Among
the sampradays like the Varkiri sampradaya, Nath sampradaya, Datta sampradaya,
Ganesh sampradaya, Sakteya sampradaya, the Vaishnava sampradaya deserves deep
study. Its strength lies in the strength of its founders and followers. The
temple at Alandi extant visited by people in their lakhs to pay obeisance to
that illustrious leader Jnaneswar Maharaj has a beginning, mysterious and a
history glorious. It embodies many more plus points. Though there are many
controversies about the facts concerning the dates of his birth, learning,
tours, authorship and nirvana, it is affirmed by no less that a great saint
Eknath that Alandi is the place where Jnaneswar attained samadhi. And he introduced
the practice of yearly visit to the samadhi for worship. Since then it has been
attracting the attention of theists and scholars of repute, who with the munificent
funds of great philanthropists built a fitting memorial. It houses a few images
of Hindu pantheon, the Principal being the Vittala and Rukmini of Pandharpur.
Among other worth seeing places in this temple, the Jnanadev wall is very
popular and lures pilgrims and theists most. Alandi is also the abode of Lord
Siddeswara, besides being the centre of Nath sampradaya. Hence eternal
attraction. Sanctified for enshrining the samadhi of the most pre-eminent saint
of Maharashtra, Alandi has became one of the premier centres of Advaithamata and
a pilgrimage centre of eternal attraction.
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