Rons Bantwal

Daijiworld Media Network

Mumbai (RBI), Mar 4: Chitrapu Billava Sangha Mumbai (Regd.) led by the organisers of Shri Virobha Baala Leela Bhajana Mandir, Chitrapu Mulkhi, organised a two-day pilgrimage to several important religious sites located on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border. The pilgrimage, held last Thursday (February 20-23), saw participation from members of the Chitrapu village residing in Mumbai.

A total of 45 members of the Sangha took part in the pilgrimage under the guidance of senior members, along with the presence of NCP leader Laxman C Pujari and his spouse. The group visited various famous pilgrimage locations in the border region of Maharashtra and Karnataka, including Akkalkot, Ganagapur, Tuljabhavani, Pandharpur, Jejuri, Prati Balaji, and Prati Shirdi.

The pilgrimage began with a visit to Akkalkot in Solapur district, home to the revered Swami Shri Swami Samarth Maharaj Temple and samadhi site, which are famous across Karnataka, Maharashtra, and several other Indian states. The devotees received detailed information about Swami's life and teachings. From there, the group travelled to the famous Ganagapur Temple, located near the confluence of the Bhima and Amarja rivers in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district, where they had the darshan of Shri Dattatreya and Shri Narasimha Saraswati.

In Maharashtra, the group visited the temple of Tuljabhavani, who is highly revered by the Agri and Bhoi communities in Maharashtra, as well as Gujaratis, Rajputs from North Karnataka, western Rajasthan, and people from Punjab. Tuljabhavani is also known as the guardian deity of the Maratha King, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Afterward, the group visited the Siddheshwar temple in Solapur district, a sacred site for Lingayat followers. The temple, dating back to the 12th century, is dedicated to Siddheshwar, the village deity of Solapur. The beautiful tank outside the temple adds to its serenity, while the Amritshila Samadhi lies at the heart of the temple complex.

The group also visited Pandharpur, located on the banks of the Bhima river. After taking a holy dip in the river, they performed bhajans, singing “Vithala Vithala Panduranga Shri Hari Vithala” while offering their prayers and having darshan of Lord Vithala and Rukmini.

On the following day, the group visited the famous Khandobachi Jejuri, located on the hilltop in Pune district. Jejuri is one of the most visited holy places in Maharashtra, and after trekking up the hill, both elders and children prayed for blessings at the temple. Due to time constraints, the group later offered prayers from a distance at the Prati Shirdi and Prati Balaji temples, seeking forgiveness in their hearts.

The pilgrimage was successfully coordinated by Chitrapu Billava Sangha Mumbai (Regd.) under the leadership of their president Raju S Pujari, even in his absence. The members of the executive committee, including Shekhar Anchan, Umesh G. Kotyan, Somnath Pujari, Madhukar A. Kotyan, Nishith S. Kotyan, Radha Suresh Kotyan, Vijay Mulkhi, Gangadhar Kotyan, Revathi Pujari, and Rama Vishwanath Sanil, along with their families, were part of the journey.

The success of this pilgrimage was made possible by the support and efforts of Shekhar Anchan (executive committee member), Umesh G Kotyan (Secretary), Somnath Pujari (Treasurer), and Nishith S Kotyan, who took responsibility for the smooth organisation of the pilgrimage.