Pavitra Supported Maruti Umbraj / Masoor / Maruti of Shahapur Karad, Satara

The eleven Maruti temples established by Samarth Ramdas Swami hold extraordinary significance in the Samarth Sampradaya. These temples are situated in the valleys of the Krishna and Warna rivers. Among them, seven locations—two in Chaphal, and one each in Shinganwadi, Majgaon, Umbraj, Masur, and Shahapur—are in the Satara district. Of these seven, three temples are in the Karad taluka, which include the Umbraj Maruti, the Masur Maruti, and the Shahapur Maruti. The village of Umbraj is located along the Pune-Satara-Kolhapur National Highway, and the temples of Masur and Shahapur are situated to the east of this village.

The Maruti idol established by Samarth Ramdas Swami in Umbraj in the year 1649 is famous as ‘Pratap Maruti’. The idol in the temple is crafted from lime, sand, and jute. It is approximately six feet tall and has silver eyes. Under the left foot of the idol lies the head of a demon. The Maruti is depicted wearing a loincloth around the waist, anklets on the feet, and a shawl draped over both shoulders. The left hand is placed on the waist, while the right hand is raised to the head with the palm held aloft. The tail curves from behind the body, passes over the head, and turns upwards. It is said that after the installation of the Maruti, Samarth performed kirtans in this monastery for 13 consecutive days. The crutch used by Samarth is still preserved in this temple today. Samarth often traveled from Chaphal to Umbraj to bathe in the Krishna River. He would also perform prayers and partake in meals at the temple.

Keshavswami was the head of the monastery at Umbraj. Samarth had entrusted him with the responsibility of the worship and daily rituals of this monastery. It was Keshavswami who performed the combined immersion of the urn containing the ashes of Samarth Ramdas Swami, which had been at Chaphal for about 30 years, and the ashes of Kalyanswami. The Samadhi of Keshavswami is located near the banks of the Krishna River, close to this monastery. During the month of Chaitra, the grand festivals of Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti are celebrated here. Since this Maruti was consecrated within a monastery, the temple does not have a spire. The deity of Maruti in the temple can be visited daily from 6 in the morning until 10.30 at night.

The village of Masur is situated at a distance of 12 kilometers from Umbraj. The Maruti deity established in the village of Masur is famous as Veer Maruti. It was consecrated by Samarth Ramdas Swami in the year 1646. There is an east-facing idol here, made of lime, which is approximately 1.5 meters in height. It is said to be the most beautiful idol among the eleven Maruti shrines. The appearance of the idol includes a serene expression, a crown on the head, a garland around the neck, and a sacred thread on the shoulder. Under his left foot, Maruti is shown subduing the demon Jambumali. Currently, the responsibility for the daily worship rituals of this temple lies with the Shri Ramdas Swami Sansthan of Sajjangad.

According to a legend, there was a wrestler in Masur who used to carry a very heavy pestle. He came to be known as Musalram Pahalwan. Samarth had appointed him as the head of the Masur Math. A Yavan official here had hatched a conspiracy to kill Musalram. When Samarth learned of this, he came here himself and thrashed that official.

It is said that at Masur, Samarth Ramdas Swami celebrated the festival of Ram Navami for four years with great grandeur. During the procession of this festival, a large branch of a tree was obstructing the path. At that time, Samarth asked a boy named Ambaji, who was in his service, to sit on the tip of that branch and cut it. Obeying his Guru’s command, he began to cut the branch He began. At that moment, he fell into the well along with the branch he had broken. Seeing Ambaji fall into the well, everyone gathered around. At that time, Samarth stood at the edge of the well and called out, “Ambaji, is all well?” To this, Ambaji’s reply came from the deep well, “All is well.” From that time on, this disciple came to be known by the name Kalyan. Later, Kalyanswami became the chief disciple of Ramdas. In the Samarth Sampradaya, the position of Kalyanswami is considered second only to that of Ramdas Swami.

The third Maruti temple in Karad taluka is located at Shahapur. It is famous as the ‘Chunyacha Maruti’ (Lime Maruti). Situated at a distance of 12 kilometers from Umbraj, this temple holds the first position in the sequence of the eleven Maruti temples. This Maruti was consecrated by Samarth Ramdas Swami in the year 1644. The unique feature of this Maruti is that the Ram Janmotsav (birth celebration of Lord Rama) at the Shri Ram temple in Chaphal does not commence until the Utsav Murti (processional idol) of this Maruti reaches there. This Maruti holds a place of honor in that festival.

The legend of this place is that while residing in the Chaphal area, Samarth Ramdas Swami would visit the home of Satibai Kulkarni in Shahapur every day to seek alms, chanting ‘Jai Jai Raghuveer Samarth’. However, Satibai did not like the name of Rama being invoked, and thus she would give alms to Samarth with reluctance. This was because she believed that the name of Rama should only be uttered at the time of one’s final moments. Consequently, she was worried that something untoward might happen in her home.

One day, as was his custom, Samarth went to her house to seek alms, but even after a long wait, Satibai did not come out. Upon inquiring, he learned that her husband, Bajipant, had been arrested by the Sultan of Bijapur for an alleged error in revenue accounts. Samarth assured her that he would secure his release within 11 days. Accordingly, Samarth went to the Sultan in Bijapur. By pointing out the error in the accounts, he secured Bajipant’s release. From that day on, Satibai vowed not to consume food without first having the darshan of Samarth. Consequently, she sometimes had to observe fasts lasting four days at a time. Upon learning this, Samarth initiated the couple and instructed them to chant the name of Rama. He told them to install an idol of Maruti in Shahapur and to partake of the sacred water from this idol before eating their daily meal. Along with this, Samarth gave them a small Panchadhatu idol of Maruti that he kept with him. This very idol is installed as the Utsavamurti in front of the main deity in this temple.

There is a diversion from the Umbraj-Masur road to go towards Shahapur. Five kilometers from here, on the banks of the river in Shahapur, is the Maruti Temple. The idol of Maruti here is two meters tall, and it appears that the face of the idol is somewhat fierce and also has a mustache. There is a tasseled cap on the head, and a demon is being pressed down by the left foot. There are anklets on the feet, armlets on the upper arms, and bracelets on the wrists. The tail is seen coming from over the head down to the left knee and then turning upwards again.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery