|
Dating
While Yuvraj Krishan places Morya Gosavi in the 13th-14th century, RC
Dhere places him in the 16th century. Paul B. Courtright and Anne
Feldhaus date him to 1610-59. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation
dates him to c. 1330 to 1556. His marriage year is given as 1470 and his
son's birth corresponds to 1481. The Encyclopedia of Religion dates his
death to 1651.
Various legends associate Morya Gosavi with Humayun (1508–1556), Shahaji
(1594–1665) and his son Shivaji (1627–1680). His memorial temple has an
inscription records that it was started in 1658-9.
Early Life
According to one version of the story, Morya was born in Bidar,
Karnataka. He was thrown out of the house by his father as he was
thought to be of no use to the family. Morya travelled to the Ganesha
shrine at Morgaon - in neighbouring Maharashtra - where he found a
liking to Ganesha. He settled at Chinchwad, 50 miles (80 km) away from
Morgaon. Another story declares him to be a son of a poor but pious
couple from Pune, Maharashtra. Morya is believed to have been born due
to the grace of Ganesha, whom the childless couple propitiated. After
the birth of Morya, the family moved to Pimple, 40 miles (64 km) away
from Chinchwad. After the death of his parents, Morya moved to Tathavade,
2 miles (3.2 km) away from Chichwad. Both legends declare he visited the
Morgaon temple regularly, daily or monthly to worship Ganesha.
Another tale tells that Morya's parents, Bhat Shaligram and his wife
moved to Morgaon from Bidar. His parents prayed to Ganesha at Morgaon.
Soon, Morya was born to them. Later, Morya became seriously ill and was
not recovering so they prayed to Ganesha again. Soon, a Gosavi (priest)
named Nayan Bharati came and gave medicine to Morya, curing him. Nayan
Bharati also preached to Morya. Henceforth, the Bhat family took the
family name Gosavi and Morya was known as Morya Gosavi.
From Morgaon to Chinchwad
The Morgaon temple of Ganesha where Morya Gosavi worshipped Ganesha,
before shifting to Chinchwad. According to a legend, on the occasion of
Ganesh Chaturthi (August–September) - the largest festival dedicated to
Ganesha - Morya could not find a place in the temple, crowded by the
laity and the wealthy Pingle family. Morya left his offering under a
tree and then by a "miracle", the laity's offerings from temple were
exchanged with Morya's offerings under the tree. The laity accused Morya
of sorcery and prohibited his entry in Morgaon.
|
Ganesha appeared in a dream of Pingle and told Pingle that he was
offended by the ill-treatment of his favourite devotee Morya. So
Pingle requested Morya to come back to Morgaon, but Morya refused.
Ganesha thus gave a vision to Morya saying that he would come to
stay with Morya in Chinchwad. Accordingly, Morya found an image of
Ganesha - similar to the one worshipped at Morgaon - while bathing
in the river and built a small shrine for it.
Another tale tells that the head-man of Morgaon was impressed by
Morya's pious ways and offered him milk every day he visited Morgaon.
Once the head-man was not present at his house, so a blind girl went
to offer the milk to Morya. The moment she touched the threshold of
the house where Morya was waiting, her sight was restored. Morya
became famous due to this miracle and is credited to have cured the
eyes of Shivaji (1627–1680) too - who would become the founder of
the Maratha Empire later. To escape the crowds of people, Morya
relocated to the forest, where present-day Chinchwad stands. Due to
his growing age, Morya found it hard to continue his visits to
Morgaon. Once he reached Morgaon after the temple was closed.
Tired
and hugry, he slept. Ganesha gave Morya a dream-vision telling Morya
to offer his prayers to him and that he would reside with Morya in
Chinchwad and incarnate in Morya's lineage for seven generations.
|
 |
Morya woke
to find the temple doors miraculously opened and offered his prayers. In
morning when the temple-priests opened the temple-doors, they were
astonished to see fresh flowers offered to the Lord and a pearl necklace
missing. The necklace was discovered on Morya's neck, who was imprisoned
but then freed due to Ganesha's aid. Morya found a conical stone rising
in Chinchwad home, which he recognized as Ganesha and built a temple for
it.
Another legend does not talk about his arrest, but says that Morya
realised the presence of Ganesha at Morgaon but realised that there was
hindrance in his devotion, so he moved to the forest near Tathavade to
worship Ganesha. On every fourth lunar day after the full moon, Morya
used to visit the Chintamani Temple of Theur. Once, devotees from
Chinchwad requested Morya to visit the bank of Pavana River at Chinchwad.
There, Chintamani - the form of Ganesha worshipped at Theur - is
believed to have ordered Morya to marry. As per Ganesha's orders, Morya
got married to Uma, the daughter of Govindrao Kulkarni whose family was
staying in Tathavade near Chinchwad.
According to a story, as per his guru's orders, Morya performed penance
at Theur by observing a strict fast for 42 days, within this period, he
is believed to have "divine revelations". After the death of his
parents, Morya moved from Morgaon to Chinchwad. The present structure of
the Theur temple is built by Morya.
Death and Lineage
Morya continued to visit Theur, Ranjangaon (another Ganesha temple site)
and Chinchwad. Morya had a son, whom he named Chintamani (Chintaman).
Chintamani was venerated as a living incarnation of Ganesha. But before
that according to some experts, he helped the deposed Mughal emperor
Humayun (1508–1556) to escape to Kabul, when Humayun again became the
Emperor of Delhi, he showered Morya with gifts. According to Dhere,
Shivaji's father Shahaji (1594–1665) is recorded as a donor to Morya
Gosavi.
After his wife's death and his guru Nayan Bharati's sanjeevan samadhi,
Morya also took sanjeevan samadhi by burying himself alive in a tomb
with a holy book in his hand. Morya left strict orders that his tomb be
never opened. Chintamani built a temple over his father's tomb.
Chintamani is described to have shown his true form as Ganesha to the
Varkari saint-poet Tukaram (1577 - c.1650), who called Chintamani a Dev
spelt also as Deva or Deo (god). The lineage was henceforth known as the
Dev family.
Chintamani was followed as a Dev by Narayan, Chintamani II, Dharmadhar,
Chintamani III, Narayan II and Dharmadhar II. The Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb (1658–1707) gifted Narayan the hereditary grant of eight
villages, impressed by the latter's "miracle" of changing a piece of
beef sent by the former into jasmine flowers. (Beef is considered unholy
in Hinduism and killing of cows - considered sacred - is prohibited.)
Narayan II violated Morya's orders and opened the latter's tomb.
According to the tale, Morya who was found still mediating in the tomb,
was disturbed and cursed Narayan that his son would be the last Dev.
Narayan's son, Dharmadhar II - the seventh generation of Morya - died
childless in 1810 ending the direct lineage of Morya, but a distant
relative of Dharmadhar, Sakhari was installed as a Dev by the priesthood
to continue the temple funding. Devotional poetry of all the Devs still
survive.
Veneration
Morya Gosavi is considered the chief spiritual progenitor and the most
important saint of the Ganapatya - the Hindu sect centred on Ganesha
worship - tradition and has been described as the "most famous devotee"
of Ganesha.
Chinchwad has shrines to the departed Devs, chief of which is that of
Morya. Morya's memorial temple is a low plain building (30' x 20' x 40')
with a square hall or mandap and an octagonal inner shrine, inscribed
with a Marathi inscription: "This temple was begun on the bright twelfth
of Kartik (November–December) Shaka 1580 (A.D. 1658-9) Vilambi
Samvatsara and finished on Monday the bright fourth of Ashadha, Vikari
Samvatsara". The temples enjoyed the revenue from the eight villages
given by Aurangzeb in the past. The tomb of Morya Gosavi as well as the
Ganesha temple constructed by him still attracts many Ganesha devotees
to Chinchwad. Devotees believe that though Morya Gosavi attained moksha
(salvation) but "his presence continues to endow the shrine with sacred
significance."
On the circumbulation path (Pradakshina path) of the Morgaon Ganesha
temple, there is a tree near the Kalpavrushka Mandir. The tree is
believed to have the spot where Morya Gosavi underwent penance. An image
of Morya Gosavi is worshipped in the temple complex too. Morya Gosavi is
also credited to have popularized the Morgaon temple.
Getting There
By Air: Pune Airport is the nearest international airport to reach Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Public transportation from the Airport to city center and outside are
available.
By Rail: Chinchwad Railway Station or Chinchwad Station is an important halt
for Pune's suburban railway service. It is located 2 km from Chinchwad
bus stand. Pune Railway Station is 18 km away.
By Bus: It has a State Transport Bus stand Pimpri-Chinchwad Bus Stand at
Vallabhnagar. Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited operates the
public transport system in this area.
|
