GAGANGIRI MUTT OF GAGANGIRI MAHARAJ IN KHOPOLI

Gagangiri mutt

in Khopoli is a spiritual and sacred place where faith, belief,worship and devotion are present. It is popularly known as Gagangiri Maharaj Ashram as well. The Ashram is at the base of Sahayadri mountains and is built on over 7 acres of land. This monument of pilgrimage is preserved and is still remembered as GAGANGIRI MAHARAJ ASHRAM.

 Shri Gagangiri Maharaj was born as Shripad Patankar in patan district of Maharashtra. He took up Sanyas at the early age of seven. After following the path of Sanyas he roamed and travelled various places. He travelled far and near to the places like nepal,bhutan,mansarovar,gaurishankar,pashupatinath and finally returned to Almora.He even travelled Himachal Pradesh through the valley of Ganga. He is still remembered as a man of dedication and meditation.

Gagangiri Maharaj was a bodacious, bold and head strong yogi as well. A man with small and shrunken body structure, with long grey and grizzly hair, with his fingers and feet being food for the fishes ages ago. But the most important element was the sharpness on his face denoting mythological power within him. He was a yogi with huge followers of him who even today visit his 25 ashrams all over in Maharashtra. His followers include the rich, the poor and people from every walk of life.

His devotees from metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Pune visit the Maharaj’s Ashram in Khopoli. A long queue used to wait for the yogi to meet him and share their happiness and sorrow and problems with the Maharaj. At the Ashram in Khopoli he used to be seated on a swing full of flowers. Also with sculptures of tigers, peacocks and other animals beside him. And the main speciality of his Ashram is it does not have any walls in it and the devotee has to just take two steps to get into the Patalganga River.

Gagangiri Maharaj was said to be one of the legendary nine yogis of Maharashtra. The spiritual souls breathe his last on 4^th February 2008.His Samadhi is made in the mountains of sahayadris where even today people visit to worship. He is still remembered even today in the minds of his true followers.