक्रम होऊन संपन्न होईल. आपण सर्वांनी उत्सवात सर्वतोपरी सहभागी व्हावे, ही विनंती. १.संस्थेचे यावर्षीचे उत्पन्नात ८ कोटी रु. वाढ होऊन या वर्षीचे सर्व शाखा व आनंदसागर सहीत सर्व उत्पन्न फक्त जवळपास १०० कोटी झाले आहे. सर्व सेवाकामं सेवाभावाने होत आहेत. प्रत्येक कामात ४५% पर्यंत बचतीने ही सर्व कामे होत आहेत. उत्पन्नाचे १३% सर्व आस्थापना खर्च, ६% धार्मिकतेवर, बांधकामावर ११%, उर्वरित ७०% हा शैक्षणिक, वैद्यकीय, सामाजिक व इतर उद्देशाप्रमाणे जनसेवेत. तो परत कसा येईल हा उद्देश नाही. २.आनंदविहार व आनंदसागर विसावा या नूतन संकुलाची निर्मिती. आतापर्यंत आनंदसागर सोडून व सर्व ५७.५० लक्ष स्क्वे. फुट बांधकाम तसेच मार्बलसह १३ मंदिर व १२ धोलपूरीगेट पूर्ण. ३.४१० खोल्यांची सेवक वसाहत व आनंदविहार संकुलात प्राथमिक सुविधांसह १००० संलग्न खोल्याचे बांधकामास सुरुवात. तसेच २२ एकरात एकाच जागी सर्व खातेनिहाय वर्कशॉप व धान्यासह इतर भांडारगृहे. ४.८ तासात ३ लाख भक्तांकरीता महाप्रसादासह भव्य स्वयंपाकगृहाची निर्मिती. ५.या ४२ सेवा श्रीकृपेने व आपल्या सर्वांच्या सहयोगाने निर्विघ्न पार पडत आहे. ६.दररोजचा हिशोब पूर्ण व्हावा म्हणून आधुनिक सॅप सिस्टिम कार्यान्वित आहे. धार्मिक संस्थेत प्रथमच असावी. ७.भक्त निवासात भरपूर खोल्या उपलब्ध. शिवाय पर्यायी निवास व्यवस्था. भक्त निवास क्र. ५ येथे चौकशी करावी. या अगोदर निवासाचे चौकशीबाबत अनेक फोन नंबर जाहीर केले आहेत. शेगाव नजिकचे शहरातून खोलीबद्दल चौकशी करून घ्यावी. ८.मंदिर परिसरात यात्रेचे वेळेस गर्दी होईल हे लक्षात घेऊन वन-वे (एकेरी मार्ग) करण्यात आला आहे. त्यात दर्शनबारी व मुख दर्शनबारी, महाप्रसाद, श्रींचा पारायण मंडप, गादी, पलंग व औदुंबर दर्शनाची व्यवस्था केली आहे. मंदिर परिसरात जोडे, चपला व लॉकरची व्यवस्था ठेवणे शक्य होणार नाही म्हणून नियोजन करून रहाते जागेवरच किवा मंदिर परिसराबाहेर ते ठेवण्याची व्यवस्था करून घ्यावी. जोडे, चपला ठेवण्याची व्यवस्था संस्थानचे भुस्कुटीमळ्यात केली आहे. परिसराचे चारही बाजूने सेवाभावी मंडळांकडून मागचे वेळी विनामूल्य चप्पल स्टँड करण्यात आले होते. यावेळेसी त्याचा उपयोग करू शकता. नंतरच मंदिरात प्रवेश घ्यावा, ही विनंती. श्रींचे नावाने अनेक ठिकाणी मंदिरे होत आहेत. कोणी मंदिर बांधतो, कोणी श्रींच्या पादुका फिरवितो, कोणी मुखवटा स्थापितो, तर कोणी श्रींची पालखी काढतो, तर कोणी केवळ पैसा कमविण्याचा उद्देश ठेवून चित्रपट, मालीका, सी. डी., व्ही. सी. डी. तसेच लकी ड्रॉ काढतात. बाहेर असलेल्या टी. व्ही. मालिका, व्हीडीओ, ऑडीओ कॅसेट, आनंदसागरची कॅसेट या सर्वांशी संस्थानचा कोणताही संबंध नाही. हे सर्व श्रींच्या श्रद्धेपोटी होत असेल तर चांगले. परंतु भक्तांच्या भावनेचा फायदा घेऊन प्रसिद्धी व निव्वळ पैसा जमा करण्याचा धंदा असेल तर भाविकांनी भावनेच्या आहारी न जाता सतर्क रहावे. श्रींच्या नावाने हस्तपत्रक छापून वर्गणी गोळा करणे व संस्थानच्या नामसदृष्य संस्था काढून भक्तांची दिशाभूल करणे, पैसा आकारून श्रींचे नावाने दीपोत्सव साजरे करणे वा अनेक तरहेच्या यज्ञकुंडी यज्ञाद्वारे विशेष प्रचार करून पैसा जमा करण्याचे तंत्र उदयास येत आहे. पादुका, चिलीम, मुखवटा मिरवणे व दर्शनाचा बाजार प्रसिद्धी देऊन मांडणे, स्मरणिका, मासिक, विशेषांक काढून पैसा गोळा करून व स्वत: प्रसिद्धीच्या झोतात येण्याचा प्रयत्न करणे, असे प्रकार आढळतात. अशांपासून भक्तांनी सावध असावे. दानाचा सदुपयोग व्हावा याकरीता संस्थान सर्वतोपरी सेवा देत आहे. निवास व्यवस्थेबाबत असलेली माहिती संस्थानचे अधिकृत वेबसाईटवर उपलब्ध आहे. ुुु.सरक्षरपरपारहरीरक्ष.ेीक्ष -फसवेगीरीचे प्रकार- व्यवस्थापकीय विश्वस्त श्री गजानन महाराज संस्थान, श्री कृपेने व सर्वांच्या सहयोगातून सं
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