The original Santram Maharaj was a great Saint of the Avadhoot category. came to Nadiad from Girnar so he also called Girnari Bava, Videhi Bava or Sukha-Sagarji. He came here in Samvat 1872, lived for the spiritual good of People for the 15 years, and took Jivat-Samadhi on the full-moon-day of the month Magha of Samvat 1887. At the first he was dwelling in a hollow of the Rayan-tree, situated where the ‘Deri’ is located at present.
There were two miracles happened, A laborer from the ighboring field came to fetch water from the well near the Rayan-tree. He had brought with him a rope and a bucket. The Maharaj asked him to keep the rope and bucket there for some time, as he wished to take his bath. But the laborer turned a deaf ear to the words of the Maharaj. He had to come again to fetch more water after a few minutes and he saw the Maharaj taking his bath, sitting on the Thala of the well by means of gourd. The water of the well had come to the surface by the attraction-power of the Great Yogi, who had full control over the five great elements. The second miracle was this: A Kanbi used to come for darshan to the Maharaj every day, once he wised to give supper to the Maharaj in the evening. The Maharaj said, “I will take only Milk today evening”. The face of the Kanbi fell in dejection. He said that his she-buffalo had stopped giving any milk. The Maharaj said, ” Take this gourd with you and bring for the Maharaj the milk that your she-buffalo gives”. That evening the Kanbi’s she-buffalo filled the Maharaj’s gourd with sweet luck-warm milk; The Maharaj took that milk.
Due to these two-miracle people began to come to the Maharaj in great number. So he thought of going away to some other place. But Poojabhai Patel of Lakhawad stopped him, saying “If you go away from here the good luck of Nadiad would leave the town and go away”. To test Poojabhai the Maharaj said “I would stay here on condition that you will render service to me till I stay”. Poojabhai said “What greater luck could there be for me than that?”.
In accordance with this condition the Maharaj took his Jivat-Samadhi on the full-day of the Month of Magha Samvat 1887 instead of the full-moon-day of Posha of that year. When the Maharaj took Jivat-Samadhi, luster came out of his Brahmie aperture at the top of the head. A lamp of ghee was lighted with that luster that lamp of ghee is still kept burning for the last 147 years. In fact, Shree Santram Maharaj is the eternal flame of light of the Divine.
During his lifetime and thereafter there became many devotees of the Maharaj, viz: Haridas, Hariram, Jetho, Adesang, Narayandas of Vankaner, Raghav-Muni, Mugat-Ramji and others. All of them have written Padas and Bhajans, except the last devotee. They have been published in ‘Pada-Sangraha’. Most of the devotee came from farmers, laborers and workmen of the villages.
The Nadiad Temple had its branches in Baroda, Umreth, Padra, Karamsad, Koyali, Kalsar, Chaklaashi, Pacchegaam, Sojitra and Radhu. They carry on their work in accordance with the behests of the main temple of Nadiad. One devotee had the Darshan of Santram Maharaj at Benaras after he took Jivat-Samadhi. A manuscript book on Yoga is kept in the Kalasha (the top circular vessel) of the Nadiad Temple. Laxmandasji was the main disciple of the Santram Maharaj. He has laid down the rules for the Mahants of the main Nadiad temple that he shall not stop out of the precincts of the temple, and that he shall never ask for anything from anybody, but depend only on the will of the Divine.
The present Mahant of the Nadiad temple, Shree Narayandasji is the eighth Mahant on the Gadi of the temple. The details are as follows:
- Shree Santram Maharaj : Samadhi-date was the full-moon-day of Magha of Samvat 1887.
- Shree Laxmandasji Maharaj: Samadhi-date was the 14th day of the dark-half of Vaishakh of Samvat 1925.
- Shree Chaturdas Maharaj: Samadhi-date was the 9th of the bright-half of Asho (Ashwin-month) of Samvat 1941.
- Shree Jayaramdas Maharaj (1941 to 1947): Samadhi-date was the 11th day of the bright half of Jyestha of Samvat 1947.
- Shree Mugutram Maharaj (1947 to 1961), Samadhi-date was the 8th day of the bright-half of Sharavan of Samvat 1961.
- Shree Manekdas Maharaj (1961 to 1973), Samadhi-date was 11th day of the bright half of Vaishakh of Samvat 1973.
- Shree Jankidas Maharaj (1973 to 2026), Samadhi-date was the 8th day of the bright half of Vaishakh of Samvat 2026.
- Shree Narayandas Maharaj (2023 to 2060)Sat on Gadi of the temple on the 7th June 1967 (Samvat 2023).
- Shree Ramdas Maharaj: 2060 to til today.
- In Samvat 2007, he got a primary school building for Boys constructed at the cost of Rs. 1,16,101 and hand it over to the Nadiad Municipality.
- In Samvat 2017, he got the building of Santram Kanyashala (Girl’s School), constructed at the cost of Rs. 70,087.
- Before that in Samvat 2000, he purchased the Atithi-Nivas at the price of Rs. 84,709 and put it at the Service of the people.
- In Samvat 2000, he got constructed the building Arogya-Bhavan at the cost of Rs. 50,668 and put it at the service of the people.
- In Samvat 2010, he got constructed the shed of Yoga-Khand at the cost of Rs. 82,683.
- In Samvat 2024, he got constructed the Hostel for Boys at the cost of Rs. 80,000. At the present 150 pupils are residing in it.
- In Samvat 2025, he got constructed the building of the Eye-Hospital and handed it over to the Sad-Vichar-Samitee.
- In Samvat 2028, Shree Narayandas Maharaj or constructed the building of Satsang-Bhavan, two meditation-halls, and 6 flats for the Saints, who come to deliver religious discourses, at the cost of one lakh rupees. Shree Narayandas, following in the foot steps of Shree Jankidasji Maharaj, is constantly doing works for the food of the people. Religious discourses are given, all the year round, by learned Saints. Hundreds of people come to hear them every evening and to take benefit of their holy company everyday, in the morning and in the evening, hundred of the poor people are fed in the temple. The motto of the Maharaj is “Service of People is worship of God.