PANDHARPUR TRAVEL DIARY--PART  ONE 

Pandharpur- Uttara Chidambaram –Gondavale- Tuljapur  Tour – PPR tour diary

We went on a tour to Pandharpur, Gondhavale and Tuljapur.

As an introduction I cover the most eminent saints of Maharashtra.

The following statement is rightly famous.

Jnanadeva laid the foundation ;

Namadeva raised the walls ;

Eknath put the roofs and

 Tukaram built the Dome.

Thus, the mighty edifice of Marathi Culture was built up.

Let us have a glimpse.

 Sant Dnyaneshwar (1275-1296 AD)

He was the greatest saint of Maharashtra. He was born in 1275 AD in a Brahmin family at Apegaon near Paithan situated on the banks of the river Godavari. He was blessed with divine knowledge and showed signs of greatness from his childhood. He is said to have performed many miracles. It cannot be denied that he was highly learned and talented.

He wrote a beautiful commentary in Marathi on the Bhagavad Gita called the Dnyaneshwari at the tender age of 15. Besides his famous work, Dnyaneshwar also wrote Amritanuhhava and Bhavartha Dipika in Marathi. His followers belonged to all castes, as he did not believe in the caste system.

He condemned rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices in religious worship. His followers are known as Varkaris. They believe in attaining the presence of God through religious songs or Bhajans and prayers. They worship Lord Vithoba whom they believe to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Sant Namdeo-1270--1350 A D

Sant Namdeo was a follower of Sant Dnyaneshwar. He was a tailor by caste and was five years older than his guru. He travelled all over Maharashtra with Sant Dnyaneshwar. Following the teachings of his celebrated master, he believed in the equality of all men. He advised people to follow the Bhakti Marga or the path of deep devotion to God.

He created in them a strong desire to protect their religion and have a deep love for their motherland! Like Kabir, he condemned idol worship. He carried on the work of Sant Dnyaneshwar after the latter s death in 1296 AD.

He composed songs not only in Marathi but also in Hindi and spread the message of equality within and outside Maharashtra. He travelled all over India and also went to Punjab. Some of his devotional songs are found in the Granth Sahib and other religious books of the Sikhs. His songs are sung with great love and devotion not only in Maharashtra but also in other parts of the world.

Sant Eknath--1533---1599

He lived in the sixteenth century. Sant Eknaths beliefs and teachings were similar to those of the great Maratha saints, Sant Dnyaneshwar and Namdeo. He advocated social equality and preached the abolition of distinctions based on class, caste, and creed. Thus, he carried on the work started by Dnyaneshwar and Namdeo. He preached that one could devote oneself to God by leading a normal family life and discharging all functions of a householder.

He did not believe in rituals, ceremonies, and other orthodox ways of worship. He preferred to use Marathi in his religious discourses and composed songs in the language of the common people. He wrote numerous religious songs called Abhangas, Owees, and Bharuds. These songs are still very popular in Maharashtra.

Sant Tukaram (1608-1651 AD)

Sant Tukaram was a contemporary of Chatrapati Shivaji, and though he never met the Maratha ruler, Shivaji was greatly influenced by his ideas. Sant Tukaram was born in a Vaishya family in 1608 AD in a village near Poona.

He was deeply religious even in his childhood and spent his time singing devotional songs in praise of his favorite deity. Lord Vithoba of Pandharpur. Like Dnyaneshwar, Namdeo, Eknath, and other Maratha saints, he believed in the Bhakti Marga or path of devotion to God. He often sang songs in praise of Lord Vithoba.

He visited the temple of Lord Vithoba at Pandharpur twice a year in the months of Ashad (June-July) and Kartik (October-November). Sant Tukaram sang devotional songs which he himself composed.

He performed keertans at devotional gatherings and sang his own devotional songs called Abhangas. Thousands of people flocked to listen to him. He preached them the virtues of piety, forgiveness and peace of mind. He also gave them the message of equality and brotherhood.

Samarth Guru Ramdas 1606--1681 A.D

Guru Ramdas was also a contemporary of Chatrapati Shivaji. He was Shivajis chosen friend, philosopher, and guide. Shivaji was influenced by the ideas of both Sant Tukaram and Guru Ramdas. His real name was Narayan, but he preferred to call himself Ramdas meaning the servant of Rama.

He was a born devotee and was deeply religious from his childhood. He had decided to devote himself to religion and to the worship of Lord Rama. He carried out a great amount of penance (tapasya) at Panchavati (Nasik), a place associated with Lord Rama’s life in exile. Ramdas became a great admirer of Hanuman and looked upon him as the god of strength and an apostle of Brahmacharya.

Guru Ramdas lived during the period when there was some amount of religious persecution from the Muslim sultans in the Deccan. He advised the people to be strong enough to protect their faith. He made Lord Rama and Hanuman his ideals. He built a number of temples in honor of Hanuman in Maharashtra. He preached to the people that religion is the most precious possession of man.