Ancient Raul Maharaj Sansthan Pinguli, Kudal, Sindhudurg

Shri Kshetra Pinguli in Sindhudurg district is a sacred seat of devotion, sanctified by the presence and Samadhi (final resting place) of the Dattatreya-incarnate Brahmayogi Shrisamarth Raul Maharaj. It is a place of faith for countless devotees from India and abroad. Due to the Math of Raul Maharaj, this village has attained an important place on the religious map of Maharashtra. This region is also the land of penance and service for Samarth Anna Maharaj, the spiritual successor of Raul Maharaj. Anna Maharaj transformed this Math and constructed many beautiful temple structures here. Furthermore, through the grace and blessings of Raul Maharaj, he continuously conducted the Annadan Yajna (ritual of feeding the hungry) here.

The history of this seat of devotion, Pinguli, is that Raul Maharaj was born in this village on October 16, 1905, to the couple Savitribai and Appaji Raul. His name in the cradle was Shrikrishna, but everyone called him Aba. The Raul family held the tradition of performing the worship and rituals of Ravalnath, the village deity of Pinguli. Additionally, they practiced farming. From a young age, Raul Maharaj developed a deep love for spirituality. Even at that age, he knew the Abhangs of Saint Dnyaneshwar and Saint Tukaram Maharaj by heart, as well as the Dnyaneshwari. He left school after the third grade. Thereafter, he remained immersed in the path of the Supreme. After growing up, he worked in Mumbai for some time. However, due to his obsession with God, he bid farewell to his job. He was married, yet he lived detached even while leading a worldly life. His Sadguru was Balkrishna Maharaj of the Inchgiri lineage, who resided at Madhavbaug in Girgaon, Mumbai. He would often visit Mumbai for his Darshan. He used to assist him in Kirtans, playing instruments, and singing. He began his meditation practice at the age of forty. 

Between 1945 and 1972, he practiced meditation for a full 27 years. Yogis usually go to forests or the Himalayas for meditation, but Raul Maharaj practiced meditation right here in Pinguli. His mother ran a grocery shop. He would sit for meditation in a small room adjacent to that shop. This meditation would continue for six consecutive months. During this period, he would gradually reduce his food and water intake and eventually renounce them completely. It is said that due to sitting in a state of Samadhi for six consecutive months, his body would become as stiff as wood. Upon returning to consciousness from Samadhi, he could not move from his place. At such times, his limbs had to be massaged to loosen them. Initially, the villagers used to mock him. They would say, “The son of the Raul family has gone mad, he has been possessed,” but later, after experiencing his spiritual power, these same people came to his feet. This Samarth Satpurush, considered an incarnation of Dattatreya, expressed his desire to go to Gangapur at the age of eighty. At that time, while he was in Mumbai with his devotees, he merged into the Parabrahman on January 31, 1985. After his Mahasamadhi, Anna Maharaj and other devotees built his Samadhi temple in Pinguli. 

Anna Maharaj was the nephew and successor of Raul Maharaj. He was also the head of the Pinguli Math. He was born on March 13, 1945, on Vinayak Chaturthi. Therefore, Raul Maharaj had named him Vinayak. Tending to cattle was Anna Maharaj’s favorite hobby in his childhood. Because of this, he did not find interest in school. From the age of 14, he became immersed in the service of Raul Maharaj. From that, he developed a longing for spirituality. He had immense love for his mother. Therefore, he used to preach to devotees that the mother is the greatest Guru. He used to call himself the sweeper and the cowherd of the devotees. He would sing melodious Bhajans on the Ektara. He had great expertise in the field of architecture. During his tenure as the head of the Math, many temples were built in Pinguli. On March 18, 2018, on Gudi Padwa, he took a strict vow of fasting. For 13 consecutive months, he consumed only one glass of milk and five glasses of hot water per day. After the Corona pandemic, on May 16, 2021, at the age of 76, he departed from his mortal body at a private hospital in Padve. Through the institutions of Parampujya Sadguru Raul Maharaj Trust and Parampujya Vinayak Anna Raul Maharaj Trust, he helped many people. He rushed to help during natural disasters. Like Maharashtra, he also provided financial aid to the state of Kerala during times of disaster. Anna Maharaj had already prepared his Samadhi. His devotees laid him to rest in Samadhi there. 

The Samadhi temple of Raul Maharaj is two-storied. There is a large well in front of the temple. The temple is built on a plinth a few feet above the ground. One enters the assembly hall of the temple by climbing five steps. The hall is semi-open. In the front, there are large windows on both sides of the arched entrance. On the right side of the entrance, on a pedestal, is a large colorful idol of Garuda in a salutation posture, and on the left is that of Hanuman. Inside the assembly hall, smooth dark saffron-colored tiles are laid everywhere on the floor. Directly in front is an open-style sanctum sanctorum of a very unique shape. In the center of it is the Samadhi place of Raul Maharaj. On the silver-plated platform above it, there is a small seated idol of Raul Maharaj. The face of this idol is towards the Audumbar tree outside, adjacent to the temple. A story is told about this that this is the Audumbar tree planted by Raul Maharaj. In 1964, he had planted the sapling of the Audumbar here, telling Anna Maharaj, “Vinya, come Vinya, plant this Audumbar here. This is the Dattatreya of Gangapur.” He used to tell his devotees to first pay obeisance to this Audumbar and perform circumambulation. It is said that seeing a devotee in great distress, he would tell Anna Maharaj, “Vinya, tell him to break a branch of the Audumbar.” Once that devotee broke a branch of the Audumbar, he would get relief from his distress. It was Raul Maharaj’s wish that this Dattatreya-form Audumbar should always be before his eyes. He used to say, “I want to keep looking at it.” That is why, after Raul Maharaj left his body, he was placed in the Samadhi in such a position that he could always look at the Audumbar. 

A small silver plate is kept at the bottom of this Samadhi place of Raul Maharaj. There is a rule to take the Darshan of the Samadhi by bowing the head on that plate. The reason given for this is that if one bows the head on the Samadhi pedestal, the head of Raul Maharaj is right below it. It would be like resting one’s head on his head. Therefore, the custom here is to take Darshan only by bowing the head on the plate kept at the base.

Opposite the Samadhi, on a high pedestal, stands the seated idol of Raul Maharaj. The idol is adorned with a pink turban on the head, golden garments on the body, a serene expression on the face, one hand resting on the seat, and the other in a gesture of blessing. The garments of this idol are changed on the occasion of festivals. Sometimes, the idol is dressed in a conical crown and a shirt-jacket ensemble. Behind this idol is a silver-carved canopy. At its base are elephant heads, and in the center at the top, a lotus flower is engraved. To the lower left of the idol is a brass statue of Adinath, and to the right is one of Mayamauli. On one side of the sanctum sanctorum, the ornate palanquin of the Maharaj is kept. Some photographs of the Maharaj can also be seen here. Additionally, in the temple premises, there are the Gurukaka Samadhi temple (Gurukaka was the nephew of Raul Maharaj and the younger brother of Anna Maharaj), Hanuman temple, Vitthal-Rakhumai temple, and Gauri-Shankar temples. For the convenience of devotees, there is a well-equipped Bhakta Niwas (pilgrim lodging) here. 

Samarth Raul Maharaj left his mortal body on Magh Shuddha Dashami (31 January 1985). He was laid to rest in Samadhi on Magh Shuddha Dwadashi (2 February 1985). Therefore, every Dwadashi, a palanquin procession is taken out here from 7 in the evening to 9 at night. During this time, food is served to all visiting devotees. Apart from this, festivals are celebrated here on Raul Maharaj’s Punyatithi on 31 January, Mahashivratri, Anna Maharaj Jayanti on 13 March, Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi, Guru Purnima, Guru Dwadashi, Datta Jayanti, and Kojagiri Purnima. Considering the faith of the devotees in this place and the number of pilgrims visiting for Darshan, the State Government has honored this temple by granting it ‘B’ grade pilgrimage status. 

Just as Pinguli village is famous for the Math of Raul Maharaj, it is also renowned for the folk arts of string puppetry and Chitrakathi. The local tribal Thakar community has preserved this tradition of string puppetry and Chitrakathi to this day. For generations, these puppeteers have performed the work of instilling religious values while entertaining people by narrating stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata through string puppets and paintings. Parashuram Gangavane from this village has been performing this art since the age of twelve. To ensure that this treasure of traditional art reaches future generations and that they understand their cultural history, he initially sold the cattle in his cowshed and used the money to start an art gallery. Today, a large ‘Vishram Thakar Tribal Art Courtyard’ stands here. Scholars from across the country and abroad visit this place. For this work, the Government of India honored Parashuram Gangavane with the Padma Shri award in 2021.

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