Junagadh (Gujarat): In a fascinating tale, devotees thronging the the Doodheshwar Mahadev temple in Gujarat believe that the temple founder, Bhairavanand Brahmachari, has been alive for the past 250 years.
According to Devayat Pandit, Bhairavanand Brahmachari had sat on meditation 250 years ago. Bhairavanand, who is believed to be a contemporary of Sahajanand Swami, sat down to meditate at the Doodheshwar Mahadev Mandir situated on the periphery of the Girnar mountain in Junagadh.
Bhairavanand Brahmachari is revered by the devotees as ‘Deepda Bapa’ (Leopard Saint) today. But how did he get the name?
It is believed that Bhairavanand got so immersed in God's prayers that he attained the power of changing his form. Since then he became famous as 'Deepda Bapa' or the Leopard Saint.
According to belief, when the saint took the form of a leopard one fine day, he was shot at by the Nawab of Junagadh, who was fond of hunting. The saint, who was roaming around in the forest, received injuries on his leg.
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However, the Nawab too was a devotee of Bhairavanand. On his visit to the Dhoodheswar Mahadev Mandir, when the Nawab inquired about the saint's injury, Bhairavanand revealed that a hunter like the Nawab had opened fire to kill a leopard.
After this, the Nawab requisitioned best artisans from Bengal and built the cave at the Doodheswar Mahadev Mandir for the safety of the Saint. Since then, it is believed that the saint has been praying to the God Almighty sitting in the cave.
The Bengali artisans built the cave based on Shri Yantra, and also included a well and a toilet.
Bhairavanand's devotees say that that the saint, who has the power to change his body's form, has been living in the cave in a mystique form for the last 250 years and makes himself visible only to his devotees.
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