PLACES

SHEGAON

Shegaon.—Located in 20°45' north latitude and 76°40' east longitude, Shegaon is a municipal town in Khamgaon tahsil. Situated at an altitude of 274 metres it receives an average annual rainfall of 789 millimetres. Shegaon is a railway station on the Bombay-Nagpur route of the Central Railway, 547 kilometres from Bombay and 291 km from Nagpur.

The town was of little importance prior to the opening of the railway in 1863, but it made rapid progress with the dawn of the present century. As per the Census of 1971, it has a total population of 25,993.

The town is very famous for the Samadhi of Shri Gajanan Maharaj. It attracts a large number of pilgrims from all over Vidarbha region as also from distant parts of Western Maharashtra and Marathwada.

It is also an important centre of trade in cotton with a number of ginning and pressing factories. Besides, there are a Roman Catholic Chapel, two mosques and a few temples. The office of the Christian and Missionary Alliance of U.S.A. is also located in the town.

Educational facilities to the town population are provided by seven primary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. G. B. Morarka College of Arts and Commerce caters to the need of higher education. Two hospitals including the Municipal Hospital and Sai Baba Mote Women's Hospital and twelve dispensaries provide medical facilities to the town populace. Besides, there is a veterinary dispensary also.

Municipality: The Shegaon municipality was established in 1881. It covers an area of 5.83 square kilometres.

The total income of the municipality excluding the extraordinary and debt head's and opening balance during the year 1970-71 amounted to Rs. 9,24,000, while the total expenditure of the municipality during the same year excluding the extraordinary and debt heads came to Rs. 9,08,000. Scarcity of water was always felt in the town in the past and hence a tank with an area of 250 acres was constructed in 1877 at a cost of Rs. 30,000. However it used to dry up during the summer season. Hence, below its bend a supplementary tank was constructed at the time of the famine of 1899; but it also proved to be of little use except for watering cattle. Water-supply to the town at present is through pipe lines.

In 1970-71, the total length of roads in the town was 20 km of which a length of 4 km was asphalted, one km was metalled and the remaining length of 15 km was unmetalled. The town has two theatres and one public library.

Samadhi of Gajanan Maharaj.— The temple dedicated to Gajanan Maharaj is the principal object of interest in Shegaon which attracts lakhs of pilgrims from not only Vidarbha region but also from the distant parts of Western Maharashtra and Marathwada. Allegorically Shegaon can be described as the Pandharpur of Vidarbha. Thousands of devotees pay their respects to the Samadhi on every Thursday which is regarded as a special clay for veneration to the Maharaj. It is on every Thursday that the palkhi of Shri Gajanan Maharaj is taken round in procession. A large class of devotees believe in and narrate the miracles performed by and the spiritual powers of the Maharaj which they say to have experienced themselves. Many of them also believe that veneration to the saint and vows are rewarded in the form of fulfilment of desires.

The origin of Shri Gajanan Maharaj is rather obscure though not legendary. He appeared at Shegaon on February 23, 1878. Of whom and when he was born and his family history is not known and as per the information given by the local residents no one has heard him speaking about his own self. When he appeared at Shegaon the local population saw in him the qualities of a saint or a prophet. Since no one has seen or heard as to the place from where the Maharaj came at Shegaon and since no one did have any talk with him about his origin his appearing at Shegaon was considered by many as a miracle. According to some sources Shri Gajanan Maharaj must have been either the descendant of the Peshwa Nanasaheb who led the war of Independence of 1857 and was living in obscurity after his defeat at the hands of the British or of those patriots who fought in the battle along with the Peshwa and who were putting up at Pppat-kheda in Vidarbha at the foot of the Satpuda range. Many people support this conjecture in view of the fact that he was not only present in the public meeting held at Akola in 1907 but was sitting on the dias by the side of Lokmanya Tilak who addressed the same. After hearing about the life imprisonment of Lokmanya Tilak, the Maharaj blessed the great patriot of India, and prophesied that the cause for which Tilak was fighting would meet with success. He is also believed to have informed the Late Dadasaheb Khaparde that his imprisonment would bring some good to the country. Many miracles are attributed to Shri Gajanan Maharaj such as curing a leper by the mere touch of hands, commanding the train to a halt etc., which are described in a pothi known as ' Gajanan Vijay '. Shri Gajanan Maharaj breathed his last on September 8, 1910 which was a fasting day for women known as Rishi Panchami.

The temple dedicated to the Maharaj is to the east of the town and occupies about a hectare of land, and faces the north. The gateway of the temple court-yard is magnificent and imposing. There is another gateway on the western side of the court-yard. There are many rooms alongside of the court-yard n the back side which are meant for pilgrims coming from distant places.

The main shrine of Shri Gajanan Maharaj has a sabhamandap supported by three rows of nine pillars each on both sides. The entire sabhamandap is covered with marble tiles. The gallery over-hanging the sabhamandap is adorned with picture frames depicting the life of Shri Gajanan Maharaj. At the entrance to the shrine, both the sides are flanked by the images of dwarpalas, viz., Jay and Vijay, besides those of Devi and Ganapati. The inner shrine contains the padukas and the facial plaque of Shri Gajanan Maharaj. In the inner shrine on the marble platform are the idols of Rama, Laxman and Sita, besides the padukas and the facial plaque of the Maharaj.

Exactly below the inner shrine containing the images of Rama, Laxman and Sita in a cellar which can be reached by descending down about 16 steps is the Samadhi of Shri Gajanan Maharaj. The way to the cellar is from both sides, one usually used for going down and another for climbing up.

In front of the inner shrine is an idol of Hanuman under a canopy. The temple has a pinnacle which could be seen from a distance. By the side of the inner shrine is a shayanagar, bed room. In the courtyard are the Samadhis of Balabhau Maharaj and Narayan Maharaj who rendered personal services to Shri Gajanan Maharaj. Towards the left of the main shrine in the courtyard is a double storied structure with 45 rooms which provides lodging facilities to the pilgrims.

The arch above the west entrance displays beautifully carved creeper designs. By the side of the road to the main entrance. i.e., north entrance, are a few buildings constructed recently which house the ayurvedic, homoeopathic and allopathic dispensaries conducted by the temple authorities. About 300 patients are treated daily at the homoeopathic dispensary. The allopathic dispensary is quite well-equipped with necessary amenities. The temple authorities serve daily prasad to all devotees attending the temple at lunch time. The prasad consists of jowar bread which was a favourite dish of Shri Gajanan Maharaj along with some vegetable. The temple authorities conduct classes where discourses on religion are delivered. The celebrations observed at the temple every year are the death anniversary (punyatithi) of Shri Gajanan Maharaj; the day of the appearance of the Maharaj at Shegaon, viz., Magh Vadya 7, and Rama Navami.

The temple authorities have organised a trust which is registered under the Public Trusts Act. Handsome donations are received by the Trust from the devotees of Shri Gajanan Maharaj.

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