Pitambar Maharaj Samadhi Temple

Kondoli, Taluka Manora, District Washim

The village of Kondoli in Manora taluka has attained the status of a pilgrimage site due to the sacred presence of Pitambar Maharaj, the prime disciple and spiritual son of the Yogiraj Saint Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon. Pitambar Maharaj, who had the privilege of the company and service of Gajanan Maharaj for a full twenty-four years, was himself a saint of high spiritual stature. Legends of the many miracles he performed in Kondoli are widely prevalent. A magnificent Samadhi temple dedicated to him has been erected here on the banks of the Arunavati River. Alongside this, the Samadhi shrine of Saint Lala Maharaj, who was like a brother to Pitambar Maharaj, is also located here.

In the galaxy of saints who graced Maharashtra during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the name of the Yogi of Shegaon, Saint Gajanan Maharaj, is held in the highest regard. The early life of Gajanan Maharaj remains unknown. However, it is believed that he first manifested in Shegaon on Magh Vadya Saptami, Shake 1800, which corresponds to 23 February 1878. At that time, he was eighteen years old. The saint-poet Das Ganu Maharaj has detailed this account in the scripture ‘Shri Gajanan Vijay’, composed in the year 1939. According to this, on that day, a ritual ceremony for the son of Devidas Paturkar was being held in Shegaon. Rows of people were being served meals for the occasion. At that same time, gentlemen named Bankatlal Agarwal and Damodarpant Kulkarni were passing by. Suddenly, they saw a young boy sitting and eating food from a discarded leaf plate, wearing an old, tattered vest, holding a chillum in his hand, and with a gourd vessel nearby. That was the first sighting of Gajanan Maharaj in Shegaon. After this incident, Gajanan Maharaj walked away from there. He was seen again four days later. On that day, a kirtan by Govindbuwa Taklikar was being held in the village. Bankatlal Agarwal and Pitambar, a tailor in the village, were on their way to listen to it. At that time, they saw Gajanan Maharaj again at the site of the kirtan. This was the first time Pitambar had the darshan of Gajanan Maharaj. That date must have been February 26 or 27, 1878. At that time, Gajanan Maharaj showed Pitambar a miracle by dipping his water pot into a stream filled with muddy, ankle-deep water and drawing out crystal-clear water from it. Seeing this, Pitambar became a devoted follower of Gajanan Maharaj. Later, when the Maharaj’s math was built on the land of Sakharam Asolkar in Shegaon, Pitambar began living there with the Maharaj, along with Bhaskar, Balabhau, Ganesh Appa of Amravati, and Ramchandra Gurav. Das Ganu has compared these five individuals to the Pandavas.

A few years after this, Pitambar, following the command of Gajanan Maharaj, parted ways with him. The story of this event is narrated in the 12th chapter of ‘Shri Gajanan Vijay’. One day, seeing the tattered dhoti worn by Pitambar, who was residing at the Math, Gajanan Maharaj gave him a fine garment to wear. Some of the disciples of Maharaj began to taunt Pitambar regarding this. This led to an argument. Consequently, Gajanan Maharaj asked Pitambar to leave the Math. Describing this, Das Ganu Maharaj stated, “Never was there such devotion, nor shall there be. Discord arose among the disciples, which Gajanan resolved in such a manner. Addressing Pitambar as Guruvarya, he said, ‘You must depart from here.’ Just as a mother keeps her child at a distance once it has grown wise, so did he.” With tear-filled eyes, Pitambar then left Shegaon and came to reside upon a mango tree in Kondoli. There, to test him, the villagers challenged him to make the withered mango tree lush and green. Through the grace of Gajanan Maharaj, Pitambar Maharaj performed this miracle. Following this, everyone prostrated at the feet of Pitambar Maharaj. It is said that this event took place in the year 1902. It was here that Pitambar Maharaj established his Math.

Within a few months of Pitambar Maharaj arriving here from Shegaon, on the occasion of Mahashivratri in the year 1903, Gajanan Maharaj himself appeared here to meet his supreme disciple. Saint Lala Maharaj from the village of Darwha in Yavatmal district eventually began to reside here alongside Pitambar Maharaj. Lala Maharaj was like a brother to Pitambar Maharaj. During his lifetime in Kondoli, stories of miracles performed by Pitambar Maharaj, such as digesting poison and transforming water in a barrel into ghee, are narrated here. According to available references, Saint Pitambar Maharaj merged into the infinite in the year 1913. Ashadh Krishna 12 is his punyatithi (death anniversary). Later, the villagers built his samadhi temple here. After renovation, the temple has attained its current magnificent form.

This ‘Shri Pitambar Maharaj Guru Shri Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan’ is situated in a vast area on the banks of the Arunavati River, outside the village of Kondoli. The upper part of the entrance gate of this temple features a three-arched structure topped with three small spires. Upon entering from here, one reaches the main assembly hall (Sabhamandap) of the temple. There is another entrance to the left of the assembly hall. Except during festival periods, devotees can enter through this left entrance. The temple is structured into an assembly hall and a sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha). In the assembly hall, near the main entrance, there is a large platform housing three shrines dedicated to Saint Narayandev Maharaj, There are idols of Saint Pitambar Maharaj and Saint Purushottam Dev Maharaj.

On the front wall of the sanctum sanctorum, on both sides of the entrance, there are sculptures of gatekeepers holding maces. Above these sculptures are lamp niches. The door frame of the entrance is adorned with floral and leaf carvings, and an image of Lord Ganesha is carved on the lintel. In the center of the sanctum sanctorum, on a square pedestal, stands the idol of Lala Maharaj. On the pedestal built into the wall behind this idol are the idols of Lord Ganesha, Saint Dnyaneshwar, Gajanan Maharaj, Saint Tukaram, and Vitthal-Rukmini. In the temple courtyard, there is the Saint Pitambar Maharaj Hall, as well as a large building for the trust’s office. In front of the hall, an idol of Saint Gajanan Maharaj is consecrated on a raised platform.

In this temple, devotees can have darshan of the Samadhi site from 6 in the morning until 9 at night. A grand fair is held here every Mahashivratri. This fair is organized at the Sansthan to commemorate the meeting between Saint Gajanan Maharaj and Pitambar Maharaj that took place on the day of Mahashivratri. During this seven-day festival, various programs such as Shiv Mahapuran Katha, Gyan Yajna, Bhajans, Kirtans, discourses, processions, Dindi ceremonies, and Mahaprasad are organized. Many devotees participate in this festival. The death anniversary of Saint Purushottam Maharaj Dev, who attained Samadhi here, is also celebrated on Ashadh Shuddha Saptami with various religious programs.

In the year २०२४, this temple was included in the State Tourism Development Scheme. Under this, the state government has sanctioned a fund of one and a half crore rupees to the temple trust for the construction of a devotee residence and other tourism development works at the temple.

Useful Information:

• 6 km from Manora
• 64 km from Washim
• ST bus and private vehicle facilities available from Manora
• Private vehicles can reach the temple parking lot
• Accommodation and breakfast facilities are available in the premises
• Contact: Temple Office, Mob. ८८८८७०४४१५