Shri Maruti a.k.a. Hanuman

Shri Maruti a.k.a. Hanuman

Embodiment of Strength and Tenacity

                        

                      Hanuman, the mighty ape that aided Lord Ram in his expedition against evil forces, is one of the most popular idols in the Hindu pantheon. Believed to be an avatar of Lord Shiva, Hanuman is worshipped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion.

Hanuman's tale in the epic Ramayana — wherein he is assigned the responsibility to locate Ram’s wife Sita abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka — is known for its astounding ability to inspire and equip a reader with all the ingredients needed to face ordeals and conquer obstructions in the way of the world.

Worshipping the Monkey God

Many people maintain a fast on Saturdays and Tuesdays in honour of Hanuman and give special offerings to him. In times of trouble, it is a common faith among Hindus to chant the name of Hanuman or sing his hymn Hanuman Chalisa and proclaim Bajrangbali Ki Jai (victory to thy thunderbolt strength). Once every year — on the full-moon day of Chaitra (April) at sunrise — Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman. Hanuman temples are among the most common public shrines found in India.

The Power of Devotion

The character of Hanuman teaches us of the unlimited power that lies unused within each one of us. Hanuman directed all his energies towards the worship of Lord Ram, and his undying devotion made him such that he became free from all physical fatigue. And Hanuman's only desire was to serve Ram. Hanuman perfectly exemplifies DasyaBhava devotion — one of the nine types of devotions — that bond the master and the servant. His greatness lies in his complete merger with his Lord, which also formed the base of his genial qualities.

Temples of Shri Maruti established by Samarth Ramdas Swami

The deity Maruti (also known as Hanuman) is the God of strength, intelligence and knowledge.Samarth Ramdas Swami, a great devotee of Shri Ram and Hanuman, was himself believed to be a rebirth of Hanuman. After a twelve year ascetic penance, Samarth Ramdas Swami travelled across the entire country. This enabled him to understand the ethos of the society then. After his countrywide traversal, he decided to use his knowledge, experience and acquired celestial powers to influence the minds of the public towards devotion of Shri Ram, and to teach them to strive for the strength that Maruti, Shri Ram’s devotee, had and awaken the public accordingly. While traversing the country, he established a temple of Shri Maruti in innumerable villages. Among these, eleven temples of Shri Maruti have a special significance since these eleven temples are believed to be Jagrut . All these eleven temples are located on the banks of the River Krishna. Samarth Ramdas awakened the desire for courage and strength in the people by setting them on the path of devotion towards Maruti.

It is interesting to note that all the eleven Jagrut Maruti temples are situated in the sovereignty of ShahajiRaje Bhosale. An Abhanga written by VenuSwami, a disciple of SamarthRamdas mentions all the eleven Jagrut Maruti. The Abhanga is as follows:

Chafalamaji don, Umbrejesi Aik |
Paragavi dekh chautha to aisa ||
Panchva masuri, Shahapuri sahava |
Jan to Satva Shiralyat ||
Shinganvadi Athava, Manapadale Navva |
Dahava Janava Majgavi||
Bahyat akrava yeneriti gava ||
Sarva Manortha purvil |
Veni mhane Swami Samarthe Ramdas |
Kirti Gaganat na samave ||

(Two at Chafal, one at Umbraj |
See the fourth at Pargaon ||
Fifth at Masuri, Sixth at Shahapur |
Know that the seventh is at Shirale ||
Eight at Shinganvadi, ninth at Manapadale |
Know that the tenth is at Majgaon ||
The eleventh at Bahe ||
Will satisfy all your desires ||
Veni says Swami Samarth Ramdas’s |
Fame is such that even the sky would not be able to contain it ||

List of the eleven important Maruti temples –

Place	Number of temples	Date of installation
Shahapur	1	1644
Masur	1	1645
Chafal	2	1648
Shinganvadi	1	1649
Umbraj	1	1649
Majgaon	1	1649
Bahe Borgaon	1	1651
Manapadale	1	1651
Pargaon	1	1651
Shirale	1	1654

All of these temples are in the region of Sangli and Satara districts.

1. ShriKshetra (Holy place) Shahapur

The limestone Maruti of Shahapur is the first Maruti among the eleven Jagrut Maruti established by Samarth Ramdas. There is a difference of opinion among researchers about the exact dates of establishing the eleven Marutis, but everyone agrees on the Shahapur Maruti being the first of these eleven Marutis.

The idol of Maruti here is 6 feet tall and the countenance is aggressive. The idol is depicted wearing a cap with a furry ball. The temple and the idol face west. There are three courtyards in the temple. The Shahapurkar Kulkarni family have the honour of maintaining the temple. Every year, Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated with great pomp and splendour. Along with the main idol, there is a small brass idol of Maruti specially used for celebrations. This idol is taken to Chafal for the RamNavami celebration held there every year.

There is a road breaking off towards Shahapur about 10 km from Karhad on the Karhad – Masur road.

2. ShriKshetra Masur

The Maharudra Maruti of Masur is one of the important Maruti among the eleven Maruti established by Samarth Ramdas. This idol too is made of limestone. The idol is west facing and is about 5 feet tall. Among the eleven Maruti, this Maruti is the most pleasing and attractive. A crown, pearl and gold necklaces, Janva (a sacred thread worn by Brahmin men), borderedlangot (loin cloth), the fingers have been painted on the idol in great detail. There is a painting of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the left side of the idol, whereas on the right is one ofSamarth Ramdas. Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated here on a large scale.

Every year, RamNavami was celebrated here ever since the installation of the Maruti idol.Samarth Ramdas met his favorite disciple Kalyan during this celebration one year, who was later recognised as KalyanSwami.

There is a 13 x 13 feet square court hall in the temple which has eight stone pillars. The temple has been restored recently by the Shri Ramdas Swami organization. The
Narayan Maharaj Math is close by.

Masur is just 4 – 5 km from ShriKshetra Shahapur. The Masur railway station is on the Pune – Miraj rail route.

3. The two Maruti of Chafal

Chafal and SajjanGad are two important locations in the life of Samarth Ramdas. SamarthRamdas had a vision of Shri Ram who guided him towards an idol of himself that was immersed in the river bed at Angapur. Samarth Ramdas dove in deep and emerged with the idol held high over his head. He established this idol at Chafal which was close by. The interesting story further tells of how the people of Angapur objected to the idol being taken away by SamarthRamdas since it was found near their village. Since they obstructed his path towards Chafal,Samarth set the idol down right there in the path and asked the people congregated here to take it. But to everyone’s utter surprise, even joint efforts by several people to lift the idol failed. The people were then convinced of Samarth’s supernatural powers and allowed him to take away the idol.

When Shri Ram had appeared in a vision before him, at the same time, he also got a vision of Shri Maruti, who asked him to establish his idol in front of Shri Ram’s. Accordingly, two Maruti idols were installed, one with folded hands in the temple called the DasMaruti, and one behind the temple called PratapMaruti. The idol of Ram was installed in 1647, and the two Maruti idols were installed in 1648. It is said that Shivaji Maharaj and Samarth Ramdas met in the premises of the Chafal temple.

a. DasMaruti

This is the only idol among the eleven with both hands folded in veneration towards Shri Ram. The idol is 6 feet tall and has an expression of humility. The eyes are directed at the feet of the Shri Ram idol which is directly facing this idol. The idol is extremely artistic.

The temple is exquisite and the premises have a pleasant atmosphere. This temple built bySamarth Ramdas more than 360 years back is in excellent condition till date. The temple is so strong that not a single crack emerged due to the earthquake that happened near about in 1967 here. The temple and idol that were built by Samartha are so complete that not a single modification has been made to either in all these years. This is indeed quite unique.

b. PratapMaruti

This is another important Maruti among the eleven, and the second in Chafal. This idol is recognised by three names viz. BhimMaruti, PratapMaruti, or VeerMaruti. The idol is almost 8 feet tall. This idol is as per the description given in the Maruti Stotra (holy hymn to Maruti). The idol is bedecked with a crown and jewellery in his ears, a gold waist band which has small bells attached to it. The idol is extremely dazzling. This is known as a Jagrut temple, where this deity answers the faithful prayers of devotees and vanquishes the evil.

When Samarth Ramdas resided in this Math, he was known to spend some time of solitude near this idol. It is believed by the devotees here that anything that ails the Chafal village is resolved by praying to this idol. A MahaRudraBhishek (holy bath) is conducted on the idol everyShravan, the holiest of the Hindu months.

There are excellent bus services to reach this temple in Chafal, as well as good lodging and boarding in the temple premises for the devotees who arrive here.

4. ShriKshetra ShinganVadi

The ShinganVadi hill top is a mere half to one km from Chafal towards the north east. SamarthRamdas would retire in solitude in the cave atop this hill for meditation. Towards this purpose, he installed an idol of Maruti, his deity, here in the year 1649. Some researchers opine that the historical meeting between Samarth Ramdas and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj took place under the huge tree near the Math here.

The Maruti at Shinganvadi is also called by the names Khadicha Maruti and BalMaruti. The 3.5 feet tall idol is installed in an inner sanctum which is 6 feet wide by 6 feet deep. The idol is north facing and has a flag in the left hand and the right hand is raised. The natural surroundings in the vicinity of this temple are a sight for sore eyes and have a holy atmosphere.

The temple is built at a height and is painted in red colour. The temple can be seen from anywhere in Chafal. Since this temple so close to Chafal, people even call it the third Maruti of Chafal.

Puja (religious ritual of paying obeisance to the deity) is offered to this Maruti by the Pujari of Chafal’s Shri Ram temple. Devotees make it a point to include paying obeisance to this Maruti after paying obeisance to the Shri Ram and the two Maruti idols in Chafal.

5. ShriKshetra Umbraj

Umbraj is located 4 km from Masur towards its east. This Maruti is also called BalMaruti among th e eleven Maruti established by Samarth Ramdas, because this idol appears young in age as compared to the other Maruti. The idol is approximately 6 feet tall and is very attractive. The idol is made from a mixture of limestone, sand and Taag (a kind of hemp derived from Sun-plant). The eyes of the idol are made of silver. This Maruti is called Umbrajcha Maruti (Maruti of Umbraj) or Mathatil Maruti (Maruti in a Math). The temple is north facing and does not have a dome. This temple was built in 1649.

As per the tome VishramDham, after installing the Maruti idol here, Samarth Ramdas conductedKirtan here for thirteen consecutive days. It is also believed by some that Samarth Ramdas would walk to Umbraj fro Chafal for his bath, and that is why he installed a Maruti idol here. The River Krishna flows close to the temple. The atmosphere around the temple is extremely pleasant and holy. Devotees throng here to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti. A Sampradayik Bhiksha(public ) programme is conducted here one day before Hanuman Jayanti.

This place is close to Masur.

6. ShriKshetra Majgaon

Majgaon is around 2 km from Chafal. The idol here is 5 feet tall and is south facing. The idol faces the Shri Ram idol of Chafal.

It is said about the installation of this idol that the villagers would consider a stone on the boundary wall of the village as Maruti. The villagers desired Samarth Ramdas to install a Maruti idol in their village. Accordingly Samarth himself sculpted that stone into a beautiful Maruti idol. He got a temple built here and installed that idol in the year 1649.

The chief temple is 8 feet wide x 8 feet deep and has a sloping tiled roof. The maintenance of this temple is handled by the Shri Ram temple organization of Chafal. It is said that the current temple was built by Shridhar Swami.

There isn’t any lodging facility near this temple. But the court hall in front of the temple can accommodate people for the night.

7. ShriKhetra Bahe- Borgaon

The village Bahe is located near Borgaon on the banks of the River Krishna. This is place is therefore called Bahe – Borgaon. This temple too is a Jagrut place. The idol here is majestic and wears a crown. There is an ancient island named RamLinga in the river bed near by. There is a Ram temple on this island. Samarth Ramdas installed the Maruti idol here in 1651 behind the Ram temple. The temple is in an extremely pleasant and salubrious location.

It is said that Ram and Laxman rested briefly in the village Bahe on their way back from slaying Ravan. It is also said that Samarth Ramdas was inspired to write the BhimRoopi Stotra filled with devotion while he was contemplating on this Maruti. Among all the eleven Maruti installed by Samarth, this Maruti is located at the most beautiful location. Along with the Maruti temple, there are many small islands and Samadhi located here. The Macchindra fort is located close by. The tome Krishan-Mahatma refers to this place as BahuKshetra (place of strength).

8. ShriKshetra Manapadale

This Maruti temple, one among the eleven Maruti established by Samarth, is located on the banks of the River Krishna. The temple has a sloping tiled roof. The inner sanctum of the temple is 7 feet wide x 6 feet deep and there is a large court hall in front which is 26 x 16 sq ft. The idol is very pleasant. This place is considered Jagrut. The idol is north facing. The idol is 5 feet tall and there is a leaning staff – used by ascetics - near the idol.

Jyotiba’s hill and Panhalgarh are very close from this place. 

9. ShriKshetra Pargaon

He village Pargaon is just 5 km from the Manapadale temple. Among the eleven Marutis, this Maruti is recognised by its location as in Pargaoncha Maruti. This Maruti has been carved into a flat stone. This Maruti has been depicted as if running towards the left, and hair has been tied into a knot. This is the smallest among all the eleven Maruti established by Samarth Ramdas, at a mere 1.5 feet.

The main dome of this temple is 8 feet in diameter. A new court hall has been recently built. This Maruti is considered the last among the eleven Maruti.

Pargaon is very close to Panhala. It is said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and SamarthRamdas would visit Pargaon for political discussions.

Jyotiba’s hill and Panhalgarh are very close from this place. 

10.Kshetra Shirale

This is an important Maruti among the eleven Maruti established by Samarth. This Maruti is recognised as extremely Jagrut - one who rushes to the entreaty of a devotee and fulfils the devotee’s desire. The temple and idol here are north facing. This Maruti is called VeerMaruti(Maruti of courage). The idol here is approximately 7 feet tall and is well proportioned and artful. The rays of the sun fall on the idol during sunrise and sunset through the screened ducts above the idol. This phenomenon is breathtaking indeed.

There is a spacious court hall in front of the temple. Devotees consider this temple as the most beautiful among the eleven Maruti temples. After Samarth Ramdas installed the idol, his disciple JayramSwami built the sloping tiled roofed temple. In later years, a devotee renovated the temple by building the current stone temple.

The village Shirale is famous for NagPanchami (day on which the cobra-Nag- is venerated)celebrations and the Garude (snake charmers) with their live cobra shows. The temple is centrally located in the village and very close to the bus depot in the village. Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated with great pomp and devotion here.