Akkalkot Swami Samarth Maharaj Temple is one of the leading communities with a large number of followers of Shri Swami

Samartha of Akkalkot. Believed to be the incarnation of Shri Dattatreya the name of this spiritual leader is a household one in Maharashtra. As this saintly guru chose to reside at a place called Akkalkot for !! years where he took his "mahasamadhi" #leave a mortal body for heaven$ in %&'& he is also known as the Maharaj of Akkalkot. Believers are of the view that Shri Samartha appeared in Akkalkot in %&('.

The temple of Shri )risimha Saraswati is of Dattatreya so Swami is believed to be the incarnation of *ord Datta. +is full name was Sripad Shrivallabh. Before he came to Akkalkot Swamiji resided in Mangalvedha. But no one can e,actly say where he came from. But the general faith is that +e came to Mangalvedha during %&-& and stayed there for %- years. +e used to lodge in a farm there. .rom Mangalvedha he shifted to Mohol for five years finally coming to Solapur in Akkalkot. Such was his will power that after he came to the conclusion that all his disciples and followers were guided in the right path he e,pressed his wish for samadhi. +is disciple /hollapa started making necessary arrangements with the final leaving taking place in %&'&.

 Another story puts forth that after traveling in the +imalayas the Swami sat in samadhi for over -00 years in a dense forest. Thus he became completely covered with anthills a tree growing beside him. A woodcutter who had come to fell trees decided to cut the very tree besides which the Swami was under deep concentration. *aying his first a,e on the anthill the woodcutter was surprised to see blood oo1ing out from the heap. 2ulling down the hill he saw the Swami beneath it. Thus roused the swami declared that the incident is divinely ordained and it is his time to enter into the world and continue his mission. The swami is believed to have wandered for a hundred years performing many a miracle before finally arriving at Akkalkot. The Swami was very unpredictable appearing cra1y to many. +e was a witty man with an unusual sense of humour. +e was parado,ically full of both human and divine 3ualities. 4nce asked that who he was he replied 56 am everywhere. 7et my favourite resorts are Sakyodri 8irnar 9asi Mathapur 9arveer 2anchaleswar Audumbar 9aranjinagar )arasimhvadi and 8angapur. 5 A temple was erected under that banyan tree where he used to sit. +is footwear is kept there. The temple consists of a main temple sabha mandap #association hall$ and accommodation. Annacchatra #free meals to devotees$ is organised daily twice a day. After seventy to eighty years after his incarnations ceased to e,ist his disciples and followers set up ashrams all over 6ndia. The Samadhi Math #monastery$ The Math under the Banyan tree Shri Balappa Math The Math of :oshibua ;aja ;ai ;ayan Math are the five famous places connected to Shri Swami Samartha. The death anniversary of Swamiji is celebrated on /haitra Shuddha Trayodashi every year.

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