At Kawad in the Bhiwandi taluka of the Thána District there is a tomb of a Brahmachári named Sakhárám Báva who has been deified by the people of that District. A great fair is held at the tomb every year.[31]
The following instance is given of a miracle at the tomb of Sakhárám Báva of Kawad. A man suffering from fits showed an inclination to go to Kawad to read Guru Charitra for seven successive days. He was taken to that place accordingly. After his arrival, he continued to suffer from these fits in the morning and evening at the time of the worship at the tomb. Once during the fits he said that he would be free from the disease if Rs. 200 were spent in giving a feast to the Bráhmans at Páli. The relatives of the sufferer agreed to arrange accordingly, and instantly the man put his head on the Samádhi (tomb) and threw himself on his back. He came to his senses after ten minutes, and from that time he was completely cured. A feast was then given to the Bráhmans at Páli, and Rs. 200 were spent over it as promised. Another instance of miracular power is cited, and that is of the priest of the goddess Mahaluxmi of Kolwan. This priest goes up and hoists the flag of the goddess on a steep hill which no other person can climb, and it is believed that he can do this only when the spirit of the goddess enters his body.[32]
At Umbergaon in the Thána District there is a miracle-working tomb of a saint called the Dátár “Pir.” Sakhárámbáva of Angaon Kawad, a Hindu saint, is held in high honour in this village.[33] At this place it is also believed that some of the Pirs walk round the village at night, and their tombs are said to be seen in motion. The Dátár Pir is worshipped even by the Hindus of that locality.[34]
At Shirosi in the Murbád Taluka of the Thána District, Sakhárámbáva of Kawad, Dev Mámlatdár, Chandirámbuva of Khed, Narayanbuva of Nanuri, the Swámi of Akkalkot, the Swámi of Kumbhar Peth at Kolhápur, and the Dandekerbuva of Rájápur are the principal saints held in honour by the people.[35]
At Mánikpur in the Thána District it is said that a bright light or flames emanate from certain tombs of Musalman saints.[36]
At Umela in the Thána District it is said that flames and smoke are given out from the tombs of certain Mahomedan saints situated in the locality. These flames appear and disappear very suddenly.[37]
In the Kolhápur District people believe that the Samádhi of Swámi Anandmúrti, who was a disciple of Raghunath Swámi of Bhramanál, shakes on the Shiwarátri day, that is the 13th of the dark half of Mágha, and on the Rámanawami day i.e. the 9th of the bright half of Chaitra, at the time of the worship called Bhajan. Among the tombs held most sacred by the Hindus of the Konkan may be mentioned the following viz.: Bhujang Swámi of Lokapur, Rámdás Swámi, the Samádhi of Shri Shankaráchárya at Shirgaon, Chintaman Swámi of Murgud, and the Samádhi of Mangalmúrti Morya at Chinchwad near Poona. All these Swámis were Brahmacháris or bachelors, and they spent their lives in the service of God and preached virtue and morality to the masses. These Samádhis are of two kinds: (1) of saints after death, and (2) of saints on the point of death. The third kind is called Jal Samádhi, i.e., immersion in water, but no tomb of the latter kind is to be found in this Province. It is said that, if a lime is placed above the Samádhi of Bhujanga Swámi, it begins to shake at the time of the Arti ceremony. The present disciple of Bhujanga Swámi sits in (Samádhi) meditation continuously for four to eight days. There prevails a belief at Kolhápur that the swámi whose body is buried in the tomb at Chinchwad is still alive. Some years ago when the present disciple of the Chinchwad Swámi was anxious to take Samádh, he had a dream in which the swámi in the tomb told him that he was still living in that Samádhi, and that therefore there was no need for his disciple to take Samádh. He was thus obliged to forego the project. The Peshwas of Poona, who were staunch devotees of the Chinchwad swámi, and by whose favour they were raised to a position of social equality among the Deccan Bráhmans, granted an Inam of some villages for the maintenance of this Samádhi, and the British Government have allowed the descendants of the swámi to retain the Inam. The following are the principal Musalman saints who have been deified in the Kolhapur District:—
(1) Bába Jamál, (2) Ghod Pir, (3) Bara Imám, (4) Avachit Pir, (5) Buran Sáheb and (5) Mira Sáheb of Miraj. All these Pirs have been supplied with annual grants of money by the Kolhápur State.[38]
At Ubhádánda in the Vengurla taluka of the Ratnágiri District some Hindus have adopted the worship of Mahomedan saints. Mahomedan Pirs are worshipped in the month of Moharram. On these occasions Hindus beg in the town in the disguise of Fakirs, and the alms thus obtained are offered to the Pir. They make offerings of water to the Pirs, while the tábuts are being carried to the sea for immersion. But this practice is being slowly discontinued.[39]
At Bándivade in the Ratnágiri District Hindus offer cocoanuts and khichadi to the Pirs at the time of the Moharram, and at some places a lamp is kept burning every Monday in honour of a Pir.[40]