Swami Samartha

Sri Swami Samarth Maharaj श्री स्वामी समर्थ महाराज
Sri Swami Samarth Maharaj
Religion	Hinduism
Personal
Nationality	Indian
Born	Nrusih-Bhaan
Died	(Finished his avatar as dated) April 30, 1878 Akkalkot, Solapur District, Maharashtra
Disciple(s)	Shree Balappa Maharaj, Shree Cholappa Maharaj, Shree Nrusimha Saraswati Maharaj of Alandi, Shree Anandnath Maharaj of Vengurla, Shree Swamisut Maharaj of Mumbai, Shree Shankar Maharaj of Pune, Shree Ramanand Beedkar Maharaj of Pune
Influenced	Shree Sai Baba, Shree Sant Gajanan Maharaj,Shegaon

Swāmi Samarth Mahāraj also known as Akkalkot Swāmi Mahāraj of Akkalkot was an Indian Guru of the Dattatreya tradition (sampradaya), widely respected in indian states of Maharashtra as well as in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh with Shripad Shri Vallabha and Narasimha Saraswati. His existence in physical form is dated to the nineteenth century AD.

He was lovingly referred to as Swami Samartha or Akkalkot Swami by his devotees. Sri Swami Samarth traveled all over the country and eventually set his abode at Akkalkot village in Maharashtra, India. Maharaj first appeared at Akkalkot on a Wednesday around the September–October period in the year 1856 AD near Khandoba Mandir. He stayed in Akkalkot for close to twenty-two years. His parentage & native place details remain obscure to this day. Once, when a devotee posed him a question about his life, Sri Swami Samarth indicated that he originated from the Banyan tree (Vata-Vriksha). On another occasion Swami Samarth said that his name was Nrusimha Bhan and that he was from Kardalivan near Srisailam.

Swami Samarth himself said that he came from the Kardali forest. He repeatedly visited places like Puri, Banaras (Kashi), Haridwar, Girnar, Kathiawad and Rameswaram as well as China, Tibet and Nepal and stayed at Mangalvedha, a town near Pandharpur in Solapur district before settling down in Akkalkot.