Ancient Shubharai Maharaj Math Budhwar Peth, Solapur, Solapur

Bhakti Yoga is recognized as the supreme path in Yoga. A devotee who is never separated from the Divine constantly keeps the remembrance of God in their heart. The Divine Himself carries the burden of such devotees and transforms the devotee into the Divine. Because the spread of Bhakti Yoga in India reaches the grassroots level, Maths of great Yogis can be seen performing divine service in villages and towns. The work of thousands of such Maths has been ongoing for hundreds of years. One such ancient and famous Shubharaya Math is active in Budhwar Peth of Solapur city. Devotees believe that the presence of Shubharaya Maharaj, Swami Samarth Maharaj, and Shankar Maharaj is still felt here today.

The entire life of Shubharaya Maharaj is filled with divine miracles. His life story demonstrates that he was under the constant grace of the Divine. Maharaj was born in the year 1750 in the village of Malur in the state of Tamil Nadu to father Gangadhar and mother Pannama. He studied in a Gurukul and became well-versed in the Vedas and scriptures. Proficient in all subjects including science, arts, ethics, and politics, Maharaj was appointed as the Naib Diwan in his court by Tipu Sultan of Mysore. In the year 1771, Maharaj was married to a girl named Sulakshana. Later, Maharaj’s inclination towards spirituality grew, and he received a divine vision with the instruction to “renounce all attachments.”

Inspired by the divine vision, Maharaj left his home with only the clothes he was wearing and began living in a Maruti temple in Mhaisalgi village of Akkalkot taluka. From there, he came to Kolhapur for the darshan of Goddess Mahalakshmi. The Goddess commanded him to go to Pandharpur. In the year 1779, Maharaj reached Pandharpur to serve his Sadguru Ramdasi Thimappa. On the orders of his Sadguru, Maharaj reached Solapur and began residing in the Vitthal temple. The Solapur Killedar Abasaheb Kundale donated a vast piece of land near the Siddheshwar temple by the village lake. Here, Maharaj built the Math in the year 1783. This is the present-day Shubharaya Math. In this very Math, Maharaj received a vision of Vitthal, after which he sent his disciple Mallikarjun Shete to bring the sandy idol of Vitthal from the Kundlik pool in Pandharpur. In the year 1785, this idol was consecrated in the Math. At the end of his life, Shubharaya Maharaj entrusted the responsibility of his Math to Ravji Buwa and concluded his earthly journey. It is said that Swami Samarth of Akkalkot and Shankar Maharaj used to come to this Math to perform meditation.

This Math is located along the road in Budhwar Peth of the city. Beside the Math is an Ekamukhi Dattatreya temple. There is a two-story entrance gate in the boundary wall of the Math. On the architrave of this entrance is a Kirtimukh, and on the upper floor is a Nagarkhana. Inside the entrance, there is a water fountain. It is customary to purify oneself here before entering the Math. From here, the Math building stands at a height of about twenty to thirty feet. Under the Audumbar tree on the right side of the staircase, there are idols of various deities in a circular canopy. In the courtyard of the Math, along the ramparts, there are rooms for devotees to stay in a two-story building.

The Math is structured with a Sabha Mandap (assembly hall) and a Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum). The door frames of the Sabha Mandap are carved with floral designs. On the walls of the Sabha Mandap are paintings created by Shubharaya Maharaj. A special feature of these paintings is that they were created using natural colors made from the extracts of leaves and flowers. In the Sabha Mandap, along with the portraits of Shubharaya Maharaj and Shankar Maharaj, there are portraits of Jaykrishna Govind Buwa, Gopikabai Jaykrishna Buwa, Janardan Buwa, and Jaykrishna Janardan Buwa. These are mentioned in the stories of Shankar Maharaj’s biography.

In the Garbhagriha, on a Vajrapitha (throne), is the idol of Vitthal brought from the pool in Pandharpur. Beside the idol is the crutch given by Swami Samarth. On the Vajrapitha are the Padukas (footprints) of Swami Samarth, Shankar Maharaj, Shubharaya Maharaj, and Jaykrishna Maharaj, and beside them is an idol of Vishnu, which is worshipped during the Chaturmas. On the back wall are portraits of Shankar Maharaj and Shubharaya Maharaj. On the Vajrapitha are idols of Shri Ram, Lakshman, Sita, and Maruti, and an idol of Ganpati to the side. There are also copper and brass idols of other deities on the Vajrapitha. Beside the Garbhagriha is a chamber. Shankar Maharaj used to perform meditation here. This chamber contains Shankar Maharaj’s seat, a wooden chair, and a cupboard.

Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi are the main annual festivals celebrated here with great enthusiasm. During this time, the idol of Vitthal is taken out in a procession through the village in a wooden chariot built by Shubharaya Maharaj during his lifetime. Thousands of devotees participate in the chariot festival amidst the sound of drums and cymbals. Festivals and celebrations such as Chaitra Padwa, Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Ganeshotsav, Dussehra, Diwali, the month of Shravan, and Kojagiri Purnima are celebrated in the Math. The number of devotees visiting the Math on Thursdays, Ekadashi, Pradosh, and Purnima is large. This temple is open for devotees for darshan every day from early morning until late at night.

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