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 t ...

, Gujarat, India.

Legend

Saint Maneknath interrupted and helped Ahmad Shah I built

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

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 on the river island when Sabarmati river was passing through the city under Fernandez Bridge. The first quarter of the city,

Manek Chowk Manek is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name People *Manek Bedi, Bollywood actor *Manek Mathur (born 1988), Indian squash player *Manek Premchand, Indian writer and historian of film music Fictional charact ...

, 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. Concret ...

. The saint is revered in north and central Gujarat. Bharathari near Thasra in Kheda district 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 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 every year.

References

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