Daijiworld Media Network – Partagal
Partagal, Dec 2: As Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Mutt celebrates its 550th anniversary, another timeless guardian stands tall nearby — the majestic Vatavraksha, a thousand-year-old banyan tree whose vast canopy has sheltered saints, seekers and yogis long before the mutt was founded.
Located just 200 metres north of the Partagal mutt complex, the ancient tree spreads its awe-inspiring 220 aerial roots across an area of 235 feet east to west and 225 feet north to south. Walking beneath its countless pillars of roots feels, visitors say, like entering a natural temple where soft breezes drift in from every direction.
Long before Shrimad Narayan Teerth Swami established the mutt on the banks of the sacred Kushavati river in 1475 AD, this site was revered as Brahmasthan — a spiritual seat where the ancient Rishi Paingi is believed to have meditated under the Vatavraksha’s divine shade. For over a thousand years, rishis and yogis have made this quiet sylvan retreat a tapasya kshetra, a centre for deep meditation and spiritual realisation.
Mythology venerates the banyan as a symbol of the eternal cycle of life, endlessly renewing itself as its aerial roots grow downward to form new trunks. Vedic scholars see in this remarkable tree a living metaphor for the mutt’s own resilience across five and a half centuries — a legacy sustained through eras of change and countless challenges.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Partagal last week after unveiling the 77-ft Ram statue, echoed this sentiment. “Eras changed, periods changed, many transformations occurred in the country and society, but amidst changing eras and challenges, the mutt did not lose its direction; rather, it emerged as a centre that provides direction to people,” he said. The Vatavraksha has silently witnessed this entire journey.
Honouring this timeless symbol, the mutt has chosen a replica of the Vatavraksha as the memento for its prestigious Vidyadhiraj award — named after the 23rd muttadhipati of its unbroken guru parampara. The award is presented each year to individuals who have rendered exemplary service to society.
Even today, the Vatavraksha and the sacred Ishwar Linga before it continue to be worshipped by the people of Partagal and surrounding areas, just as they have been for over a millennium — a living testament to devotion, continuity and spiritual heritage.