Bhagwan Swaminarayan
Khandesh is a region that comprises northeast Maharashtra. The region shares its border with the states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The land between Songadh and Buranpur is called Khandesh. Three districts comprise Khandesh, namely, Dhuliya, Jalgaon and Nandurbar. The region was predominantly populated with Ahirs and Gopalaks (shepherds). The Gopalaks called it the Land of Kano (Krishna), hence it took the name of Kandesh and later it became transformed into Khandesh.
In the 1700's some Patidars or Patels of the Charotar region of Gujarat migrated to Khandesh. Over a period of time their lifestyle and culture became a blend of Gujarati and Marathi. Their language too became a hybrid of Gujarati and Marathi. Through the travellings of Swaminarayan sadhus they were exposed to Satsang, which was later nourished by Vignandas Swami, Shastriji Maharaj and Nirgundas Swami.
We shall briefly look into how the Satsang in Khandesh developed through the effort and grace of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the Guru parampara.
Bhagwan Swaminarayan had visited the town of Malegaon in Khandesh during his travels as Nilkanth Varni. He stayed for five days in a Shiv mandir by the river Mosam Ganga. He bathed in the river three times a day and performed His daily puja. Whenever aspirants came to Him, He discoursed to them and awakened their past merits. After five days Nilkanth Varni left and continued His travels.
Later, the devotees of Khandesh attended festivals organized by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Many had attended the pratishtha ceremony of the Vartal mandir and participated in the Fuldol festival in Vartal. Adbhutanand Swami had visited Khandesh to spread Satsang with his group of 60 sadhus.
Once, when Shriji Maharaj had a toothache, a vaidya (an ayurvedic doctor), who was a native of Khandesh but a resident of Surat, extracted Maharaj's tooth. (This sacred tooth is in the exhibition of Maharaj's relics in Akshardham, Gandhinagar.)
Gunatitanand Swami
Gunatitanand Swami had personally visited the region of Khandesh and inspired Satsang. Devotees went to avail of his divine discourses and darshan in Junagadh.
Bhagatji Maharaj
Bhagatji Maharaj had gone to Khandesh three times in a divine form.
During his first divine visit Bhagatji Maharaj calmed a crying child by rocking his cradle in the house of Bhukhandas, a devotee of Mohadi village. At that time the women of the house were singing bhajans about the glory of Bhagatji Maharaj.
On another occasion Bhagatji Maharaj gave darshan in a divine form and had a bath by a well in Mohadi.
The third experience of Bhagatji Maharaj's divinity was when he liberated Nimbdibai, a blind satsangi woman of Mohadi, from a ghost. Her brother, Bhukhan Veru took her to Mahuva to be blessed by Bhagatji Maharaj. When Bhagatji Maharaj looked at her the ghost was exorcised and she experienced samadhi and became pervaded by him. From then onwards she behaved like Bhagatji Maharaj. She walked, talked, discoursed and meditated like Bhagatji. On taking her back to Mohadi everyone realized that Bhagatji Maharaj had come to Khandesh through her. She was then taken to the villages on home-visits for sanctifying the homes of devotees. Nimbdibai revealed the thoughts of devotees and blessed them. As a result the devotees realized the glory of Bhagatji Maharaj and they started going to Mahuva to listen to his discourses and be blessed by his divine presence.
Vignandas Swami, a disciple of Bhagatji Maharaj, had also traveled extensively in Khandesh and spread the glory of Bhagatji Maharaj.
Shastriji Maharaj
54th birthday celebration of Shastriji Maharaj in Mohadi
Shastriji Maharaj had visited Khandesh many times. In 1919, Nirgundas Swami arranged the celebration of Vasant Panchmi, the 54th birthday of Shastriji Maharaj, in the village of Mohadi. This was the first birthday celebration of Shastriji Maharaj in the Sanstha. The devotees of Mohadi, Vithal Mahajan, Dhanji Mahajan, Laldas Mahajan and others had invited devotees from the neighbouring villages of Japi, Kusumbe, Varkheda, Dhuliya, etc. When Shastriji Maharaj arrived, a welcome procession was carried out in his honor. On the day of Vasant Panchmi, there was a large gathering of devotees. Shastriji Maharaj placed the Shikshapatri on a small platform, performed pujan and arti and said, "Today is the birth anniversary of the Shikshapatri, Nishkulanand Swami and myself." Then Swami spoke about the glory of the Shikshapatri and Nishkulanand Swami. Thereafter Shastriji Maharaj made 'vedhmi' (a sweet chapati) and personally served them soaked in ghee to the devotees. In this way Shastriji Maharaj pleased the devotees of Khandesh.
Donations for Kalashas of Sarangpur mandir
The devotees of Khandesh were pious and had reverence for Shastriji Maharaj. Once, when Shastriji Maharaj was in Mohadi, Chedibai conveyed to him whether he needed any donations. Shastriji Maharaj told Mohan Bhagat to tell her that he needed money for the kalashas of Sarangpur mandir and that she should contribute according to her faith and means. Instantly Chedibai removed whatever gold jewelry she was wearing and gave them to Mohan Bhagat and said, "Tell Swamishri that I do not have money but I am giving him my jewelry. If this does not suffice for the kalashas then I will send him more." When Mohan Bhagat conveyed this to Shastriji Maharaj, Swamishri was extremely pleased and said, "The jewelry is more than what is required for the kalashas."
Nirgundas Swami visited Khandesh every year and consolidated the devotees' faith in the Akshar Purushottam creed and sang the glory of Shastriji Maharaj.
Shastriji Maharaj fulfills the wishes of devotees
Once the devotees of Khandesh, Shri Himlalbhai of Varkheda, Dhondu Master of Japi and others requested Purushottamdas Swami to write to Shastriji Maharaj to come to Japi. But Shastriji Maharaj wrote back that he could not come. On seeing the disheartened devotees, Purushottamdas Swami said, "You should not be insistent or stubborn but abide by the wish of Shastriji Maharaj. If you have profound love for him then he will come here tomorrow."
The next day while Purushottamdas Swami was discoursing, Shastriji Maharaj, Nirgundas Swami and others arrived. Shastriji Maharaj got down from the bullock cart with the support of a walking stick. After doing Thakorji's darshan, Shastriji Maharaj washed his face, hands and feet and then sat on a seat prepared for him. Then Swamishri said, "It was because of your devotion and desire and the wish of Purushottamdas that I could not resist from coming here. "
Everyone was pleased by the unexpected darshan of Shastriji Maharaj. Such was the profound love the devotees of Khandesh had for Shastriji Maharaj.
Narsinh Bhagat of Kusumbe
Narsinh Bhagat of Kusumbe was a very pious devotee. When he was very young he had gone to Mahuva with his elders. There he had played in the lap of Bhagatji Maharaj. Due to Bhagatji Maharaj's blessings his past merits were awakened. Twelve years later when Narsinh Bhagat went to Mahuva with his father for the second time, Bhagatji Maharaj placed his hands on his head and said that he would become a great devotee. Due to those divine blessings, Narsinh Bhagat had no desire to get married. Later, he requested Shastriji Maharaj to initiate him into a sadhu, but Swami refused and sent him back to spread Satsang in Khandesh. Thereafter he traveled on horseback to spread the creed of Akshar Purushottam in seven villages of Khandesh. When Shastriji Maharaj came to Kusumbe, Narsinh Bhagat was overjoyed. He danced and sang before Shastriji Maharaj with kartals in hand and bells tied to his feet. Such was his love and devotion for Shastriji Maharaj. He was also a poet.
From Kusumbe Shastriji Maharaj went to Sakore and Sonagir. After he left Khandesh, the 30-year-old Narsinh Bhagat became sad. The separation was unbearable for him and he passed away after seven days. The faith and devotion of Narsinh Bhagat and others reflect the profound attachment and admiration of the devotees of Khandesh for Shastriji Maharaj.
Note: The murti of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in the mandirs of Japi and Varkheda was worshipped by Vignandas Swami (disciple of Bhagatji Maharaj), Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj.
Purushottamdas Swami of Varkheda was a dedicated disciple of Bhagatji Maharaj. He was one of the five sadhus to have joined Shastriji when he left the Vartal Sanstha. Thereafter, Purushottamdas Swami bore great hardships with Shastriji Maharaj to spread the Akshar Purushottam creed. His contribution is forever remembered in the annals of Satsang. A memorial shrine in his honor has been established in the Bochasan Mandir.
Yogiji Maharaj
Yogiji Maharaj had visited Khandesh only once with Shastriji Maharaj in 1919. Thereafter Yogiji Maharaj had never visited Khandesh in the time of Shastriji Maharaj and as a guru for 20 years.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj
Swamishri has visited Khandesh nine times. He performed vicharan to please the devotees amidst great physical hardships. He has traveled on dusty, rough roads in bullock cart and scorching sun. He has also traveled in the cold wintery season, resided in mud huts and bathed in open frigid conditions. He has cooked on smoky stoves fueled with wood. There was no electricity and the villages had lots of bedbugs.
Releasing Rajaram Patil
During Swamishri's first visit with Mota Swami he traveled by bullock cart for 2½ months, from December 1953 to February 1954. When Mota Swami and Swamishri arrived in Japi they stayed in the small Swaminarayan mandir. Then Mota Swami came to know that Rajaram Patil, a devotee, had been locked up for two days without food and water by his drunken and rowdy son. On hearing the screams of Rajaram, he took Pramukh Swami with him to the house and reproached Rajaram's son and had him locked up. Then he freed Rajaram from his son's persecution.
Swamishri's 8 visits to Khandesh
In subsequent visits, Swamishri toured the Khandesh region after Yogiji Maharaj passed away in 1971. From 1976 to 2003, Swamishri has visited Khandesh eight times.
19-01-1976 to 31-01-1976
02-12-1976 to 04-12-1976
13-05-1979 to 17-05-1979
02-05-1982 to 08-05-1982
16-01-1988 to 20-01-1988
04-01-1996 to 10-01-1996
18-06-1998 to 19-06-1998
12-02-2003 to 21-02-2003
Three youths became satsangis
On 30 January 1976, Swamishri arrived at the house of Shaligram Maganbhai Patil in Sakore. While meeting the devotees, three youths came up to Swamishri. On asking their names, the first replied, "Narayan Patel." The second said, "Narayan Vitthal Patel." And the third replied, "Narayan Bhau Patel."
On hearing their names Swamishri laughed and amusingly said, "See, here with me is Narayan Bhagat. Then the sadhu sitting over there is Narayanprasad. And I am Narayanswarup. Today we have Narayans here and they will hold a meeting and talk about what's happening in their universes!"
The three youths were impressed by Swamishri's simple and candid personality. They took initiation into Satsang and are very devout followers today.
Hardships of satsang tour in Khandesh
Immediately after his satsang tour abroad in 1982, Swamishri had scheduled a 3-day visit in mid-summer to Khandesh. Swamishri arrived in the village of Varkheda and performed home-visits in the burning heat. Then Swamishri visited the neighboring village of Japi and went to the house of a devotee, Madhubhai Gajmal Patel. On entering his house Swamishri told him, "I have come to fulfill your wish." Madhubhai was immensely happy because at the instruction of Swamishri he had dug a well on the spot where there was an incline, and he had decided not to use the water from the well till Swamishri arrived personally to sanctify it. Even though he had received the sanctified water, in which Swamishri had bathed Harikrishna Maharaj a year or so ago, he did not use the well water. Swamishri sanctified his well water and returned back to Varkheda in the evening. The lights were off because there was no electricity. So the evening satsang assembly was conducted in the light of oil lamps. Thereafter Swamishri said the chesta and went to sleep. But Swamishri could not sleep in the stifling heat. At 2.00 a.m. the attendant sadhu took his mattress to the terrace. But there was no wind and the mosquitoes did not allow Swamishri to catch a wink. Swamishri got up quietly and went by himself with a pot of water to the village outskirts. After a while when the attendant sadhu saw that Swamishri had not returned he became upset. The accompanying sadhus searched the whole village but Swamishri was nowhere to be found. After some time Swamishri arrived with the pot in his hand. The attendant sadhus frantically enquired, "Where have you been? You should have taken one of us with you. If something would have happened to you! There are snakes around here…"
Swamishri smiled and said, "I went to the outskirts with this pot of water. I felt why should I trouble you by spoiling your sleep. I know this village like the back of my hand, so I went by myself."
Thereafter Swamishri had a bath and performed his puja. Swamishri did not complain or utter a single word about the discomforts and hardships of his travellings in Khandesh.
Murti-pratishtha of murtis for Khandesh mandirs,
23 December 2001
On 23 December 2001, on the day of Swamishri's 81st birthday celebration in Sankari, Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of the deities beneath the mandir dome for five Hari mandirs in Khandesh, namely, Mohadi, Japi, Songir, Kusumbe and Galvada. Despite ill health, Swamishri then addressed the devotees of Khandesh, "You have all arrived from Khandesh. The land is very holy and sacred. Shastriji Maharaj had visited it a number of times. Nirgun Swami, too, had visited it often. And they talked about the supreme creed of Akshar Purushottam. Jogi Maharaj had also visited Khandesh.
"You have preserved your satsang in such a holy land. Mahant Swami, Kothari Swami and other sadhus have inspired a lot of spiritual strength too. From small mandirs large mandirs have now been constructed. The marble murtis of Akshar Purushottam are very beautiful. Shastriji Maharaj had left Vartal to inspire faith in people for Maharaj and Swami, Akshar and Purushottam. It is a matter of great joy that the murtis of Akshar and Purushottam will be installed in the mandirs."
Then Swamishri recited the names of villages and veteran devotees of Khandesh. "I used to enjoy being in Khandesh. We used to go to Songir, get off at Nardana station. First you come across Songir. We used to reside at the Radha Krishna mandir in Songir. There, Dolat Patil and his son-in-law Ghanshyam, and others resided in Songir. Then a little further away from Songir you come to Dhanur. From Dhanur you come to Dhule, then Dhule to Varkheda, Varkheda to Japi, Japi to Mohadi, Mohadi to Amalner, Amalner to Galvada, then to Kusumbe and from Kusumbe to Sakar (Sakore). We used to travel to all these places and then return back to Gujarat.
"So, today it is a day of joy. By God's grace the pratishtha has been done. With the installation of the deities in all the villages, there will be good times, harmony, unity and an increase in devotion. May you foster the Bal Mandal, Yuvak Mandal and Satsang Mandal so that the region of Khandesh becomes inspired and happy.
"You have all come here and taken this opportunity of the murti-pratishtha. You have experienced joy and I too am happy. May you all remain happy."
Chhabildas Master
After accomplishing the pratishtha rituals of murtis for the five mandirs of Khandesh on 23 December 2001 in Sankari, Swamishri went to perform his morning puja on the celebration stage. On coming out from his car, he saw a person far away amongst the crowd of devotees.
"Chhabildas is here!" Swamishri said while craning his neck to see him.
"Where is he?" the attendant sadhu inquired.
"That person, wearing a topee," Swamishri pointed.
Then a sadhu weaved through the crowd of devotees and brought Chhabildas to Swamishri. Chhabildas bowed and touched Swamishri's feet.
Swamishri held his hand and lovingly asked, "Why weren't you present in the pratishtha? I remembered you..."
Chhabildas Ratandas Master was a native of Galvada. He was filled with emotion by the love of Swamishri. He was touched by the fact that though he was an ordinary devotee, Swamishri, a world renowned saint, called him from thousands of devotees and blessed him.
Swamishri cares, loves and respects even the most ordinary of devotees.
Naming five generations
In 2001, Amol, a young satsangi boy of village Varkheda, went to Navsari for Swamishri's darshan. On meeting Swamishri he asked, "I come from Varkheda, do you know me?"
Swamishri asked him his grandfather's name.
"Vasant," replied the boy.
Immediately Swamishri said, "Oh, Vasant's son's name is Narendra. Vasant's father was Roopchand, then his father was Shyamlal and then Shyamlal Daga."
In a flash Swamishri recited the names of five generations. Amol was impressed by Swamishri's memory of and profound acquaintance with his forefathers.
Swamishri, out of love and appreciation for the devotees, remembers their names and that of their forefathers.
Summary of contributions
Summary of contributions by devotees of Khandesh to BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
- Bhagatji Maharaj pervaded the blind Nimbdibai of Mohadi and showed his divine powers. The blind lady talked like Bhagatji Maharaj and revealed the thoughts of devotees. The Khandesh region realized the glory of Bhagatji Maharaj.
- Pujya Purushottam Swami of Khandesh was one of five sadhus who joined Shastriji Maharaj when he left Vartal. Bhagatji Maharaj gave him the title of 'Brahmarshi' - one who is spiritually enlightened.
- Mohan Bhagat, a parshad, also hailed from Khandesh and offered his services in Bochasan, Sarangpur and Gondal mandirs.
- Chindu Bhagat of Japi offered his services in the time of Shastriji Maharaj at the Bochasan mandir by drawing water from the well, washing pots and dishes, cleaning the heaps of cow dung, etc.
- Narsinh Bhagat of Kusumbe composed 100 poems on Akshar Purushottam upasana and Shastriji Maharaj. He had immense love and devotion for Shastriji Maharaj.
- Chedibai and women devotees of Mohadi offered their jewelry and ornaments for the kalashas of Sarangpur mandir and pleased Shastriji Maharaj.
Services by devotees of Khandesh
- The devotees of Khandesh sent money for Bhagatji Maharaj's treatment during his illnesses.
- They also contributed during the Satsangijivan parayan in Nasik.
- They responded with donations when Shastriji Maharaj had to pay taxes for the Sanstha's land in the Charotar region.
- The devotees donated a bullock cart for Shastriji Maharaj to travel in, which he used for many years.
- The devotees of Khandesh had laboured physically and offered donations for the construction of the main gates of Bochasan, Sarangpur and Gondal mandirs.
Note:
Vignandas Swami had traveled in Khandesh and inspired among the devotees a firm faith in the creed of Akshar Purushottam and the glory of Bhagatji Maharaj. Nirgundas Swami also visited Khandesh annually and nourished satsang in their lives.
Mandir in Khandesh
There are 11 BAPS mandirs in Khandesh that were consecrated by Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
(The dates refer to the day of the mandir consecration.)
- Amalner: 07-01-1996
- Varkheda: 09-01-1996
- Dhuliya (Chhatralay): 19-06-1998
- Sonagir: 29-12-2001
- Japi: 31-12-2001
- Mohadi: 01-01-2002
- Galvada: 02-01-2002
- Kusumbe: 03-01-2002
- Sirdane: 17-02-2002
- Shirsale: 03-01-2003
- Nandurbar: 19-01-2003