| Yogiraj Shri Shankar Maharaj, a Siddhayogi belonging to Nath Panth, was doubtless one of the greatest saints of Maharashtra in the modern years. He took samadhi at the age of nearly 150 years in Pune on Vaishakha Shuddha Ashtami of Shaka 1869, which falls on April 28th, 1947. His physical body remains in the Samadhi Mandir situated near Padmavati on the Pune-Satara road, approximately 10 km from Pune Railway station and a couple of kilometers from the Swar Gate State Transport Bus Terminal. The samadhi structure started as a small brick platform, but over the years, it has grown into a beautiful temple where a marble statue adorns the sanctum sactorum on the brain position of the samadhi. Hundreds of fans visit the Samadhi Mandir every day and pay their respects and pray to Maharaj. This life story is the foremost English language biography of Maharaj. Recently, however an English rendering of the biography in Marathi by Yogi Dnyananath Ranade has been cast on the Internet. The present life is based on the data gathered by the author through personal interviews of various disciples and devotees of Maharaj. It contains therefore a great deal of hitherto unpublished data. For the sake of completeness a summary of the published information information has also been admitted. (Pick up the text for acknowledgements). Since most devotees of Maharaj are Marathi speaking, a Marathi translation of this biography is being prepared. I am thankful to these devotees/disciples for their cooperation. It has been a really happy experience for me to touch them and profit by their benevolence. I trust that readers too will benefit as well. |
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