PLACES

KARANJA

Situation: Karanja, one of the important towns in Akola district in the south of Murtizapur tahsil has according to the Census of 1971 a population of 31150 souls. It was for several years after the Assignment, the headquarters of a tahsil and was so important a town that the municipality was established at Karanja long before it was established at Murtizapur. Situated on fairly level ground between the low ranges of hills, the town is known after a sage or a rishi named Karanja who was performing austere penance in ancient times along with his disciples. It is a railway station on the Murtizapur-Yeotmal narrow gauge railway line. There is a post office, a telegraph office, a police station, and a Government rest-house. The cotton and agricultural produce market committee was established at Karanja in 1886, the commodities regulated being cotton, ground-nut and other food grains. A weekly market is held at Karanja on every Sunday. The Municipal M. J. High School, the J. C. High School, the M. B. Ashram High School, the J. D. Choure Indian English Middle School, and the Kamlabai Girl's Indian English Middle School besides a few Primary Schools all established in the town provide educational facilities to the town populace. The Civil Hospital established by the municipal council looks after the health of the people. Also located in the town are a veterinary dispensary and a leprosy survey, eradication and treatment unit centre. The banking facilities are provided by the branches of the State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and the Akola District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd.

History : Karanja is an ancient historical town, and the four gateways and the remains of a great wall show that it was completely girdled by a strong fortification. Karanja in historical times was a land of fabulous wealth, the position which the place even now retains to some extent. After the treaty of Purandar was signed, Aurangzeb had given to Shivaji an amount of Rs. one lakh towards the expenditure for his visit to Agra. After Shivaji's escape from Agra, Aurangzeb confiscated the jagir of Shivaji in Berar towards the compensation for the amount paid to him. Shivaji, a shrewd politician as he was, anticipating such a move from the Delhi Emperor, had asked one of his generals Prataprav Gujar to be in readiness. In December 1670, Prataprav Gujar attacked and looked Karanja. it is estimated that he carried loot on the back loads of 4,000 oxen and horses valued at a crore of rupees in the form of gold silver, mercerised cloth, etc.

Shivaji looted Karanja as it was known for its wealth. How rich and prosperous the town was is evident from the following story. The story of the Kasturi Haveli is connected with a Lad called Lekur Sangai, who was in fact very wealthy but had been living in a miserly fashion. A merchant one, arrived at Karanja with 60 (or as some say 25) camels loaded with musk, Kasturi he had been in search all over India of some one who would buy the whole of the musk he carried and pay for it with 00 camel loads of rupees all stamped with the name of the same Emperor. Lekur Sangai offered to be the purchaser and told the merchant to choose any reign he liked for his rupee. The latter laughed at such an offer from a man who looked so poor, but Lekur Sangai showed him 12 cellars full of rupees and in fact paid him in coins of Akbar's reign. He was having a new house built at the time, and mere|y threw his costly purchase into the foundations. A strong seem of the musk Lasted for years and people used to come from a distance and carry off scented earth as a memento. The temple of Balaji at Washim was constructed by subhedar Bhavanrav Kala one of the generals of the Bhosles when he was in charge of the thana of Karanja.

A Muhammedan saint at Karanja was a scholar in Hindu dharmashastra and was so much attached to Hinduism that he wrote a criticism on Bhagvadgita as is evidenced by the Bhakta Rahasya by Anant Kavi. He also mentions the name of one Balakram of pusad as one of the disciples of Ramdas alongwith two others from Berar viz., Bholaram from Ellichpur and Devdas from Vadner. Lokadaram., the son of Baiakram, established his math at Karanja. After the death of Janoji Bhosle, Madhoji had visited the place where he fought with Sabaji for sucession to the throne. it is said to be the place OF birth of Narsimha Saraswati considered by the place of orthodox as an incarnation of lord Dattradaya

The town in historical times was known as Karanjabibi as a was part of the dowry of the Ahmadnagar Princess who tomb (kabar) still exists in a dilapidated condition. Later, it was known as Ladache Karanje because of the number of Lad families who had settled there.

Municipality: The municipality was established at Karanja in 1895 under the Berar Municipal Act of 1895. At that time all members were nominated. The municipal council is now composed of 19 members with no seat reserved either for the scheduled castes or scheduled tribes, or women. It covers an area of 4-6 square miles and is now governed under the Maharashtra Municipalities Act, 1965. During 1961 the total receipts of the municipality were placed at Rs. 5,73,290 of which the receipts from municipal taxes amounted to Rs. 2,39,120, the per capita municipal tax being Rs. 9.04. The total income of the municipality during the year 1965-66 [In 1973-74 the income and expenditure was Rs. 14.00.0000 and Rs. 12,09,000 respectively.] was Rs. 6,54,515 comprising income from municipal rates and taxes, Rs. 2,00,040; revenue derived from municipal property and powers Rs. 37,130; grant and contribution from the Government, Rs. 2,98,565 and income from miscellaneous sources, Rs. 1,18,780.

During the same year the total expenditure incurred by the municipality came to Rs. 6,56,065. It was composed of general administration, Rs. 23,765; collection charges, Rs. 75,905; public safety, Rs. 23,965; public health and convenience, Rs.. 1,85.190; public works, Rs. 7,310; public instruction, Rs. 2,52,780 and miscellaneous expenditure, Rs. 86,850.

The municipal committee runs a civil hospital, a veterinary dispensary, a leprosy centre, two high schools one Known as M. J. High School and the other R. L. Girls High School, 8 primary Schools-four Marathi, two urdu. one Hindi and one Gujrathi. Primary education has been made compulsory in the town since 1954 and is looked after by the municipality. Wells form the main source of water supply and scarcity of drinking water is felt in the town.

Objects: Karanja is a place full of old temples, mosques, tombs. and well-built havelis many of which have their own tales to tell.

The rishi talav is the most striking feature in the neighbourhood of Karanja. It is said that the tank was originally created in order to heal a disease which afflicted the sage Karanja, from whom the town takes its name. It is also said that the present big rishi talav in the town is the result of the rigid penance of the sage Karanja who with the laudable object of removing the scarcity of water had fervently appealed to Goddess Amba. Some people drink its water which is supposed to prevent the spleen disease. A channel has been taken out from this tank and the water is now used for irrigation.

A small tank called Chandra tirtha or Lendi talav lies to the east of the town. It is said that any one who wanted to give a feast had only to pray beside the water, and all the food and utensils he required would be provided by it; but be was required to return the plates again; finally some one, securing gold plates, kept them, and the miraculous supply ceased from that time. According to another legend, once Chandra (the moon) indulged in adultery with Tara, the wife of Guru (Brihaspati) as a result of which he suffered from T. B. and dermatitis. With a view to get cured of these diseases he performed penance (तप) and afterwards established the Chandreshvar tirtha and the temple of Chandreshvar Mahadeva. He visited the sacred shrine of the Goddess Kamakshi and he was freed of his diseases. The water of the lank is said to be good for curing itch.

The Bindu tirtha in the centre of the town, a plain, square step web, which is regarded as the source of the Bembala river, has a double legend. A number of rishi's wished to perform a sacrifice, but there was no water available; each, therefore, poured out a pot of water which he had brought from some holy place, and from this accumulation sprang the river Bembala. Meanwhile, a teli nearby, ignorant of what was being done, stepped from has oil-press into the new pool and was drowned, and the river has since that time come from the oil press itself.

Another small tank, called Sarang talav seems to have no story attached to it. The old Gazetteer of Akola mentions, 'Karanja contains one private house which has very few equals in Berar, viz., that built a few years ago by the late Ranoji Naik Kannawa; it is a handsome building, large and lofty, built in a modern style.......' This house exists even to this date.

There are three Jain temples in this town. The first temple which contains an image of Parasnath, has very elaborate wood carving that of Shengan has a great deal of neat and pretty work done in the last decade of the nineteenth century at a cost of about Rs. 15,000; and the name Balatkar is applied to the thru. One of the temples, maintains a huge stock, of religious treatises on Jainism as well as ancient Prakrit and Apabhransha works some of which have been published recently. The idols in these temples are very fine and they have a lot of rare jewellery. A Jain festival, on a moderate scale, is held in Bhadrapada (August-September).

Karanja is considered to be the place of birth of Shri Guru Nrisinhasarasvati, the second incarnation of Shri Guru Dattatreya. The construction of the temple dedicated to Shri Guru Nrisinhasarasvati commenced on December 3, 1933 and if was completed in four months. The problem arose as to how the image of the Svamiji is to be prepared as no one had seen him. As a preliminary measure Shri R. B. Dhurandhar, the then Principal of the Bombay Sehool of Arts and Mr. Soloman were asked to paint the picture of Svamiji on the basis of the description of him given in Guruchantra. Both of them painted the picture of Svamiji and it was found that they were exactly identical. On being questioned, both of them disclosed that each had a vision of Svamiji who asked them to observe him minutely. An image that closely resembled the picture was prepared at Jaipur in marble and was installed on April 1, 1934. Besides, the idol of Nrisinhasarasvati, the temple contains the shrine of lord Dattatreya, Chintamani Ganpati, Kashi Vishveshvara and the padukas of Nrisinhasarasvati.

Shri Guru Nrisinhasarasvati was born of Ambabhavani and Madhava a couple, staying at Karanja. Since his birth, the child would only pronounce 'Om' (ॐ) and nothing else. After a few years the child suggested to his parents by signs only that his thread girding ceremony should take place. When ins mother and lather were worrying about the expenditure to be incurred on his thread girding ceremony, the boy just touched an iron boy I and changed it into gold by his power and his thread girding ceremony was performed in gaiety. At the time of asking for aims, a part of the ceremony, the boy spoke for the first time and to the surprise of ail present he recited a hymn from the Vedas.

After the thread girding ceremony was over, the boy asked his parents for permission to go on a pilgrimage. The parents would not agree to if, but finally the boy was given the permission to go on a pilgrimage on condition that he should do so after his mother gets two more children out of the four that the boy had said that his mother would get. When his mother got the twins after a few years, the boy left home and went to Kashi. There he accepted the Sanyasashrama at the hands of Krishna-sarasvati and was named by him as Nrisinhasarasvati. He became a learned and enlightened Guru and had Ganagapur as the place of his activities. Before establishing at Gangapur he visited Narsobavadi, Audumbar and Bhilwadi. Afterwards Nrisinhasarasvati by tee power of his will and the god's grace, cured many from diseases, made the poor rich and offered solutions to file wordly problems of many.

It is said that he belonged to the generation of Nagar Naik Kale. Maharshi Annasaheb Patvardhan was one of the devotees of Nrisinhasarasvati. The administration of the temple is looked alter by the trust registered under the Public Trusts Act No. 29 of 1950. It was decided that the devotees should contribute Rs. 15 each to meet the expenditure to be incurred on performing puja etc. Many devotees complied with the request so that the puja could now be performed thrice a day. The dharmashala nearby accommodates the pilgrims who throng this temple.

A temple of Rama was built, ornamented and endowed in 1876 by one Tukaram Bhagvan Kannava at a total cost, it is said, of a lakh of rupees. The temples of Kamakshi Devi, Ekakshi Devi and Kholeshvar Mahadeva are said to have been built by God Ramchandra but are not striking. Aurangzeb is said to have demolished a Hemadpanti temple and built a mosque with its materials in its place.

The old Gazetteer of the Akola, district mentions, 'A printed accounts glorifies Sadaram Maharaj, whose shrine is at Karanja, in a somewhat unusal style. it is said that he shampooed his guru for 24 years under the water of a river, sat untouched in fire when drops of water from his sandhya, meditation accompanied by the sipping of water (and reciting Gayatri hymn) burnt a rash visitor to ashes, had images at Pandharpur come to life and feast with him, and caused any twig to grow and bear flowers.' It further states 'In one case a Brahman officiates at a Muhammedan tomb (that of Lai Imam), and vows are made at various tombs.'

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