Shree Avajisiddha Maharaj Temple Sungaon, Jalgaon Jamod, Buldana

The Shri Avajisiddha Maharaj Temple, nestled in Sun’gaon, Jalgaon Jamod Taluka, Buldhana District, is revered as a vibrant Shaktipeeth, blessed with a glorious spiritual heritage spanning approximately one thousand three hundred years. The life story of Avaji Maharaj, who, despite being born blind, attained the direct vision of Lord Mahadev and Devi Parvati through the sheer strength of his intense devotion to Shiva, is profoundly inspiring and captivating. This great devotee, in fulfillment of a vow, leaped from a cliff, and pleased by his boundless devotion, the Divine not only granted him sight but also absorbed him into His own divine feet. Even today, in the sacred soil of Sun’gaon, the divine manifestation of Maharaj, appearing as a ‘Baan’ (arrow) from a betel nut, remains a principal shrine fulfilling all the heartfelt desires of devotees.

According to the legend of Maharaj, he was born one thousand three hundred years ago in the Barai community in Raver, Jalgaon District. Born to the couple Mahadev and Parvati, Avaji’s father carried on the ancestral business of selling betel leaves. Avaji Maharaj, the second of four siblings, was born blind, and in his childhood, he lost the protective shelter of his parents.

Orphaned Avaji was subjected to great hardships by his elder sister-in-law. She often kept Maharaj hungry, offering him flakes of mud from the wall instead of bread. When this news reached his maternal aunt, Ambabai, who lived in Sun’gaon, she brought Avaji to her home and raised him as her own child. The stories of Shivshankar recounted by his aunt ignited the flame of Shiva devotion in Avaji’s heart from childhood.

One year, during the month of Magha, when a pilgrimage procession (dindi) set out from Sun’gaon for the darshan of Bada Mahadev in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, Avaji insisted on joining it. His aunt initially objected but relented to Avaji’s persistence and granted him permission. Before embarking on the journey, Avaji went to his aunt’s field and placed a betel nut, dry dates, almonds, camphor, and a coconut, vowing to offer his body to Shivshankar if he regained his sight after the darshan of Bada Mahadev. Traveling on foot, the dindi reached Mahadev’s cave on Mahashivratri. Everyone in the procession bathed and had darshan, but Avaji, distraught at not being able to see Shiva due to his blindness, began to invoke the Lord and finally leaped into a deep gorge nearby. At that very moment, Mother Parvati manifested, caught him in mid-air, and he regained his sight. When everyone in the dindi learned of this miracle, they hailed Maharaj with shouts of victory. However, Avaji, remembering his vow, refused to return. After the dindi turned back, Avaji Maharaj circumambulated the Shivling five times and again leaped into the gorge from a tree there. This time, Lord Mahadev Himself caught him in His hands. Avaji, feeling blessed by the divine vision, expressed his desire to merge into His feet. Pleased by his devotion, Mahadev declared him a ‘Siddha’ and asked him to ask for a boon. Avaji then requested, “This place is very difficult for devotees to reach, so let a pilgrimage fair be held in Sun’gaon, just like in Pachmarhi, and let me find a place at Your feet.” As the Lord said, “So be it,” Avaji Maharaj merged into the form of Shiva, and at that very moment, he manifested as a ‘Baan’ (arrow) from the betel nut placed in his aunt’s field in Sun’gaon.

A few days later, when the people from the dindi returned to Sun’gaon, they recounted the entire story to Ambabai. Hearing it, she fainted, and in that state, Maharaj appeared to her in a vision, telling her that he had manifested as a Baan in the field. Upon regaining consciousness, she told everyone, but when no one believed her, she died of sorrow. After Ambabai’s last rites, when some villagers went to the field, they indeed saw the Baan manifested from the betel nut, and from then on, this place became a center of devotion. Over time, a grand temple has been built here, and in this temple, Shivshakti in the form of a Shivling stands behind Avajisiddha Maharaj. It is also believed that Bhairavnath resides here. According to Maharaj’s vision, Ambamavshi’s temple has also been built in front of the main temple. After recent renovations, this temple has acquired a remarkably beautiful appearance.

The temple complex is extremely peaceful and serene. Outside the temple, there are temples dedicated to Hanuman and Ambamavshi, as well as some samadhis. The temple is surrounded by a boundary wall on all four sides, and entry into the temple courtyard is through a two-storied entrance. The doorframes of this entrance feature doorkeepers and lamp niches, and an Om symbol is at the lintel. A nagarkhana (drum house) is on the upper floor of the entrance, while on the right side of the narrow temple courtyard are verandas. In front of the temple stands a tall metal flagpole, and the temple’s structure comprises a mukhmandap (front pavilion), a sabhamandap (assembly hall), and two sanctum sanctorums.

Entry into the enclosed sabhamandap of the temple is through an arch-like doorway in the mukhmandap. The intricately carved pillars in the sabhamandap are connected by arched gateways. In this very sabhamandap, on one side, in a wooden sanctum, is the Baan-shaped, vermilion-smeared stone of Avajisiddha Maharaj, adorned with silver eyes and a small crown. Behind this sanctum is the sanctum of Bahiram Maharaj, where his vermilion-smeared stone and silver eyes are also present. It is believed that Bahiram Maharaj, the fierce yet protective form of Shiva, stands firmly behind Avaji Maharaj to safeguard his spiritual energy and this vibrant shrine, as Avaji Maharaj attained Siddhatva by dedicating himself to the feet of Lord Shankar. In this Shaktipeeth of Sun’gaon, Avaji Maharaj is the benevolent form who fulfills the desires of devotees, while Bahiram Maharaj is known as the Kshetrapal (guardian deity) who protects the region. Behind the temple is the abode of Shivshankar, where a Nandi idol is on a platform and a Shivling is in the sanctum. In the niches on the walls of this sanctum are idols of Shri Krishna, Hanuman, Ganesha, Sita Mata, Shri Ram-Sita, and Hanuman. The temple features two attractive shikhara (spires) with amalaka and kalasha, and the darshanmandap (viewing pavilion) has three dome-shaped shikhara. On the first floor of the two-storied structure in front of the temple is a devotee lodging, and on the ground floor is an open assembly hall.

From Vidarbha, lakhs of devotees from Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Washim, and also from Khandesh, come here with immense faith for darshan. A grand yatra is held here on the day of Magha Vadya Shashthi. This yatra festival commences on Magha Pournima with the breaking of a coconut at the temple, and thereafter, preparations for the seven-day Mahabhandara continue. On the day of the yatra, a large procession sets out from the village at nine o’clock in the morning. Villagers participate in this procession, bringing grains, flour, and cooking ingredients in their bullock carts and tractors. In the open space in front of the temple, the village women collectively prepare jowar bhakris, while the men folk make urad dal varan. This Mahaprasad, sufficient for approximately one lakh devotees, is prepared in just a few hours, for which the villagers contribute one hundred quintals of jowar and thirty quintals of dal. After the collective aarti at seven o’clock in the evening, the distribution of this Mahaprasad begins and continues uninterrupted until midnight. On this day, the entire village remains engrossed in the service of the Bhandara, without cooking in their own homes.

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