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Chapter 16 : Pandharpur’s Lord Pandurang Arrives in Tahharabad!
- Jul 24
- 2 min read
From Ladoba Prakashan's book 'Sant Mahipati by Dattatrey Naikwade
Once, during the holy Wari while sojourning in Pandharpur, Saint Mahipati Maharaj received a divine vision in the quiet hours of sleep. The Lord Pandurang appeared before him and spoke:
"My hunger to hear the sacred lives of the saints told through your nectar-like voice is never-ending. Therefore, I Myself shall accompany you back to Tahharabad."
The ecstasy that flooded the Maharaj’s soul upon beholding this dream was beyond the reach of words. Pandurang further instructed him:
"Tomorrow morning, you shall find Me in the waters of the Chandrabhaga near Pundalika’s temple. Go thither and bring Me home."
As the old adage whispers, dawn’s sacred dreams are destined to become truth. Rising before the sun, the Maharaj proceeded with his fellow warkaris to the sacred currents of the Chandrabhaga. The moment he stepped into the flowing water, his hands brushed against an exquisite, heavenly image of Lord Pandurang and Mother Rukmini.
Witnessing this living miracle, the gathered multitudes fell into stunned awe and reverence. Because it was the height of the Ashadhi Wari season, a vast sea of devotees rushed to catch a glimpse of the divine discovery. Amidst the jubilant music of drums and cymbals, the sacred idols were escorted in state to the Maharaj's matha in Pandharpur.
The Divine Return to Tahharabad
Before long, the return journey of the Wari commenced. The warkaris prepared a magnificent, flower-decked throne within a bullock cart, and with Pandurang and Mother Rukmini seated in their midst, the entire procession turned its steps toward Tahharabad.
As the news spread from village to village along the path, rivers of devotees flowed forth for darshan. The glorious, musical arrival of the Lord breathed an electric spirit of spiritual renewal into the village. Mahipati’s renown radiated across the land, until it was whispered in every heart that “Tahharabad has now become a second Pandhari.”
In time, a grand village assembly was convened, and the community resolved to erect a magnificent temple for Pandurang. Every single soul in the village rallied to the sacred labor. The prosperous contributed their wealth, while those who had no gold offered shramdaan—the labor of their own hands. Some shaped the stones as masons, while others hauled mortar.
Through this united devotion, a majestic shrine rose toward the heavens. Amidst the sonorous chanting of Vedic hymns by learned scholars, the divine idols were consecrated according to ancient scriptural rites.
That very sanctuary of Pandurang stands to this day in Tahharabad, a beacon of grace for all who seek solace. The direct descendants of Saint Mahipati Maharaj still reside upon those sacred grounds, faithfully preserving the ancestral tradition of daily worship within the Viththal-Rukmini temple while leading lives of quiet, holy simplicity. As pilgrims journey toward the samadhi shrine of the Maharaj, they pass this very temple of Pandurang. In this hallowed resting place, devotees still gather in reverence to receive the boundless blessings of the Lord.
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