Karanja is a very ancient town. The town is mentioned in Patalkhand of the Skand-Purana. In ancient times, the north-south pilgrim route passed through Karanja. Saints, hermits, pilgrims, and other travelers used to halt here to refresh themselves before continuing their journey. Karanja Pics Sage Karanj and the legend of Rishi Talav Sage Karanj had his hermitage here and hosted pilgrims and travelers. He was the famous disciple Patanjali of the great saint Vashishtha. He came to be known as Sage Karanj because his hermitage was situated in Karanj-van. Sage Karanj observed that scarcity of water resources caused great discomfort to pilgrims traveling through Karanja. He started digging a tank to collect rain water as well as water flowing from nearby streams and rivers. Goddess Renuka was immensely pleased with Karanj Rishis efforts. She blessed him that the tank would have water as sacred as that of the famous rivers such as the Ganga, Godavari, Sharayu, Tapi, etc. She blessed that anyone drinking water from the tank would invariably attain moksha. The tank exists even today and bears the name Rishi Talav. River Bemblaa A small river, known as Bembla, originates in Karanja. According to local folklore, the river flows underground for a Old Shivmandirfew miles, before appearing overground. The river too is of historic significance. The river was formed from the drops of the river Yamuna when Yamuna was traveling with Sun, her father. Thus, the water of the river Bemblaa is considered very sacred due to its Yamuna heritage. Nature has granted generous water resources around the town. There are ponds (small lakes), on all sides of Karanja, which store rain water. They lift the underground water levels and are also watering points for cattle, wild animals, and birds. Tirth-kshetra Karanja Goddess Shakti made Karanja a permanent abode through her various avatars such as Kamakshi, Ekviraa, Chandravati (Gauri), and Yakshini. It is also stated in the Skand-Purana that Chandra (Moon) was asked to perform penance in Karanja to be relieved of the curse for his evil conduct with his Guru-patni, Tara. During his penance, Chandra built a temple for Lord Shiva and a water tank - named as the Chandreshwar temple and Chandra Talaav, respectively. Legend has it that due to the blessings of Sage Karanj, all species of snakes are full protected from their traditional enemies such as eagles and vulttures. In gratitude, the snakes blessed the residents of Karanja with full immunity from snake bites. Other temples in Karanja The town boasts of several temples, some more than a 1,000 years old. Some of the more prominent ones are Shri Siddheshwar, Shri Chanreshwar, Shri Nageshwar, Shri Kamakshi Devi, Ekvira Devi, Yakshini Devi, those of Shri Ram (built by the famous Kannav Family of Karanja), Shri Vitthal, Shani Maharaj, Maruti and Shri Dattatreya. There are also a few old mathas. Karanja is also a famous pilgrim centre for the Jain community. There are three beautiful Jain temples in Karanja. Marathas and Moghuls Over three centuries ago (1600s), the town was frequently invaded by the marathas and the moghuls for its wealth. There was a strong rampart wall around the town to defend it from invading armies. Four huge gates were the only points of entry and exit. Even today, the ruins of the wall and the gates are visible and they bear testimony to the strong defensive system built in those times. Recent history Although it was known for centuries that Shri Nrusimha Saraswati was born in Karanja (the town was known as dakshin kashi then), the exact location of birth was determined around the year 1900. In 1934, the Gurumandir was built at the place of birth due to the untiring efforts of the reknowned Shri Datta bhakta, Swami Brahmanand Saraswati. Since then, Karanja has become a major pilgrimage centre for all followers of Shri Dattatreya. Karanja is a sleepy station located on the historic narrow guage line, Shakuntala Railway (over 100 years old), between Murtijapur & Yavatmal. Pic courtesy-Harsh Vardhan People and Culture People of many religious faiths live in harmony here by participating in all festivities and sharing happiness. People are peace loving, religious, well cultured and respectful towards saints. Economically, people are generally well-to-do and self-sufficient. There are nongovernment societies managing educational institutions, some of which are more than sixty years old. The Karanja Municipal Council recently celebrated its centenary. Agriculture is the main occupation. The rich black soil, abundance of water and pleasant climate provide ideal conditions for crops. Karanja Geography Nestled among hills and surrounded by lakes, Karanja is a small town with a population of 75,000. It is blessed with temperate climate. During the various weather seasons, the temperatures are as follows: Winter/Autumn (Oct - April) - 5 to 30 degrees Celsius Summer (May - July) - 30 to 45 degrees celsius Monsoon (July - September) - 25 to 33 degrees celsius Around Karanja Karanja and surrounding villages have been the locale of renowned saints. Sant Moongsaji Maharaj, Sant Tukdoji Maharaj, Sant Gadge Baba, Sant Gulabrao Maharaj, are a few among them. Famous pilgrim centres Mahur, Shegaon, Washim, Oundha, Parli-Vaijnath, Aundhya nagnath, and Loni are easily accessible from Karanja.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 06:49:31 +0000
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