पेंद्या म्हणे ऋषेकेशी । आरुष बोबडे परियेसी ॥
यारे यारे अवघेजन । गाऊ हरिनाम कीर्तन ॥
कान्होपाठक बागडा । नाचे वैष्णवा पुढा ॥
Saint Kanhuraj Maharaj
Kanhuraj (Kanhopathak), who lived at Kendur in Shirur taluka of Pune district, was a great saint of the Warkari tradition. He affectionately and respectfully called Shri Dnyaneshwar Maharaj “Kaka”. Kanhopathak was a Brahmin of the Yajurvedi clan and had royal recognition.
Kanhopathak was a Siddhayogi. At the time of Dnyaneshwar’s samadhi, Saint Namdev Maharaj was overcome by grief and could not perform the kirtan. So all the saints asked Kanhopathak Maharaj to perform the kirtan at Dnyaneshwar’s samadhi.
Sadguru Nagesh appeared to Kanhuraj in a vision and told him to go into the forest and practise sadhana. Accordingly he performed penance sitting on a rock by a stream in the forest at Pimpalkhore near Kendur, and attained many siddhis. He then went to his guru’s home to study Vedanta and, being sharp-minded and able to learn at a single hearing, completed his studies in a very short time.
Later his parents arranged his marriage. His parents-in-law were happy with their very gentle and virtuous daughter-in-law, and family life ran smoothly. But Kanhuraj, detached by nature since birth, could not settle into worldly life. He went back to Pimpalkhore to continue his sadhana and, in his remaining time, taught and promoted righteous conduct and the path of the scriptures in society. After 10–12 years, at the insistence of his parents and relatives, he had to marry a second time. Both wives lived together very happily, so the family was content. In time he lost his parents. By his Sadguru’s grace he lived in the world while following the scriptures purely, and set an example for society.
The samadhi temple at Kendur
There is a temple with the samadhi of Shri Sant Shrestha Kanhuraj Maharaj in the wada (mansion) at Kendur where he lived. A Punyatithi festival is celebrated there every year.
Annual festivals (Kendur)
- Mahashivaratri – Maharaj’s Jayanti (birth anniversary)
- Kojagiri Purnima
- Margashirsha Vadya Chaturthi to Trayodashi – Kanhuraj Maharaj Punyatithi Utsav (the Punyatithi day is Ekadashi)
- Pandharpur Pai Wari Sohla (walking pilgrimage to Pandharpur)
- Kakada bhajan on every Ekadashi and Harijagar at night
Kendur’s historical background
Kendur has a historical background, and references to it are found even in ancient times. Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa (the first) gave the villages of Kendur, Pabal and Loni to Mastani as an inam (grant). Mastani’s grave is at Pabal. Read about Pabal