India is a country with many Gods and
temples. Amongst all these, some places and temples have a special significance
such as Vishwanath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Kashi, on the banks of the
river Ganga. Similarly, an important temple dedicated to Lord Dattatreya is
situated on the banks of the river Krishna at a place named Narasobachi Wadi in
Maharashtra.
My
first visit to Narasobachi Wadi happened because of divine intervention. It was
back in February 1988 when I, along with dozen-odd office mates from State Bank
of India (SBI), Corporate Centre, Mumbai visited Sangli to attend the wedding
of another office colleague of ours, Rajendra (Raju) Patil. We boarded the
Mahalaxmi Express from Mumbai at around 9 PM and got off at Sangli station by
around 5.30 AM the next morning.
We headed straight to the marriage hall
and after getting ready, hopped onto some bicycles and rode to the famous
Ganapati temple passing green fields (which have turned into crowded lanes over
the years) along the way.
The hall was abuzz with activity when we got
back. All of us were bachelors then and we had good fun and banter during the
ceremony. The marriage was solemnized with traditional rituals and was followed
by traditional lunch.
After lunch, we were loitering in
small groups around the hall. Just then, I and some of my friends got to
know that the rest of our friends had got into a jeep provided by Raju’s uncle
and were on a trip to Narasobachi Wadi, which is around 20 km from Sangli. Naturally,
we felt hurt and let down. One friend, Vilas Pradhan then came up with a plan
to make a trip to N Wadi. He said he
would avail his Leave Travel Concession (LTC) facility, which was due to lapse
soon. So, he mooted the idea that we all hire a cab, and he would claim the to
and fro fare from the Bank. Now, it was our turn to smile at our friends- the
four of us sat comfortably in the spacious Ambassador car and we visualized the
discomfort the others would be going through while traveling in the crowded
jeep!
The temple and its vicinity were quite
peaceful and there was hardly anybody there. As we prayed in front of the deity,
one of my friends, Sandeep Pawaskar told me that this was a very powerful deity
and I should seek blessings for my promotion exam in the Bank. I had stumbled
in my first attempt the previous year and all my friends, including Sandeep,
knew that I was working hard to crack it this time around. I heeded his advice
and sure enough, I got promoted. And that was not enough- I was blessed to get
selected for a foreign posting in Osaka, Japan and all this happened within
three years after seeking the blessings at Narasobachi Wadi Temple!
In
this throwback photograph, Vilas Pradhan’s hand is partially covering my face. On the
left is Sunil Pitale and the photo was taken by Sandeep Pawaskar.
I went again to N Wadi around a decade
later along with my wife and thanked God for blessing me and putting me on the
path to enjoying some prosperity. Thereafter, I somehow lost connection with
this place.
Many years later, my attention again
shifted to N Wadi. This was during a period of emotional turbulence in my life starting
from 2012 onwards.
I looked back at the period when I enjoyed
success as a lucky phase and felt that my luck had run out now.
During this period, I approached an astrologer. She advised me to start reading Shri Guru
Charitra, a holy book that chronicles the life of Shri Guru Narasimha Saraswati Swamy Maharaj,
believed to be the reincarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Some chapters in the book contain
descriptions of Maharaj’s stay at Narasobachi Wadi (the place is named after
him) and the many miracles performed by him.
After I started reading Shri Guru Charitra and getting better acquainted with the huge significance of the deity and the place, I started connecting the dots and getting the right perspective about events in my life. I decided to again visit Narasobachi Wadi in 2016. I was told by the locals that a few months later, major events were being organized there on the auspicious occasion of the Kanyagat Mahaparvakal festival. I researched about it and discovered that it is a period, usually lasting about a year, in which Guru Graha stays in the zodiac sign, Kanya, which happens to be my zodiac sign (rashi) as well. During this period, major religious rituals are performed at many places on the banks of river Krishna, most notably at Narasobachi Wadi where there is a confluence of rivers Krishna and Panchganga. It then occurred to me that, after my first visit to Narasobachi Wadi in 1988, most of my major successes happened around the Kanyagat Mahaparvakal. When the event occurred in 1992-93, I had the privilege to stay and work in Japan. This event, which happens every 12 years, next occurred in 2004, and in that year, I got two promotions in six months, and I became Assistant General Manager at the age of 43. Twelve years thereafter- in 2016- I was awarded a Doctorate and got a promotion as a Professor at Indira School of Business Studies. Life has come full circle since then and I have been visiting Narasobachi Wadi every year.
The lessons I have learned from these life experiences are two-fold- one even today, religion is important. It is my conviction that while science and technology give us material benefits, religion is a valuable source of mental peace and strength. Secondly, it is crucial to find out what works for you. Normally, during difficult times, people seek advice from multiple people, try out many remedies and visit numerous temples. I did some of all this too and I have realized now what works for me is praying to Lord Dattatreya, making regular visits to Narasobachi Wadi, and reading Shri Guru Charitra have a calming influence on me. I am now beginning my journey as a blogger by dedicating my first blog to Lord Dattatreya.
Some of you may be wondering what makes N Wadi such a special place. So, in my next blog, I will throw some light on the significance of Narasobachi Wadi.
