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Maharashtra Shri Swami Samarth Samadhi Mandir
Shri Swami Samarth was considered to be an avatar of the Lord Dattatreya. Akkalkot was the home to Shri Swami Samarth for over twenty years. He lived here with his disciple Cholappa. This is the place where his Samadhi and shrine are located currently. Smi Samarth was a saint who belonged to the 19th century. He had lots of followers and disciples who believed him blindly and who were convinced that he was a living God. This great saint opted for Mahasamadhi on 30th April 1878, almost 600 years after his reincarnation. This temple is thronged by devotees who feel strong positive vibes upon visiting the temple.
History
Shrimad Narasimha Saraswati, also known as Lord Dattatreya and Shri Swami Samarth was considered to be the other avatar of this saint. The Lord entered into Mahasamadhi around 1458 and remained inside for around 300 years. However, when a woodcutter accidentally cut through the Samadhi, he emerged from his long Samadhi and came into existence once again on earth and travelled all over the country and preached valuable lessons of philosophy to all the people. He came to be known as Swami Samarth from here on.
Though he travelled all over, he eventually settled at Akkalkot and stayed in this place for over 22 years till his last breath from 1856 AD 1878 AD. His teachings were enchanting and he taught people to see oneness in all religions. He was considered to be very powerful and he performed many miracles on his followers which increased his disciple base.
Discovery
Shri Swami Samarth was believed to be God by many people because of they discovered his presence after around 400 years of being inside the Samadhi. It was obvious that no ordinary human being could do this. Also, he went on to preach all his followers the concept of oneness. He treated all religions as one and taught people never to fight because all God led to the same path. He travelled to various places and was known by different names wherever he went. Shri Swami Samarth was so famous and highly respected by all, that wherever he went, he automatically increased his disciple base. Some of the great personalities who have ever lived in the place like Shirdi Sai Baba, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Shree Shankar Maharaj, Sree Gajanan Maharaj had Swami Samarth as their Guru and as their inspiration.
How to Reach
By Air
Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad are some of the nearest airports from which the temple is very accessible. From these places, Akkalkot is easily accessible by train. There is also one flight that operates from Mumbai to Solapur directly.
By Rail
There are straight trains from Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore to Solapur, as this place is around 700km from Bangalore, 300km from Hyderabad and 270km from Pune. From Solapur, Akkalkot is only 45km away.
By Road
Once the tourist reaches Solapur, there are innumerable taxis and cabs that ply from here to Akkalkot with increased frequency during the day. State transport buses are also in plenty from Solapur to Akkalkot. The frequency of buses is very high.
Important Shrines
The main places inside this temple are the shrine and the Samadhi of the Swami. The shrine inside is known as Vatavruksh Mandir, because there is also a banyan tree here. The Swami used to preach sitting beneath this tree. Some of the important shrines that one needs to visit while at Akkalkot are Ballappa Math, Raje Rayan Math, Joshi Buwa Math, Khandoba Temple, Mallikarjun temple, Shivpuri etc.
Significance of the Temple
The temple is significant mainly because of the teachings of the great man Himself, Shri Swami Samarth. One who visits the temple feels great positive vibes and feels at peace with himself when he is here. This temple teaches the significance of the importance of oneness in religion and teaches people to work hard and earn their living, than living at the mercy of others. This temple also teaches the devotees to believe blindly in the Guru than stone idols and to righteously fight for the right things in life.
Weather and Time to Visit
This temple can be visited anytime during the year except the months of June to August, where there are chances of heavy rain.
Accommodation
There are many accommodation facilities in Solapur and in Akkalkot for the benefit of the tourists. These facilities are owned by the private sector as well as by the government. There are various options to suit the different budget needs of the tourists.
Tips for Devotees
The devotees are expected to believe in Oneness in Religion before visiting the temple as that is the basic concept preached by the temple.
Rules and rituals of the temple
A regular arthi is performed for the Swami in this temple and the Swami Stotra is chanted while the Arthi is performed.
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