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Pawas, Ratnagiri Overview
Pawas is a small village situated at a distance of about 20 km away from the town of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. Pawas has a religious significance as it is the place where Swarupanand Swami undertook self-immolation. Swami, who was also lovingly known as “Rambhau” and “Appa”, was born to Rakhmabai Godbole and Vishnupant on 15th December 1903. He resided in Pawas almost for 40 years and after which he self-immolated himself.
The village also has a beautifully constructed memorial dedicated to Swami at the place which used to be his residence. He undertook self-immolation on 15th August 1974 and this day along with Guru Purnima is considered religiously important for the residents of Pawas. His residence is now transformed into an ashram which is used to provide accommodation to the devotees travelling to this place.
More on Pawas
About Swamiji
Swamiji completed his primary education and secondary education in the village and in Ratnagiri respectively. Later he moved to Mumbai to complete his higher secondary education from the Aryan Education Society’s High School. It was at this school he developed an interest in the spiritual and religious texts and by the time he was 18, he became fond of Mahatma Gandhi’s freedom struggle.
His life took a major turn at the age of 20 when he met Sadguru Babamaharaj Vaidya of Pune. He was immensely inspired by guru’s philosophies and consequently, began his spiritual journey. When he returned to Pawas, he devoted his time understanding various complexities of Bhagwad Geeta, Dnyaneshwari, and Dasbodh. He even opted for religious austerity. His preaching influenced a lot of people and in no time he had a huge following of disciples and came to be known as Swamiji. The popular mantra of Ram Krishna Hari formulated by Swamiji is chanted to date.
How to Reach Pawas?
Pawas is well-connected with roadways with other major cities including Pune, Kolhapur, Mumbai, and Ratnagiri. Pawas is 20 km away from Ratnagiri and you can take a bus from Ratnagiri bus stop to reach the place.
