Sri Kshetra Kuruvapur (Kurugaddi) in Raichur District (Karnataka) : An ancient Datta Kshetra

On the Occasion of Shri Datta Jayanti (Margashirsha Shulka Purnima (4 ^th December 2025)

Shripad Shrivallabha

Shrikshetra Kuruvapur is an ancient Datta Kshetra (Region of Shri Dattatreya). Shripad Shrivallabha was the first Incarnation of Deity Dattatreya. He was born in Peethapur, Andhra Pradesh. He left Peethapur at the age of 16. After travelling throughout India, He came to Kuruvapur, where He performed His mission and is now considered the place of His eternal abode. Whenever the mantra ‘Digambara Digambara Shripad Vallabha Digambara’ is chanted, Sri Kshetra Kuruvapur comes to mind. This is the ancient place where this mantra originated. Kuruvapur is considered as Tapobhumi, the land of penance or sadhana.

1. Birth of Shripad Shrivallabha

Chapters 5 to 10 of the Text Gurucharitra, considered as the Veda for Datta devotees, are about the first Incarnation of Deity Dattatreya. As per the promise of Deity Dattatreya to Sumati and Apalraj, He was born to them as His first Incarnation known as Shripad Shrivallabha. At the age of 16, after bidding farewell to His parents, Shripad Shrivallabha first went to Gokarna, Mahabaleshwar and then to the Shrishaila Mountain, where He stayed for some time. Then, He travelled around and finally came to Kuruvapur. After performing penance for 22 years and after His mission was accomplished, He ended His Incarnation.

Shripad Shrivallabh Shri Dattatray

2. About Shri Kshetra Kuruvapur

This area falls in the Raichur District of Karnataka. Near the small village of Kurugaddi, the Krushna River naturally split into two and later joined together. The area where it divides into two is called ‘Kurugaddi Island’ and this is where Shripad Shrivallabha lived. On this Island, He performed penance in a stone cave and rituals under the big Audumbar (Cluster fig tree) in front of this cave. He lived on alms collected from 2-4 houses on the Island.

Shripad Shrivallabha Temple

2A. Shripad Shrivallabha Temple : This temple is very spacious. There are two stone pillars on either side of the grand entrance and stone walls next to it. There is an arch over the main entrance. After humbly bowing and touching the main entrance as one enters, there are two seating areas for the guards on either side of the threshold of the main entrance. There are magnificent peepal and neem trees with a stone platform built around them. Carved stone pedestal pots (Tulsi vrundavan) are placed on both the north corners of the tree. Two temples face south on this platform. One has a carved black Shaligram stone idol of Shri Maruti facing south, while the other has an Idol of Shrikrushna (Keshav), Shivalinga and Padukas ( Holy foot print) . The main place of worship is in front of this platform, where Shripad Shrivallabha used to perform ritualistic worship. This area is called the ‘Nirgun Peeth Paar’ i.e. Holy tree with Nirgun(Non-materialised) base. Since Maharaj Himself is in an unmanifest form here, His Padukas are not there in physical form. Yet, people get Divine experiences. To obtain this high-quality Divine experience, a lot of spiritual practice is required.

(Courtesy : ‘Dattamaharaj’ Website; For complete article and more, please visit : SanatanPrabhat.org)

3. Main places of pilgrimage of Deity Datta

Representation- Piligrimage Centre

1. Mahur	5. Narsobawadi	9. Varanasi,
2. Girnar	6. Ganagapur	10. Shri Shailya
3. Karanja	7. Kuruvapur,	11. Bhattagaon,
4. Audumbar	8. Peethapur	12. Panchaleshwar

(To learn more, please visit : Sanatan.org/en/a/160860.html)

Whenever the mantra ‘Digambara Digambara Shripad Vallabha Digambara’ is chanted, Sri Kshetra Kuruvapur comes to mind !

4.    The ancient Banyan tree

This tree is approximately 900 years old. A big snake lives in the cavity of this tree. This is where Shripad Vallabh is worshipped. The devotees from Solapur have installed the Idol and Paduka of Shripad Shrivallabh here as depicted here. The padukas represent the actual feet or footprints of a Deity or Guru and it provides the Divine Energy to the devotees.

Paduka of Shripad Shrivallabh

5.  The cave of Pujya Tembe Swami

5A. Pujya Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami  

This cave is naturally formed and is ancient. In 1910, Pujya Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe SwamiVasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami completed the Chaturmas (i.e. of four months and is a holy period in Hinduism, starting with Devshayani Ekadashi (usually June-July) where devotees focus on prayer, fasting, and good deeds.  He attained the Chaturthashrama (This stage represents a life of renunciation, where an individual withdraws from worldly responsibilities to focus on spiritual liberation and self-realisation) at this place. Now a Shiva temple has been built here. Pujya Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami had composed the Ghorakashtodharan stotra  (The stotra’s meaning is to seek deliverance from ‘ghor kashta‘ (i.e. terrible suffering) and all forms of hardship, including sin, pain, illness, fear, and poverty) here, which is a panacea for every crisis, and where He  had the realisation of the 18-alphabet mantra ‘Digambara Digambara Shripad Vallabh Digambara’.

Pujya Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami would sit here to do penance. The path to that cave is so narrow that one must crawl to get there. It is only tall enough and wide enough for one person to sit in. Kuravpur’s environment, which is not overcrowded and untouched by humans, is full of spiritual purity and Chaitanya.  A cave which has become sacred by stay of Pujya Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami and still exists here and in this very place Pachlegaonkar Maharaj (one of Saint from Maharashtra) was blessed with a vision of Shripad Shrivallabh.

6.     Place of Ascetics

Near the village of Panchadev Pahad, Datta worshipper Vitthal Baba has established an ashram called Vallabhpuram which provides accommodation, meals  and car parking facility. The Vallabhpuram Ashram has the darbar (Divine court) of Pujya Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami. Kuravpur has become extremely spiritually active due to the visits of many great souls due to the spiritual offer. Ascetics like Pujya Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami, Pujya Shridhar Swami, Pujya Nana Maharaj Taranekar, Pujya Pokharapurkar Maharaj, Pujya Gulvani Maharaj, Pujya Kavishwar, Pujya Mama Deshpande, etc. have stayed here.

7.     The greatness of Kuravpur mentioned in  Shri Gurucharitra

7A. Significance : Shri Gurucharitra is a holy book of Datta Sampradaya, recounting the life of Shri Dattatreya, Shripada Shri Vallabha and Shri Narasimha Saraswati.

In the 10^th chapter of Shri Gurucharitra, Shripad Srivallabh’s beloved disciple Vallabhesh was stopped and killed by thieves while he was going to Kuravpur to fulfill his vow. Therefore, even after the end of His Incarnation, Shripad Shrivallabh manifested (appeared) there to protect His devotee and brought His disciple Vallabhesh back to life. This incident took place at Manthangad, 30 km from Kuruavpur. Today, a temple of Shripad Shrivallabh stands at that place.

(Courtesy : ‘Dattamaharaj’ Website)

For complete article and more, please visit : SanatanPrabhat.org