Famous Temples in India

Religious Significance

The origins of Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj are untraceable in history. A Banyan tree in old Shegaon. Two youngsters noticed a peculiar personality strongly built, Fair in complexion, Young in age, Peculiar calmness and satisfaction on face. Searching rice particles on the patrawalies and chanting Gan Gan Ganat Bote. No effect on face of scorching heat of summer noon time. That was the first appearance of Gajanan Maharaj in tiny Shegaon Town. The personality was so impressive that the tow youngsters, Bankatlal and Damodar were attracted to the charm, And then began the legendary life, his legendary charisma. He used to keep away from the worldly things. But though he tried to the people that he is in same, he has no literary knowledge. It is amply proved that - he was Bedshastree Sampnna, he was perfect in Yogashastra and that he had done Tapascharya and he even knew the language of animals and birds. That's why Mahan Yogies, learned people and famous personalities used to come to see him. He had gives people advice to his devotees. He could read the mind of his Bhakta. Those who came to see him with some purpose in mind, always went home satisfied. In Vidarbha without showing (giving) him Naivedhya nobody take one's meal. Because of the immense good done to the devotees. He had become a legendary phenomenon. There are hundreds & Thousand of Temples in all the parts of Maharashtra as well as outside Maharashtra of his name. 

According to a legend, a money lender named Bankat Lal Agarwal first saw Gajanan Maharaj in a "superconscious state" on 23 February 1878 on a street, eating leftover food which was thrown (and thus spreading the message of food is life and food should not be wasted). Sensing him to be not an ordinary man who needs food to eat but a Yogi, Bankat took him home and asked Maharaj to stay with him. In his lifetime, he performed many miracles such as giving a fresh lease on life to one Janrao Deshmukh, lighting the clay-pipe without fire, filling a dry well with water, drawing sugar cane juice by twisting canes with his hands, curing leprosy of a man, curing himself of the many bites of honey bees, etc. Some of the above acts are because Shri Gajanan Maharaj knew Yoga Shastra on his own admission in the book by Shri Das Ganu Maharaj. During a public meeting on the occasion of Shiv Jayanti, the great freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak met Gajanan Maharaj. When Tilak delivered a charismatic speech, Maharaj predicted that Tilak would get a very harsh sentence by the British Raj. Maharaj's words did come true, however, Tilak is said to have taken blessings of Maharaj and his Prasad which helped him in writing his book – Shrimadh Bhagavad Gita Rahasya, which is the summarised version of the holy book of Hindus, the Bhagavad Gita.