Shri Swami Samarth, also known as the Swami of Akkalkot, was a prominent spiritual leader in India during the nineteenth century. His parentage and origins remain unclear, but his influence has been felt across various Indian states, including Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is widely regarded as the fourth (third in physical form) incarnation of Dattatreya, an Indian monk, mystic, and Hindu deity. He is also considered to be a reincarnation of Narasimha Saraswati, another earlier spiritual master of the Dattatreya sect.
Swami Samarth is said to have traveled extensively across the Indian subcontinent and beyond, including China, Tibet, and Nepal. He visited several holy towns in India, such as Puri, Varanasi (also Kashi), Haridwar, Girnar, Kathiawar, and Rameswaram. He may have also briefly lived at Mangalvedha, a town near Pandharpur in present-day Solapur district, Maharashtra. Eventually, he settled in Akkalkot, a village in present-day Maharashtra, where he resided for close to 22 years.
According to legend, Swami Samarth appeared in the Kardali forests near Srisailam, a Hindu holy town in present-day Andhra Pradesh. He moved through the Himalayas and its adjacent regions before finally arriving at Akkalkot in 1856. It is believed that he received an invitation from Chintopant Tol, one of his disciples, and then stayed on the outskirts of the town for about 22 years. He usually lived at the residence of his disciple Cholappa, where his shrine is presently located.
Swami Samarth is also said to have visited Maniknagar, Karnataka, to meet Manik Prabhu, an Indian saint and mystic considered to be another incarnation of Dattatreya. According to the Shree Manik Prabhu Charitra (biography), Swami resided at Maniknagar for around six months. During this period, Manik Prabhu and Swami Samarth often sat under a cluster fig tree (Audumbar in Marathi) and had conversations on profound spirituality. It is claimed that Swami Samarth regarded Manik Prabhu as a brother.