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PLACES
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LONI BUDRUK
Loni Budruk, a village with a population of 2152 souls according to the Census of 1971 is situated in 20° 30' north latitude and 76° 45' east longitude in Washim tahsil on the border of Akola and Buldhana districts. It is about 40 miles to the west of Washim. the tahsil headquarters. It is connected by a motorable road with Washim. Post office is also located in the village. The river and wells form the main source of water supply. A primary and a middle school cater to the educational needs of the population. Medical facilities are provided by the dispensary conducted by the Zilla Parishad as also by private practitioners. A weekly market is held on every Monday. This village is famous for the biggest fair in the district held in honour of the great saint Sakharam Maharaj between Karttika vadya 14 and Margashirsha Shuddha 2, the most important days of the fair being Karttika Vadya 14 and 30 and Margashirsha Shuddha 1. The fair is attended by about 80,000 people from all over Maharashtra especially from the Marathwada districts of Parbhani and Nanded and from almost all the districts of the Vidarbha region. State Transport buses ply regularly between Washim and Loni Budruk and no difficulty is faced in reaching the village as extra buses ply at the time of the fair.
Shri Sakharam Balkrishna Joshi alias Sakharam Maharaj was born at Talni (Parbhani District) in the year 1708 A. D. After completing his early education at Washim he proceeded to Varanasi where he spent 12 years in studying Sanskrit literature. He was leading a life of renunciation from his early childhood and performed many miracles including the curing of persons from various diseases. He ultimately settled down at Loni Budruk where he died in the year 1800 A. D.
The temple of Sakharam Maharaj is constructed of stone and the entire structure is a solid one. The outer wall of the temple (par-hot), was constructed in the year 1845 A. D. The height of the temple is about 80'-90' with the dome at the top of the pinnacle in gold. In the shrine of the temple there is a Mahadeo linga and a gold plated mask of the Saint is placed over it.
The priest of the deity is a Brahmin by caste, who looks after the daily worship of the deity.
The devotees believe that Sakharam Maharaj is capable of fulfilling their desires and they, therefore, make various vows before the deity in order to get a child, or employment, or getting bodily relief from diseases, etc. On fulfilment of their desires the devotees offer the promised things to the deity during
the fair While going to the temple for the 'darshan' of the deity the pilgrims carry with them articles of worship.
On karttika Vadya 14, the shraddha ceremony of Sakharam Maharaj is performed and Karttika Vadya 30 (amavasya) is treated as the death anniversary of Sakharam Maharaj. A public dinner is arranged on this day when about 10,000 persons are served with food. Lines of thousands of people wait in a disciplined manner for 2 to
3 hours for this prasad. In 1965 some 50,000 disciples received prasad.' The principle of the division of labour is seen in its near perfection at the time of the fair. According to the information locally available the responsibility for cooking the food at the time of the fair and of distributing the same has been fixed upon certain families in the surrounding areas by custom and one member from each of these families attends and does the work assigned to him at the time of the fair. Besides the distribution of food at the time of the fair, food is supplied to the devotees visiting the shrine on other days too.
A chariot procession with the mask of Sakharam Maharaj kept in it, is taken out on Murgashirsha Shuddka 1 in the morning and a palanquin procession of the mask is taken out at night.
The devotees who assemble at the time of the fair are accommodated in three dharmashalas constructed near the temple, Many pilgrims, however, spend the nights outside the temple.
The main items of entertainment at the fair are cinema shows, tamashas, magic feats, singing parties etc. Sometimes a circus troupe also camps at the place of the fair.
Various stalls ate opened at the fair, important among them being those of brass utensils, clothes, sweetmeats, bangles, articles of worship, stationery articles, fancy goods, etc. Bullock-carts, locally known as 'damani' or 'rengi' are also brought in a large number at the fair for sale.
The Block Development organisation has constructed reservoirs to store potable water for the use of pilgrims. Water from the wells of the village is also used by the pilgrims.
The sanitary arrangements at the fair are managed by the staff of the Zilla Parishad, Akola. It levies a 'ground tax' on the various stalls opened at the fair and the amount so realised is spent in meeting the expenses of the fair.
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