Shree Satadhar Dham
Satadhar, the seat of Shree Aapa Giga — a centre of faith and devotion for all eighteen varnas.
Set on the sacred soil of Saurashtra, in the lap of Girnar on the banks of the Ambajar river, Satadhar Dham is not merely a place of pilgrimage but a living symbol of truth, service, devotion and humanity. The very word ‘Satadhar’ means ‘the support of truth’ — a refuge of truth, dharma, service and humanity, and an inspiration to live life on the path of truth.
Where food is shared, God draws near
Sing His praise, and feed all who come
Param Pujya Sant Shree Aapa Giga Bapu
Param Pujya Sant Shree Aapa Giga Bapu is revered as the founder of Satadhar Dham and a great pioneer of humanity, cow-service and selfless service. He was born to Alibhai and Suraibai of the Gadhai community. During a terrible famine, his father had gone abroad with cattle, while his mother Suraibai set out for Chalala to be with relatives. Giga was born along the way at the village of Shapur, and mother and son later found refuge at the ashram of Param Pujya Aapa Dana in Chalala.
Param Pujya Aapa Dana raised Giga as his own son, instilling in him from childhood the sanskar of devotion, service, love for cattle and detachment. From his earliest years Giga remained absorbed in the care of cows, the work of the ashram and service to his guru — his lips ever repeating the remembrance of God and of his guru, Aapa Dana.
In his youth, talk of his marriage arose, but his heart was never drawn toward worldly life. He advanced instead on the path of detachment, devotion and service. Seeing his pure devotion and spiritual radiance, Param Pujya Aapa Dana blessed him, saying, “Giga, you will be known as the Pir of the West, and all will bow to you.”
Around 1800 CE, on the command of his guru Shree Dan Maharaj and with the blessing of Lord Mahadev, Param Pujya Aapa Giga Bapu set out from Chalala with 108 cows and arrived on the banks of the Ambajar river, where he built a small hut and lit the flame of dharma, service and humanity. This very place is known across the world today as ‘Satadhar Dham.’ He chose this sacred spot and founded Satadhar for the all-round welfare of the community. Through three years of severe famine he began a free food-kitchen (annakshetra), established a goshala, and started a great yajna of selfless humanitarian service. Through his life and work he taught the whole of society that true dharma lies in the selfless service of every unknown and needy being.
More than two centuries have passed, yet this sacred tradition of service at Satadhar continues unbroken to this day. Every pilgrim who arrives is welcomed with love and warmth, and life's basic needs — food, clothing and shelter — are provided free of charge and without any discrimination. This sacred service of the annakshetra has run for years on end without closing for a single day, a living symbol of Satadhar's eternal values.
Satadhar's guiding mantra is this: selfless service to the unknown soul, love for saints, cow-service, and the preservation of the Sanatan Hindu dharma tradition. This mantra remains alive in every act of service at Satadhar today, inspiring millions of devotees across the world. Through the positive energy of Sant Shree Aapa Giga Bapu and Satadhar's inspiring work, millions of devotees living in countries across the world continue to be blessed.
Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu
Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu is remembered with reverence among the most influential saints of Saurashtra. Through his divine blessings, compassion, simplicity and spirit of selfless service, he lit the light of faith and spirituality in the lives of countless devotees.
Param Pujya Shree Laxman Bapu, the seventh mahant of Satadhar Dham, raised Shree Shamji Bapu — who had come to Satadhar at the age of just five — and entrusted him with the guru-gadi. Param Pujya Shree Shamji Bapu held the position of mahant for 31 years, bringing Satadhar Dham the highest renown across India and abroad, and received special honour in the elephant procession at the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela.
A history of many divine miracles (parcha) of Pujya Shree Shamji Bapu and ‘Padapir’ is woven into Satadhar, where millions of devotees have directly experienced divine power. Through his blessings and divine power, the heartfelt wishes of countless devotees have been fulfilled, and new hope and faith have entered the lives of many.
He was a radiant symbol of Satadhar's guru lineage, and he further strengthened the tradition of service, cow-service and humanity established by Param Pujya Aapa Giga Bapu. He gave invaluable service in making Satadhar a sacred centre of faith, peace and spiritual inspiration for millions of devotees.
He was one of those rare saints who devoted his entire life to devotion, the welfare of all beings and service to humanity. He never gave place to discrimination of caste, creed, wealth or social standing — every person was equal to him, and the doors of Satadhar remained ever open to all.
The blessings of Param Pujya Shree Shamji Bapu and Satadhar's sacred tradition have touched the lives of millions of families. For devotees living across India and in countries around the world, Satadhar remains a sacred spiritual centre of faith, sanskar and devotion to the guru. Satadhar's calm, divine and spiritual atmosphere gives every visitor inner peace, inner strength and fresh inspiration.
In 1983, at the age of 78, when Param Pujya Shree Shamji Bapu became brahmalin, the entire Satadhar family and countless devotees lost a great spiritual guide. Before attaining brahmalin, with a spirit of complete detachment, he had already entrusted the guru-gadi to Param Pujya Shree Jivraj Bapu in his own lifetime. The punyatithi of this great saint, Param Pujya Shree Shamji Bapu, is observed every year on the sacred day of Maha Sud 9 of the Hindu calendar. On this sacred occasion, grand religious programmes — sant-sammelan, bhandara, bhajan-santvani and lok-dayro — are organised at Satadhar and wherever his temples and devotees are found, in India and abroad.
The life of Param Pujya Shree Shamji Bapu carries a divine message of devotion, service, dedication and humanity, and will continue to inspire generations to come.
Param Pujya Sant Shree Jivraj Bapu
As the successor of Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu, Param Pujya Sant Shree Jivraj Bapu carried Satadhar's sacred guru lineage forward with honour. Through his calm, humble and compassionate presence, he further strengthened Satadhar's centuries-old tradition of service.
He did not merely preserve the divine traditions of sadavrat, cow-service, service to saints and charity established by the earlier saints — he worked tirelessly to ensure this divine heritage reached future generations intact. Under his guidance, Satadhar Dham further strengthened its distinct identity as a sacred centre of service, sanskar, humanity and devotion to the guru.
When Param Pujya Sant Shree Jivraj Bapu became brahmalin on 19 August 2019, a wave of grief spread through the entire Satadhar family and countless devotees. Though the Satadhar family was physically bereft of his divine presence, his ideals, sanskar, blessings and the fragrance of his selfless service live on, unbroken, in Satadhar Dham and in the hearts of millions of devotees.
Param Pujya Shree Vijay Bapu
Param Pujya Sant Shree Vijay Bapu is the present gadipati of Satadhar's guru lineage and a centre of faith for millions of devotees. As the successor of Param Pujya Sant Shree Jivraj Bapu, he took up Satadhar's guru-gadi and has resolved to carry the ideals, values and divine tradition of devotion of the earlier saints forward to the new generation.
Under his presence, Satadhar Dham continues to grow as a centre of spiritual awakening, human welfare and cultural consciousness. He works tirelessly to further strengthen Satadhar's centuries-old traditions — sadavrat, cow-service, service to saints and charitable works.
In the present day, under the farsighted leadership of Param Pujya Shree Vijay Bapu, many development works are underway at Satadhar Dham. Through his efforts Satadhar is touching new heights, further kindling the divine flame of Sanatan Hindu culture, social welfare and the guru lineage.
Param Pujya Shree Vijay Bapu always emphasises that carrying forward the values of Sanatan Dharma, Indian culture, cow-service, service to humanity and the spirit of love to the next generation is our shared, collective responsibility. He gives the message of living out the ideals of unity, compassion, harmony and selfless charity in daily life.
Today, under the presence and guidance of Param Pujya Sant Shree Vijay Bapu, Satadhar Dham continues to carry forward, without interruption, the divine legacy of ideals, sanskar and devotion to the guru left by the earlier gurus — inspiring the generations to come on the path of service, sanskar and devotion to the guru.
The Satadhar gadi — lineage of mahants
After Param Pujya Sant Shree Aapa Giga Bapu, his disciple Karman Bhagat ascended to Satadhar's sacred gadi. He was followed in turn by Ram Bapu, Jadav Bapu, Hari Bapu, Harjivan Bapu and Laxman Bapu. Shree Laxman Bapu was himself a glorious saint who held the seat for 32 years. He was succeeded by his disciple, the great saint Param Pujya Shree Shamji Bapu, who held the position of Mahant for 31 years — it was Param Pujya Shamji Bapu who brought Satadhar's seat its greatest renown.
After Param Pujya Shamji Bapu, Param Pujya Sant Shree Jivraj Bapu carried this sacred guru lineage forward with honour as his successor, and today Param Pujya Shree Vijay Bapu is the present gadipati of Satadhar's guru parampara.
For us, Satadhar is not merely a place of pilgrimage. It is the heritage of our sanskar, a centre of love for the guru, and a divine wellspring of inspiration guiding coming generations onto the path of truth, service and devotion. Truth, selfless service, love for the saints, cow-service, humanity and the preservation of the Sanatan Hindu tradition: these values are the very identity of Satadhar, and they continue to inspire countless devotees.
It is our responsibility to carry this sacred guru-parampara, the sanskar of Satadhar and the ideals of Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu forward to the coming generation, so that this spiritual flame keeps burning, unbroken, for centuries to come.
Satadhar is not merely a place; it is the unbroken divine flame of service, sanskar, devotion, humanity and the guru-parampara.
॥ Jai Gurugadi Sthan · Satno Aadhar, Satadhar ॥
Goshala & Annakshetra — Satadhar's living service
The cow-service that Param Pujya Aapa Giga Bapu began with 108 cows lives on today in Satadhar's large goshala, where hundreds of Gir cows are cared for with love and devotion. Gau-seva lies at the very heart of Satadhar's way of life.
Guided by the mantras ‘where food is shared, God draws near’ and ‘sing His praise and feed all who come’, Satadhar's annakshetra has run for years without closing for a single day — offering free food, clothing and shelter to everyone who arrives, without distinction of caste or creed.
Under the guidance of Param Pujya Vijay Bapu, this sacred tradition of cow-service, food-donation and service to humanity continues to reach new heights.
Darshan — Satadhar Dham
Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu's sacred temples in Mumbai & the Punyatithi Mahotsav
Mumbai is home to two sacred temples of Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu. Every year Shree Gurjar Kshatriya Kadiya Samaj, Mumbai celebrates his punyatithi here with deep devotion, faith and joy. For all guru-devotees and the faithful living in Mumbai, these temples have become a living centre of Satadhar Dham's service, tradition and unbroken devotion.
Shree Shyam Darshan Seva Mandal
Shree Hari Bhimabhai Tank Wadi, Shree Shamji Bapu Chowk, Dindoshi Corner, Malad (East), Mumbai – 400097
Shree Shyam Satsang Bhavan
Opp. Blue Arch Building, Sant Shree Shamji Bapu Road, Shravan Nagar, Ekta Nagar, Kandivali (West), Mumbai – 400067
The history of this mahotsav is itself a source of great pride and grandeur. The observance of Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu's punyatithi in Mumbai first began at Vile Parle. From those beginnings, thousands of devotees have joined this sacred festival, and this stream of devotion that began at Parla continues today, unbroken, with the same faith, dedication and devotion.
Every year, on the occasion of the punyatithi of Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu, a grand mahotsav is held at the Malad (Dindoshi) temple. This temple is managed by Shree Shyam Darshan Seva Mandal. Shree Gurjar Kshatriya Kadiya Samaj – Mumbai and Shree Shyam Darshan Seva Mandal jointly hold the devotional celebration of Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu's punyatithi mahotsav, every year on the sacred day of Maha Sud 9 of the Hindu calendar, with great pomp and festivity.
During this sacred mahotsav, the venue becomes a symbol of unbroken faith, devotion and reverence for devotees arriving from every corner of Mumbai. Not only Shree Gurjar Kshatriya Kadiya Samaj, but thousands of devotees from many communities and walks of life come here for darshan. It is firmly believed that the heartfelt wishes of the many devotees who come here with faith are fulfilled, and their vows are realised.
During this punyatithi mahotsav, the countless devotees who throng here from across Mumbai make Dindoshi feel, for a while, like a small Satadhar Dham itself. From early morning on the festival day, special guru-pujan, aarti and a grand procession of Pujya Bapu are held. Through the rest of the morning and into midday, a great mahaprasad bhandaro is held that keeps alive Satadhar's undying tradition of service, where thousands of devotees partake of the prasad and feel blessed.
At night, traditional bhajan-santvani and a grand lok-dayro by renowned artists are held, in which devotees become absorbed in devotion and experience divine joy.
This mahotsav — born of unbroken faith in Param Pujya Sant Shree Shamji Bapu, Satadhar's tradition of service, and devotion to the guru — is a living symbol of the religious and cultural heritage of Shree Gurjar Kshatriya Kadiya Samaj, Mumbai, carrying forward, generation after generation, the divine message of devotion, service and dedication.
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