Reda Samadhi at Aale
Yeuniya utarile Alechiye bani | Pashu taye sthani shant jhala ||
The great saint Namdev Maharaj has described the holy site at Ale in his Abhangas as mentioned above. When the so-called religious authorities of Alandi demanded a certificate of purity from the Dharma Sabha at Paithan in order to accept Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and his siblings back into the fold of religion, the siblings went to the Dharma Sabha at Paithan. There, they had to face many severe tests of truth.
At that time, a fisherman named Vakoba was passing by with his Reda named Genoba. One of the scholars at the Dharma Sabha challenged Sant Dnyaneshwar, asking him to prove whether the same soul existed in both Dnyaneshwar and the Reda. In response, Sant Dnyaneshwar placed his hand on the head of the Reda and commanded it to recite the Vedas.
Immediately, from the mouth of the Reda, the following verses of the Rigveda were uttered—
Om Agnimīḷe Purohitam yajñasya devam ṛtvijam |
Hotāraṃ ratnadhātamam ||
Paśu-mukhe vedāchyā śrutī |
Vāḍhavā kīrtī tūmchīye ||
After the writing of Jnaneshwari at Nevasa, Shri Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, Nivruttinath, Sopandev, and Muktabai, along with the Reda and the fisherman Vakoba, came with other saints to the village of Akalapur, which lies to the north of Aale. While taking rest at Chaurya hill near Santwadi, Shri Dnyaneshwar Maharaj observed the land in front of him. Seeing the naturally rich, circular-shaped land, he named this place Aale. Previously, this land was known as Alankapuri.
At this very spot, the Reda expressed his wish to Shri Dnyaneshwar Maharaj that he should be given Samadhi here. At that moment, Jnandev, foreseeing the future, came to the present Samadhi site and, on Shaka 1212 (1290 CE), Magh Vadya 13 (Trayodashi), with his own hands gave Samadhi to the Reda.
This Samadhi is the only one in Maharashtra which bears the touch of the four siblings — Shri Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, Nivruttinath, Sopandev, and Muktabai. It is extremely ancient, and in the Warkari Sampradaya, this holy place holds great significance. After Alandi and Pandharpur, this sacred site is regarded as one of the most important in the Warkari tradition.