Baba Maneknath was 15th century legendary

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

saint who lived on the banks of Sabarmati river near present city of

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, India.

Legend

Saint Maneknath interrupted and helped

Ahmad Shah I Ahmad Shah I, born Ahmad Khan, was a ruler of the Muzaffarid dynasty, who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate from 1411 until his death in 1442. He was the grandson of Sultan Muzaffar Shah who has been variously described as a Tank Rajput or ...

built

Bhadra Fort Bhadra Fort is situated in the walled city area of Ahmedabad, India. It was built by Ahmad Shah I in 1411. With its well carved royal palaces, mosques, gates and open spaces, it was renovated in 2014 by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and ...

in 1411. He wove a mat during day while the fort walls were constructed, he then unweaved the mat at night, magically crumbling down the walls. When this was discovered, he was invited to prove his powers to Ahmed Shah, by putting himself into a kettle. When he did, Ahmed Shah sealed the openings of the kettle. On the other account he helped the king to locate the site from where the construction of fort started. Under his advise the architect of city walls, Ahmad Khattu changed the layout of city. He was buried alive or took

samadhi ''Samadhi'' ( Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yo ...

on the river island when Sabarmati river was passing through the city under Fernandez Bridge. The first quarter of the city, Manek Chowk, named after him and the memorial temple is situated there. The first bastion of the fort named after him, called Manek Burj, situated at the east end of

Ellis Bridge The Ellis Bridge is a century-old bridge in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It bridges the western and eastern parts of the city across the Sabarmati river. This bowstring arch truss bridge was the first bridge in Ahmedabad, constructed in 1892. Concrete ...

. The saint is revered in north and central Gujarat. Bharathari near Thasra in

Kheda district Kheda District is one of the thirty-three districts of Gujarat state in western India. Its central city, Kheda, is the administrative headquarters of the district. History Formerly known as Kaira district, it was divided in two with the sou ...

also has his memorial where he is shown seated on his horse and is considered the patron saint of the village. There is a temple at Latol near Danta in

Banaskantha district Banaskantha district is one of the thirty-three districts of the Gujarat state of India. The administrative headquarters of the district is at Palanpur which is also its largest city. The district is located in the Northeast of Gujarat and is pre ...

is located near the cave in the foothill where the saint is believed to have meditated.

Descendants

Mahant Ghanshyamnath, the 12th generation descendant of the saint, performs ''puja'' and hoists the flag on Manek Burj on the foundation day of the city and

Vijayadashami Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hin ...

every year.

References

{{reflist Legendary Indian people Medieval Hindu religious leaders Scholars from Ahmedabad Hindu folk deities 15th-century Indian scholars