आळंदी Alandi
—  city  —
आळंदी Alandi Location of आळंदी Alandi in Maharashtra and India
Coordinates	18°40′37″N 73°53′48″E / 18.677062°N 73.896600°E / 18.677062; 73.896600Coordinates: 18°40′37″N 73°53′48″E / 18.677062°N 73.896600°E / 18.677062; 73.896600
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District(s)	Pune
Population	17,561 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 577 metres (1,893 ft)

Alandi (Marathi: आळंदी) is a city and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India.

Geography[link]

Alandi (18°40′37.42″N 73°53′47.76″E / 18.6770611°N 73.8966°E / 18.6770611; 73.8966^[1]) is located on the banks of the Indrayani River, 25 km (16 mi) east of Pune, India. It has an average elevation of 577 metres (1,893 feet).

Demographics[link]

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[2] Alandi had a population of 17,561. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. The lingua franca is Marathi. Alandi has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 82% of the males and 68% of females literate. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. All castes are represented in the town. The Maratha clans, Kurhade and Gundhare dominate civic life of the town.

Pilgrimage Center[link]

Nearby places to visit[link]

1. Saint Dnyaneshwar samādhi [1]: Saint Dnyaneshwar, after translating the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi attained samādhi in front of LORD shri SIDDHESHWAR at Alandi. Alandi is thus a place of pilgrimage and is venerated by many Hindus. A temple complex has been built near the spot of Sant Dnyaneshwar's samadhi. It is visited by thousands of pilgrims, and in particular, those of the Varkari Sect. On every Kartika Ekadashi (eleventh day of the Hindu month of Kartik), a big festival is held at Alandi, when the Yatra (procession of pilgrims) reaches the town.
2. Vitthala-Rakhumai Temple
3. Siddhabet
4. Jalaram Temple: Just like the one at Virpur Gujarat
5. Dnyaneshwar's Wall
6. Sant Tukaram Samadhi [2]: The town of Dehu, where the samadhi of Sant Tukaram is located, lies not far from Alandi.
7. Sambhaji Raje Bhosle Samadhi: Tulapur village is also lacated near to Allandi (6 km) where samadhi of Sambhaji Raje Bhosle (Son of Shivaji Maharaj)is located.

Religious Significance[link]

Alandi has also the distinction of having a prehistoric collection of Shivling. In one of the Saint Dnyaneshwar's verses he speaks of it being called "Sidheshwar". The name of the reigning deity of the place as also one of the names of Shiva. He states then that a collection of eighty-four Sidhas meet or exist here. Under a dense green and flower laden canopy emitting a heavenly fragrance and birds singing celestal tunes. This stanza is to be found in Saint Dnyaneshwar's book about the power of chanting Hari's name. The book is called Haripath. Even till this day Haripath is recited by countless rich and poor in Maharashtra. They experience its beauty and believe in its powers as also in the person who created them.

Social Significance[link]

Alandi has become known as a place for mass-marriage ceremonies for impoverished eloped lovers and parents who would avoid expenses for a daughter's marriage. An "Alandi marriage" has therefore become a derogatory term in the urban area around Pune. There are near about 200 dharmashala's or karyalaya's for marriage ceremonies.^{[citation needed]}.

Education[link]

• Maharashtra_Academy_of_Engineering
• Sant Dnyaneshwara Vidyalaya
• Sharadchandra Pawar Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya

References[link]

1. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Alandi
2. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 

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Sant Dnyāneshwar (or Sant Jñāneshwar) (Marathi: संत ज्ञानेश्वर) (1275–1296) is also known as Jñanadeva (Marathi: ज्ञानदेव).^[1][2]

He was a 13th century Maharashtrian Hindu saint (Sant - a title by which he is often referred), poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath tradition whose works Bhavartha Deepika (a commentary on Bhagavad Gita, popularly known as "Dnyaneshwari"), and Amrutanubhav are considered to be milestones in Marathi literature.

Traditional history[link]

According to Nath tradition Sant Dnyaneshwar [1] was the second of the four children of Vitthal Govind Kulkarni and Rukmini, a pious couple from Apegaon near Paithan on the banks of the river Godavari. Vitthal had studied Vedas and set out on pilgrimages at a young age. In Alandi, about 30 km from Pune, Sidhopant, a local Yajurveda brahmin, was very much impressed with him and Vitthal married his daughter Rukmini.

After some time, getting permission from Rukmini, Vitthal went to Kashi(Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India), where he met Ramananda Swami and requested to be initiated into sannyas, lying about his marriage. But Ramananda Swami later went to Alandi and, convinced that his student Vitthal was the husband of Rukmini, he returned to Kashi and ordered Vitthal to return home to his family. The couple was excommunicated from the brahmin caste as Vitthal had broken with sannyas, the last of the four ashrams. Four children were born to them; Nivrutti in 1273, Dnyandev (Dnyaneshwar) in 1275, Sopan in 1277 and daughter Mukta in 1279. According to some scholars their birth years are 1268, 1271, 1274, 1277 respectively. It is believed that later Vitthal and Rukmini ended their lives by jumping into the waters at Prayag where the river Ganges meets Yamuna hoping that their children would be accepted into the society after their death.

The couple set out on a pilgrimage with their children to Tryambakeshwar, near Nashik, where their elder son Nivrutti (at the age of 10) was initiated in to the Nath tradition by Gahininath. The paternal great grandfather of Dnyaneshwar had been initiated into the Nath cult by Goraksha Nath (Gorakh Nath). The orphaned children grew up on alms. They approached the Brahmin community of Paithan to accept them but the Brahmins refused. According to the disputed "Shuddhi Patra" the children were purified by the Brahmins on condition of observing celibacy. Their argument with the Brahmins earned the children fame and respect due to their righteousness, virtue, intelligence, knowledge and politeness. Dnyaneshwar became the student of Nivruttinath along with his younger siblings Sopan and Mukta at the age of 8. He learnt and mastered the philosophy and various techniques of kundalini yoga.

Writings[link]

Jnanadeva, from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's

The child moved to Nevasa, a village in Ahmednagar district, where Dnyaneshwar began his literary work when Nivruttinath instructed him to write a commentary on Bhagavad Gita. The Dnyaneshwari or Bhavartha Deepika was written down by Sacchidananandbaba from discourses by Dnyaneshwar. By the time the commentary was complete Dnyaneshwar was only 15 years old.

Considered a masterpieces of Marathi literature, the Dnyaneshwari's 18 chapters are composed in a metre called "ovi". Dnyaneshwar liberated the "divine knowledge" locked in the Sanskrit language to bring that knowledge into Prakrit (Marathi) and made it available to the common man. He was confident that he would write in marathi in as good or better manner than Sanskrit.

Amrutanubhav, written some time after, is difficult and finds fewer readers^{[citation needed]}. Containing 10 chapters and 806 ovi, the basis of this book is non dualism (advaita siddhanta). The seventh and biggest chapter (295 ovi) is the most important. Apart from Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav works like Changdev Paasashti (a collection of 65 ovi addressed to an allegedly 1400 years old yogi named Changdev Maharaj), Haripath and around 1000 "abhanga" (authorship of many is disputed due to differences in writing style) are attributed to Dnyaneshwar.

Siblings[link]

The siblings Muktabai, Sopan, Dnyaneshwar and Nivruttinath seated on the flying wall greet Changdev seated on a tiger. In the centre, Changdev bows to Dnyaneshwar.

Nivruttinath was the elder brother of Dnyaneshwar. Nivrutti was an authority on philosophy of the Nath sect. Gahininath, one of the nine Nath gurus, accepted Nivrutti as his disciple and initiated him into the Nath sect, instructing him to propagate devotion to Krishna. Dnyaneshwar accepted his elder brother as his own guru. After the early Samadhi of Dnyaneshwar, Nivrutti travelled with his sister Mukta on a pilgrimage along the Tapi river where they were caught in a thunderstorm and Mukta was swept away. Nivrutti took to salvation (Samadhi) at Tryambakeshwar. Around 375 abhangas are attributed to him but, the authorship of many of them is disputed due to difference in writing style and philosophy.

Sopandev was a younger brother Sopandev attained ‘samadhi' at Saswad near Pune. He wrote a book "Sopandevi" based on the Bhagvadgita's Marathi interpretation along with 50 or so abhangas. Muktabai was the youngest of the siblings, Muktai or Muktabai was known for her simple and straightforward expression of thoughts. She could be considered as one of the first poetesses in Marathi along with Mahadamba. There are around 40 abhangas attributed to her. She accepted Yogi Changdev as her disciple.

Varkari Movement[link]

Dnyaneshwar's palkhi (palanquin), holding the footwear of the saint, is carried with honour in a silver bullock cart from Alandi to Pandharpur.

Dnyaneshwar introduced the Varkari Movement (or Vitthala Sampradaya) of Pandharpur (founder of the Varkari movement). The Varkaris soon considered him their teacher and spiritual leader, who initiated his contemporaries associated with the Dvaita (dualism) school of the bhakti movement into Advaita (non-dualism).^{[citation needed]} He strongly advocated jnana yukta bhakti (devotion guided by knowledge) and believed that one can not be liberated unless one attains the true and divine knowledge of Brahman.

For year 2011-12 the Palakhi is scheduled on Jun 23 from Alandi.

Entering into a state of Samadhi[link]

After having composed Amrutanubhava, Dnyaneshwar made a pilgrimage to northern India with Namdev and other saints. After completing this pilgrimage he expressed his intention to enter into a state of Samadhi because he felt that the mission of his life was complete. Although many scholars believe that his disappearance at a young age could be the handiwork of those who were against his Bhagwat dharma. It is widely propagated that at the age of 21 on 13th day of the second half of Kartik in Shaka 1218,^[3] Dnyaneshwar entered into a permanent state of Sanjeevan Samadhi [2] at Alandi in Maharashtra, India.^[4]

An account of this incident is described by the contemporary Saint Namdev in a set of Abhangas named as Samadheeche Abhanga (translation: Abhangas of Samadhi).

Miracles[link]

Stories recounted in many holy books of the Bhagawata Sampradaya sect about Dnyaneshwar’s life are full of miracles, such as the baking of bread (mānde, or roti in Hindi) on his heated back, and his making a wall move.

Pasayadan[link]

Dnyaneshwar wrote the Pasayadan which is a prayer for the general well being of the people. Pasaydan is included in the end of the Dynaneshwari. Mauli Dnyaneshwar maharaj completed his work on Shrimad Bhagavad Gita(Have 700 Vowels in 18 chapters) called as Gyaneshwari or Dnyaneshwari which have 9000 vowels. Pasayadan is an 9 vowels work writen at end of Gyaneshwari's 18 Chapter. This Pasayadan describe Mprel of this 9000 vowels. pasaayadana (&aana oEvarI AQyaaya 18 AaovaI 1794 ta o 1802)

आतां िवामक दे व | ये ण वाय तोषाव | तोषोिन मज ाव | पसायदान ह ||1 || जे खळांची यंकट सांडो| तयां सकम रती वाढो| भूतां परःपर पडो| मै ऽ जीवाच ||2 || दरताच ितिमर जावो| िव ःवधम सूय पाहो|ु जो ज वांछल तो त लाहो| ूाणजात ||3 || वष त सकळमंगळं | ईर िनांची मांदयाळ| अनवरत भूमंडळं | भे टतु या भूतां ||4 || चलां कपतं चे अaरव| चे तना िचंतामणीच गांव| बोलते जे अण व| पीयूषाचे ||5 || चंिमे जे अलांछन| मात ड जे तापहन| ते सवा ह सदा सजन| सोयरे होतु ||6 || कं बहना सव सु खीं | पूण होऊिन ितहं लोकं |ु भजजो आदपु खीं | अखंडत ||7 || आण मंथोपजीिवये | िवशे षीं लोकं इय | ा िवजय | होआव जी ||8 || ते थ हणे ौीिवे शरावो| हा होईल दानपसावो| ये ण वर ानदे वो| सु खया झाला ||9 ||

1. May the Self of the universe be pleased with th is sacrifice of words and bestow His grace on me. 2. May the sinners no longer commit evil deeds, may their desire to do good increase, and may all beings live in harmony with one another. 3. May the darkness of sin disappear, may the world see the rising of the sun of righteousness, and may the desires of all creatures be satisfied. 4. May everyone keep the company of saints devoted to God, who will shower their blessings on them. 5. Saints are walking gardens filled with wish-fulfilling trees, and they are living villages of wish-fulfilling gems. Their words are like oceans of nectar. 6. They are moons without blemish and suns without heat. May these saints be the friends of all people. 7. May all beings in all the worlds be filled with joy, and may they worship God forever. 8. May all those for whom this book is their very life be blessed with success in this world and the next. 9. Then, Nivrittinath, the great Master said that this blessing will be granted. This brought great joy to Jnaneshwar.

Complete Dnyaneshwari is available at http://sanskritdocuments.org/marathi/

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Mokashi, Digambar Balkrishna; Engblom, Philip C (1987), Palkhi, an Indian pilgrimage, SUNY Press, ISBN 978-0-88706-462-3 
• Rinehart, Robin (2004), Contemporary Hinduism: ritual, culture, and practice, ABC-CLIO, ISBN 978-1-57607-905-8 
• Dnyaneshwari: Swarup, Tatvadnyan ani Kavya, Majestic Book Stall, 1980 
• Ranade, R.D (1982)), Mysticism in Maharashtra: Indian mysticism, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0575-5 
• Bahirat, B.P (1956), The Philosophy of Jnanadeva, Mumbai: Popular Prakashan, ISBN 81-7154-737-0 
• Bobde (translator), P.V (1987), Garland of Divine Flowers: selected devotional lyrics of Saint Jnanesvara, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0390-6 

External links[link]

• Extracts from Amritanubhav
• Biography of Dnyaneshwar by V.V. Shirvaikar
• Lata Mangeshkar's rendering of some of Sri Jñāneshwar's abhangas
• Bhakti movement
• Sant Dnaneshwar on Hindupedia, the online Hindu Encyclopedia
• Pasayadan in Marathi
• Samadhi of Sant Dnyaneshwar