Datta Mandirs-The Special Significance of Narsobachi Wadi Temple

 

In India, one can find different beliefs associated with Lord Dattatreya in different regions of the country. In some parts, he is worshipped as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and in others, as an incarnation of the three Gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Likewise, several Dattatreya traditions (sampradayas) have emerged across the country over the past centuries. One among them is the Guru Charitra tradition, which is popular in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, and Gujarat. Shri Guru Charitra is a holy text containing the life stories of two saints- Shripad Shrivallabh and Narasimha Saraswati-who are revered as incarnations of Gurudev Datta. It contains a description of the places visited by Shri Narasimha Saraswati Swamy, who lived in the 15^th Century, and the many miracles performed by him.

In true Dattatreya tradition, Gurudev Datta stayed in the forests and lived a yogic lifestyle. One such forest area chosen by Gurudev Datta was Narsobachi Wadi, where he stayed for around 12 years.

While N Wadi itself had no previous claim to fame, its surroundings had enormous significance for centuries which is why Gurudev Datta selected it for penance.

1.     Confluence of rivers

This is the meeting place of the rivers Krishna, Venna, and Panchganga. As the name suggests, Panchganga comprises five rivers- Bhiva, Bhadra, Bhogavati, Kumbhi, and Saraswati. According to the Hindu tradition, all rivers have the status of Goddesses. So, this place that symbolizes the congregation of seven Goddesses has great religious significance. The river Krishna has a high stature comparable with that of the river Ganga. This Sangam is, therefore, believed to be as important as the Triveni Sangam of rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati at Prayagraj in UP.

2.     Amarpur Temple

Amarpur is a village across the river, and it has a very ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva called Amareshwar. It is believed that one gets immortality (amaratva) after taking the darshan of Lord Amareshwar. In the temple hall, one can see statues of sixty-four Yogini Shaktis, believed to be serving and worshipping Lord Amareshwar. The place is considered on par with Kashi in terms of religious importance.

                                            Amareshwar Temple

In addition to these two places, the nearby town of Kolhapur (50 km away) also has special significance and is regarded as Dakshin Gaya. Gurudev Datta has advised his disciples that pilgrimage to these places- Amarpur, Sangam at Narsobachi Wadi, and Kolhapur- will suffice if they cannot travel to Kashi, Prayagraj, and Gaya respectively.

3.     Kanyagat Mahaparvakal

This is a mega religious festival held in N Wadi once in 12 years. It is believed that Goddess Ganga comes here to meet Goddess Krishna during this year-long festival. A holy dip in the river Krishna is believed to wash away sins. This festival is similar to the Kumbh Melas held every twelve years at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik & Ujjain.

4.     Audumbar.

During his stay here, Gurudev Datta performed religious rituals (anushthan) under an audumbar tree. It is a sacred tree in the Hindu religion and is regarded as a wish-giving tree(kalpavruksha). Parts of the tree have medicinal value and are used for curing ailments. It is also one of the names of Lord Vishnu (Udumbara).

Audumbar trees and Datta mandirs go together. In the adjourning Sangli district, Gurudev Datta stayed for a brief period under an audumbar tree (also on the banks of river Krishna) before he undertook a journey on foot along the banks of the river to reach Narsobachi Wadi. The place is now known by the tree itself -Audumbar. The sacred audumbar tree can also be found at the Sangam of rivers Bhima and Amarja near Gangapur in North Karnataka, where Gurudev Datta performed rituals for many years. One can also find audumbar trees at other temples associated with the Dattatreya tradition such as Shri Swami Samarth Temple in Akkalkot in Solapur district and Shri Gajanan Maharaj Temple in Shegaon in Vidarbha.

Gurudev Datta further embellished the place with glory during his stay at Narsobachi Wadi. About the temple itself, legend has it that it was built by a Muslim King, Adil Shah of Bijapur. The story goes that the king’s daughter, who had lost her eyesight, regained her vision upon being blessed by Gurudev Datta.

                                           Narsobachi Wadi Datta Mandir

Some other stories have been mentioned in the Shri Guru Charitra. Two of these are about villagers, a Brahmin, and a boatman, discovering wealth with the blessings of Gurudev Datta. The Brahmin family, filled with gratitude, built a small temple at the place where the wealth was unearthed. It is situated just behind the Amareshwar temple and is open to devotees. These stories spread rapidly among the nearby villages and people were convinced that he was no ordinary saint but an incarnation of Gurudev Datta himself.

When Gurudev Datta decided to leave Narsobachi Wadi and go to Gangapur, he told his devotees that he was leaving behind his padukas and that he will always stay there in subtle form (sookshma roop). Devotees have a strong belief that Gurudev Datta continues to stay there and showers his blessings on his devotees.

This belief is reinforced by a soul-stirring story about a Brahmin lady residing in the nearby village of Shirol.  She shares her profound sorrow of seeing the death of her five babies with local saints who then advise her to perform pooja of the padukas of Gurudev Datta at N Wadi. Thereafter, the couple is blessed with two sons. Unfortunately, their joy is short-lived because one son dies soon after birth.  The shocked mother refuses to accept this development, firm in her conviction that such a fate cannot befall a child born with the blessings of Gurudev Datta. Then, accompanied by her husband and other villagers, she carries the body of her baby to Narsobachi Wadi (around 6 km away), places it near the padukas, and seeks help from Gurudev Datta. Despite the repeated pleas of elders to accept the sad reality, she refuses to budge. Fed up with her stubbornness, the villagers decide to go back and plan to return the next morning to attend the cremation rituals. Soon after nightfall, the exhausted couple falls asleep. Gurudev Datta then appears in her dreams and tells her that he has injected life into her baby again. Startled, she wakes up to find the child crawling up to her and asking for milk!! The couple is filled with boundless joy, and they spend the rest of the night singing bhajans in praise of Gurudev Datta and performing pooja of the padukas.

Even today, centuries later, devotees continue to throng N Wadi to take darshan of the padukas and seek blessings.

In the Shri Guru Charitra, Narsobachi Wadi has been described as an extremely holy Guru peeth. It is, indeed, a must-visit place for all devotees.