Ramdasi Sampraday : Organization of Religious Group

Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami, preached people the importance of dutifulness and cleverness in day to day life.He co-ordinated the familiar affairs and devotion and established a strong and active organization of staunch followers. He realized that for uplifting the society, the activities of unselfish followers were quite necessary. Accordingly to him, an unselfish follower does not mean a person striving for his own spiritual objectives but he must be a well determined social worker. He also believed that such an organization of sincere social workers would awake the society.

To begin with the task he had set up the first Maruti Temple at Shahpur in Satara District in 1644 and introduced activities of the Ramdasi Sampradaya (religious group). In 1648 he had established a Matha (Monk’s residence) at Chaphal in Satara District and thus converted a religious group into an organization. The Math established at Chaphal became the Sansthan (an Institution) of Ramdasi Sampradaya. During the period 1644 to 1652, in addition to the Temple of Maruti at Shahapur, he had set up 10 more Maruti Temples at different places. These 11 Maruti Temples were became active centers of social, cultural and even political movements and thus he inspired the organization to proceed further.

Thus the Ramdasi Sampradaya has features of spiritual and ethical aspects as its one side and social services as the other side.

Realizing the great importance of social activities launched through the organization, Chhatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Kingdom, met Samarth Ramdas Swami at Shinganwadi near Chaphal in August 1641 and respected him as his Political as well as Spiritual Preacher.

The Ramdas Swami Sansthan was fully supported by the Kings of the Maratha Empire, several other political administrators and mostly from the society. In 1676 Samarth Ramdas Swami had shifted his residence from Chaphal to Sajjangad and since then he had been living there till the last moment of his life. Thus the fort of Sajjangad became the chief center of Ramdas Religious Group.

Shri. Samrth Ramdas Swami got the idols of Lord Ram, Laxman and Seeta, made of five valuable metals (Panch Dhatu) from a skilled worker at Tanjawar in Tamilnadu. He also got the idol of Maruti of the same type. He had established all those idols in his Shej-ghar (Bed-room) at Sajjangad.

Samrth Ramdas Swami had passed away from this word on Magha Vadya Navami, Shake 1603 i.e. on 22 Januray 1682. Prior to five days of his sad demise, he was in front of these idols, without having any food or water and put an end to his sacrificed life. To the North of Matha (A residential place) there was a small dig wherein the burial took place. This place was further recognized as ‘Samadhi’ of late Shri. Samarth Ramdas Swami. The funeral was conducted at the hands of Uddhav Swami, one of the Chief disciples of Ramdas Swami. His another disciple, Kalyan Swami was not present at the time of the burial. His another woman disciple Chimanabai i.e. Akkabai was there.

At the place of the burial, a grave was erected and upon it a temple was constructed in which all his honorable deities namely Lord Ram, Laxman, Seeta and Maruti were installed.

Leter on some other structures such as a temple of Angai, a store-room etc. were constructed. All these historical buildings are now in the possession of the trustees of the Ramdasi Sansthan. Day to day activities such as Kakad Araati (An early morning prayer), Shejarti (A night prayer requesting the God to have rest), Puja and Mahapujas are being conducted regularly. Some special occasions such as Guru-Pournima,Das Naumi,Ram-Naumi are being celebrated on their grand scale and thousands of pilgrims attend these functions.This long standing tradition has been going on for the last 300 years without having a single break and will be continued for ever as long as a strong belief exists in the minds of the people of Maharastra.

Pilgrims, visitors, tourists, travellers visiting the fort of Sajjangad, will find all these historical monuments maintained in scientific and systematic manners. It is the glory of the bygone past standing there for our ever-standing inspiration.