Contemporaries

Maharaj is supposed to have travelled a number of places . He is supposed to have met a number of saints of his time while travelling. Prominent places and links of Maharaj are documented . Maharaj (according to Shri Tulshiram Nagalkar(Biography -1957) stayed under the tutelege of Swami Samartha of Akkalkot from where he was was " released " after few days for the welfare of the world .From Akkalkot, Maharaj travelled to Nasik to spend time with Deo Mamlatdar , then Karanja (where Balshastri Gatge trained Maharaj in vedas and hymns), Akot (with Narsing baba) and then was first identified as Ganpat buwa, Gingine Buwa, Ganpati buwa etc in Shegaon. Maharaj was fond of pets - he had a dog named Motiram . "Motiram, Chilim de, " and the dog would fetch the chilim for Maharaj. His kindness towards the cow from Balapur is well known. Akkalkot maharaj took samadhi in April 1878. Both Narsing Baba and Gajanan Maharaj went to Sonale to seek blessings of Sonaji Buwa who attained samadhi on 1-11-1876. Shri Maniram Baba of Baggi had a special love for Maharaj.Maharaj had been to Baggi to meet Maniram baba and stayed there for 7-8 days. ( Ref T R Nagalkar’s biography) Yashwant Deo Mamlatdar is supposed to have asked Maharaj who was in his teens to stay with him till he took Samadhi and then asked him to proceed to Lad- Karanja and Akot and Shegaon , where Maharaj took training in Yoga, Vedas and developed a liking for Bhajans. Shri Narsing Baba of Akot and Maharaj had a very special relationship. It seems Maharaj spent two years in Akot before attaining fame in Shegaon. He used to sing his favourite Gana ganata botey bhajan by hitting his nails on his hands and would be oblivious of the bleeding. Maharshi Annasaheb Patwardhan (1847-1917) - a close associate of Lokmanya Tilak met Maharaj during Akshay tritiya in Phadke maidan, Akola when Tilak delivered the famous speech on 2nd May 1908. His samadhi is in Pune near Omkareshwar temple.

okamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak addressed a large gathering . The occasion was Akshay tritiya on the occasion of Shiv Chatrapati jayanti. Gajanan Maharaj was given pride of place in this gathering . There were two opinions - whether Maharaj should be called , or not invited. Some were scared that Maharaj may behave in an insane manner and may even strike Tilak. When Khaparde , A.B. Kolhatkar and some others reached Shegaon to invite Maharaj, he without any prompting said that he would go to Akola to meet Tilak and also meet Annasaheb Patwardhan, a disciple of Sri Narsimha Saraswati of Alandi.

Pitambar shimpi who at the behest of Maharaj went to Kondoli came to be revered by residents of Kondoli when his prayers were answered by Maharaj by making a withered mango tree blossom in seconds. This event took place on 3-1-1909. Gulab Maharaj of Madhan was a blind but brilliant scholar and had a mastery over Jyaneshwari inspite of not having any formal education. He is regarded as "Jyaneshwar kanya " ( spiritual daughter of Sant Dyaneshwar). One while travelling to Amravati, Gulab maharaj insisted on meeting "Ganpati". His co travellers - his disciples - did not underdstand. But Gulabmaharaj got down at Shegaon at straight headed for Maharaj’s math . Maharaj was in a very chirpy mood and was dancing . When Gulabmaharaj came he caught Maharaj by his waist and embraced him. Maharaj had however turned his face and shown his backside to Gulabrao! When asked why he chose to turn away, Maharaj indicated that he did not like to show his nudity to the daughter of Dyaneshwar Maooli. Anant maharaj (alias Balkrishna Joshi ), Nanabuwa of Baroda, Nagalkar of Shegaon, Ganga bharati of Savdad and Kashinath pant Kulkarni of Mundgaon used to sing songs in front of Maharaj. Bhamte Maharaj - Jairam Vivarekar - became well versed in Dyaneshwari after getting Maharaj’s blessings - though uneducated - in his old age. Birbalnath of Mangrulpeer Madhavnath maharaj of Chitrakoot took samadhi in 1936 in Indore. Dattaupasak Tembe swami of Mangaon

Sai Baba of Shirdi and Gajanan Maharaj- their spiritual relationship

Saibaba of Shirdi is a very much revered saint. His fame has crossed international boundaries . Anyone who would look at him would know for certain that Saibaba's attitude was that of an equanimity. Saibaba and Shri Gajanan Maharaj knew each other. It is said that Saibaba was in a mourning on the day Gajanan Maharaj had left his body. Late Shri Dadasaheb Khaparde had told that Saibaba wept profusely on the day Gajanan Maharaj breathed his last. "My life-breath is leaving me--- a great part of my soul is giving up my body." These were the words of sorrow uttered by Saibaba. It is said that the work of Gajanan Maharaj devolved on Saibaba and the latter had taken responsibility of looking after all those who were near Maharaj. Sai Baba is supposed to have shaved off his head in mourning on the day Maharaj attained Mahasamadhi on 8-9-1910.

Gajanan Maharaj’s Guru
Akkalkot Maharaj - Sri Swami Samartha

Akkalkot is a small village near Solapur in South Maharashtra . Swami samartha settled down here after he was " awakened " from his meditation by a wood cutter cutting a tree and the axe fell on a heap of mud below from which a fountain-like ejection of blood oozed out. The woodcutter was terrified at the sequence of events but Swami emerged out of meditation which lasted for several years. It is believed that among the line of Datta avatars – three names are prominently known. Sripad Shri Vallabh in Kuravapur, now in modern AP. 11^th century. After this avatar was that of Shri Narsimha Saraswati , whose nirguna padukas (footprints) are in Gangapur ( Karnataka). He left for Himalayas for pilgrimage . After a number of hundreds of years in tapasya, he came to Akkalkot in 1857 and one Mr Tol is credited with " recognising " the saint in Swami. A number of devotees followed Swami who first appeared in 1855 and was in his later stages of life. He mitigated the sufferings of many a downtrodden , guided them towards spiritual practices and took Maha samadhi on Tuesday 1st April in the year 1878 A.D. It is believed that Gajanan Maharaj , Sai Baba of Shirdi were under His spiritual guidance before they came to known as Saints par excellence in their own right Devotees will find a photo of these three saints together – Swami in middle and on a higher plane with Gajanan Maharaj and Sai Baba on equal plane but slightly lower to Swami. That is the Guru parampara. Those who have read Sai Satcharita will recall Sai Baba offering respects to His Guru - This Guru is Akkalkot swami. Gajanan maharaj as a small boy had gone to Akkalkot and Swami who was playing Chess is supposed to have remarked – " Ganapati Aala re " in marathi . From Akkalkot, Gajanan Maharaj was polished as if , and sent to Deo mamlatdar in Nasik for further refinement and training. Later on Maharaj shone like the resplendent Sun on our horizon and made the life of thousands devotees turn bright.

Other fortunate souls who came in contact with Maharaj

Bankatlal Agarwal, Hari Kukaji Patil , Bhaskar Patil , Dr Bhau Kavar, Prabhu Balabhau Maharaj Mahatabshah , Sheikh Kadu, Manohar Moholkar, Jaiwantshastri Oomrikar, Dhumal, Janrao Deshmukh , Narayan maharaj, Govinbuwa Taklikar, Ganga Bharati , Gopalrao Booty, Kashinath Garde, Nimonkar Damodar pant Kulkarni , Kashinath pant Kulkarni, Dinkar Bhavsar, Bapurao of Akola, Dudahari buwa ,Narayan Jamkar , Shimpi Pitambar Maharaj : Justice Bapusaheb Jathar,Venkatrao Desai, Pundalik Bhokre , Bayaja Bai, Shivram and Bhula bai,Dattopanta Ghodegaonkar , A B Kolhatkar , Dadasaheb Khaparde, Iccharam Agarwal , Salubai , Brajabhushan , Yeshwant Deo Mamlatdar, Bhavaniram Agarwal, Nagalkar, Chandu Mukin ,Hari Jakhade, Bapuna Kale , Ratansa Bhavsar ,Ramchandra Patil, Krishna Patil , Khandu Patil , Jagu Aaba Patil, Maruti Chandrabhan ,Balkrishna ramdasi, Suklal Agarwal, Bansilal , Sridhar Kale, Vishnusa Savji, Sonaji Jodh, Atmaram Tulshiram of Jalamb, Shankarrao Gholap, Janardan Mulay, Mulmule Shastri, Supaji Kantak, Atmaram Bhikaji, Ganeshappa and Chandrabai, Vamanrao Phadke, Bhikaji Mahajan , Bhagwan Mali, Nimbaji Maharaj, Bandopant Munshi, Achyutrao Kshirsagar and several others

Utterances of Maharaj

Gana Gana Ganata Botey- Raame Ginaat Botey .. Shyamey Ginaat Botey....

Chandan Chawal Bel Ki patiya, Shivji ka dhyan karo re,

Aapastabhu Vaiduhi

Istambhu rambu Aapastambhu

Gana Gana ganata botey

Consider OH mind, thou art to be considered as one with the universal self/soul ( Lord).
In this universe, the same universal power gives speed , sustenance and movement to all living and non-living forms.
All living and non living forms are the creation of the same Universal Lord.