Life

Shri Gagangiri Maharaj was born as Shripad Patankar at Manadure Village in Patan

Patan, Maharashtra

See Patan for disambiguationPatan is a census town in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-Geography:Patan is located at . It has an average elevation of 582 metres .-Demographics:...

 district of South Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

. At the age of seven, he was sent to a Matha

Matha

A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...

 of Nath sampradaya which was located a relatively unknown place called Battees-Shirala. At a very early age he took Sannyasa

Sannyasa

Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...

.

After taking sannyasa

Sannyasa

Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...

 he started travelling with Mahants of Nath Sampradaya. During pilgrimages he learnt yoga

Yoga

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...

 and several occult and religious practices

Tantra

Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....

. He travelled far and wide to places such as Nepal

Nepal

Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

, Bhutan

Bhutan

Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...

, Manas Sarovar, Gaurishankar, Gorakshdarbar, Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...

, Pashupatinath

Pashupatinath

Pashupatinath may refer to:*Shree Pashupatinath, the Hindu God*Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, the holiest place in Nepal and the temple of the most revered God of Nepal*Pashupatinath temple, Mandsaur, temple of Shree Pashupatinath in India...

 and returned to Almora

Almora

Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...

. Finally, he travelled through the Valley of Ganga, Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...

 and reached Badrika Ashram.

Gagangiri Maharaj was extremely tired as a result of his peregrinations and he decided to settle in a cave. When he was relaxing, a sage wearing saffron robes came there from the mountains. He sprinkled water from his Kamandalu, on the face of Gagangiri Maharaj. He also gave him some kind of green grass to eat which resembled coriander

Coriander

Coriander is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the...

 leaves. For his penance

Penance

Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Anglican Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in non-sacramental confession among Lutherans and other Protestants...

, he had prepared mattresses of grass. He found his mattresses growing like living vegetation. This was considered as an experience, where Tantrik

Tantra

Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....

 technique is perfected. He did a number of Kaya Kalpas. In this process he invented several new concepts in Tantrik techniques and proved them true. He did penance at a number of places like Mauli Kund, Mauli Kada, Zanzu water, Mausame Kada, Kasarbari, Ginger water, Sat-barkund, Holi Kada, Margaj water, Jungledeo patti, Shirale etc.

During monsoon, he stayed in the cave at Garbhagiri, Gagangiri. He did penance in a pond near the river at Sangashi, Vazar, Vesraf, Palsambe, Ramling etc. Later he went to Vijaydurg

Vijaydurg

Vijaydurg may refer to:* Vijaydurg * Vijaydurg fort...

, in the Konkan area from where he reached Bombay by steamer. During 1945 to 1948, he did Kayakalpa at Angale, near Rajapur in Konkan. As more and more people benefited by his meditation, more and more people started worshipping and respecting him, and his reputation spread all around. In those days Ministers like Yeshvantrao Chavan, Balasaheb Desai

Balasaheb Desai

Balasaheb Desai famously known as Loknete Balasaheb Desai . He was a leading politician and social worker from Maharashtra, India. He held important positions in Maharashtra State Government as Home Minister, Education Minister, Cultural Minister during initial formation of Maharashtra state...

, Rajarambapu Patil, Kapse and several respected officers used to worship him.

Swamiji then decided to move all over India alone on foot and accordingly his journey started. At this time, his fair skin was glowing with health. Attired in saffron robes of a sanyasi, he was revered by people. He travelled on foot from Haridwar to Delhi, Bhopal, etc.
At Bhopal while he was taking rest after bath near a tank, the princely ruler of Kolhapur and his retinue happened to be nearby while on a brief visit. Swamiji's mother tongue being Marathi, a conversation between him and Kolhapur ruler's retinue ensued resulting in the Ruler requesting Swamiji to accompany him to Kolhapur. In 1932 the Raja of Kolhapur had been to Dajipur jungle for hunting. Swamiji who had accompanied him stayed back in the jungle, where he lived from 1932 to 1940. He spent these years in meditation and deep reflection.

In Bombay between 1948 to 1950, he stayed in Dadi Hirji Parsi graveyards, near the temple of Maruti, at shidi near Walkeshwar

Walkeshwar

Walkeshwar is an affluent area in South Mumbai, India, at the north-western end of the Marine Drive loop, and is most famous for Walkeshwar Temple and Banganga Tank.-Etymology:...

. Guru pournima (full moon day of Ashadha month for worshipping the Guru) used to be celebrated on a big scale at Birla Kreeda Kendra in Bombay,in spite of all these preoccupations in respect of the society/ he has continued his penance for over 60 years.

He used to travel between his ashrams in Khopoli

Khopoli

Khopoli is an industrial town in the Khalapur taluka of Raigad district, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, at the base of the Sahyadri mountains. Patalganga River which is the tailrace channel of Tata Hydroelectric Power station flows through Khopoli....

 and Gaganbawda. He has a huge number of devotees in Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

, Gujarat, Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

 and Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

.
He had devotees like Dhirubhai Ambani, Bal Thakrae,Mamta Kulkarni.
Even if you visited his Khopoli Ashram you will see photo of Dhirubhai Ambani sweeping his floors.you might here how Bal Thakare would wash maharaji"s feet with milk and drink it.

Gagangiri Maharaj took samadhi on 4 February 2008 at his Khopoli Ashram.

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