About Lord Dattatreya Temple

Mahur or Mahurgad is a town and religious place in Nanded district of Maharashtra, India. Mahur is the birthplace of Hindu God Dattatreya. Atri Rishi & Sati Anasuya stayed here. Bramha Vishnu Shiva once got news about Anasuya that there is no one more pious & pure as her. To test her piousness they arrived under the garb of asking Alm (bhiksha). When she brought it, they asked to serve them while being naked, she realised by her power that she is under test. She made them a three headed child & fed them. This became Dattatreya, the unified God.There are two mountains Called Datt Shikhar & Atri Anasuya Shikar in Mahur. There are three mountains. The first one & most known is of Renuka Dewi, who is mother of the god Parshuram. Mahur has a popular temple to Renuka, which is considered one of the three and half Shakti Peethas (temples) in the state. A big fair is held here every year on the occasion of Vijayadashami. When Sahasrarjun attacked Renuka, while somewhere in today's Telangana, for he wanted to grab the Kamdhenu cow. When she refused to him that saying asking gift of your own choice by the guest visitor is uncalled. He attacked her & injured her. She dies in this & when Parshuram knew about it, he went berserk. Then the elderly people pacified him & asked him to do the last rites in Mahur under Dattatreya's guidance. Then he was told by him that she will appear on First Mountain for you to worship. This became the Renuka temple. The matrutirth is the one which is where today stands a lake, is antyeshti sthan. There are many other temples in Mahur like Kalika temple, Jamdagni Temple, Parshuram Temple, Devdevshwar Temple & the Caves called Pandav Leni. Mahur finds mention in the ancient Devi Bhagawatam as "Matripura" or "Matapur", where it is mention as one of the famous pilgrimages. In Devi Gitathe final and most important chapter of the text, it is mentioned as one the important places of Shakti worship: "Devi spoke... I am now telling something out of my affection to My Bhaktas... Matripura or "Matapur" in the Sahyadri Mountain; here the Devi Renuka or Matapur Niwasini Jagdamba Devi dwells..." Raje Udaram Deshmukh and later his brave wife RaiBagan (Royal Tigress) Pandita Sawitribai Deshmukh were the rulers of Mahur. RaiBagan was an honorary name given by Aurangzeb to Sawitribai Deshmukh after the death of her husband. Sawitribai Deshmukh fought along the side of Aurangzeb against Shivaji. For Muslims it is famous for the Dargah of Baba SonaPir, who is also known as Mohar-e-Rasool (Stamp of Prophet). In every fifth of the month a Urs has been conducted in Dargaah. Many people come from different parts of country to celebrate this occasion.