Dehu
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Dehu (देहू) is a holy town in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India. Dehu is known for historical temple of Saint Tukaram.
Origin
Variants
History
Indrayani River is a rain-fed river which originates in Lonavala, one of the hill stations located along the Mumbai-Pune Highway. The river has great religious importance and the two sacred towns Alandi and Dehu are situated on its banks. Dehu is held sacred for the poet Saint Tukaram, a popular saint of Maharashtra and Alandi holds the samadhi of the poet Dnyaneshwar.[1]
The place where Lord Vitthal gave blessings to Saint Tukaram, which is now the main temple in Dehu consisting of 'Swayambhu' (self-existing) idols of Lord Vitthal and goddess Rakhumai is situated on the banks of river Indrayani. The region of Dehu is known as a 'Shri Kshetra' as it holds the self existing idols of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi in the form of Vitthal and Rukhmini respectively. Sri Kshetra is said to be those holy places where Lord Vishnu, especially Goddess Lakshmi resides forever.
देहू
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[2] ने लेख किया है ...देहू (AS, p.454) महाराष्ट्र में पूना से 15 मील (लगभग 24 कि.मी.) की दूरी पर देहूरोड स्टेशन के निकट स्थित है। यह स्थान महाराष्ट्र के प्रसिद्ध संत तुकाराम का जन्म स्थान है। तुकाराम के पिता 'बोलोजी' तथा माता 'कनकाबाई' थीं। 1608 ई. में तुकाराम का जन्म देहू में हुआ था। कहा जाता है कि तुकाराम ने देहू के निकट भागगिरि पहाड़ी पर तपस्या करके मोक्ष प्राप्त किया था। तुकाराम द्वारा स्थापित 'बिठोवा का मंदिर' देहू का प्रसिद्ध स्मारक है।