Sant Gadge Baba continued legacy of great Bhakti movement

 

 

 

 

Sant Gadge Baba stands as an ideal example of the rich tradition of Bhakti movement in India, which is a continuing process for removal of social ills in Hindu society. Sant Gadge Baba was deeply influenced by Sant Kabir and Sant Ravidas, who played an important role in continuing the legacy of the Bhakti movement. Unfortunately, the contribution of Sant Gadge Baba is yet to be taken seriously because of negligence by historians.

 

 

 

 

Sant Gadge Baba was born on February 23, 1876 in Surji village, Anjan tehsil, in Amravati district of Maharashtra. into a poor family that belonged to the Dhobhi (Parit) caste. His mother was Sakhubai and his father was Jhingraji. Sant Gadge Baba Gadge’s full name was Devidas Debuji Jhingraji Jadokar. His parents addressed him affectionately as Debu ji. He always kept an earthen pot-like utensil with him. He ate food and drank water from it. In Marathi, a broken piece of earthen pot is called “gadge” and thus many people used to call him Gadge Maharaj or Sant Gadge Baba.

 

Following the footsteps of Bhakti movement, Sant Gadge Baba strived for not merely material development but spiritual upliftment. Sant Gadge Baba fought against outdated traditions, superstitions and insisted that people should get education for their progress. Sant Gadge Baba, throughout, tried to educate and awaken the people on addiction and animal sacrifice. At a family function, Debuji was asked for animal sacrifice and serving liquor, which was then a practice. But he staunchly opposed it. He invited the wrath of family members and relatives but did not change his mind.

 

 

 

 

Debuji was the only child of his parents. After the untimely death of his father, Debuji, along with his mother, went to maternal uncle. Soon he became an excellent farmer and learnt all the essential practices of rural economy and life. He was married to Kuntabai and had four children. In 1905, He renounced his worldly life and opted for the life of a ‘sanyasi’. He travelled extensively and used to help needy people. The most significant part was that he used to vanish after rendering help to the needy without accepting anything in return. Sant Gadge Baba used to carry a broom with him. He used to start cleaning public places without any public attention, which helped him to gain respect among the people. Because of his act he was spreading a message of cleanliness and hygiene among the people.

 

Sant Gadge Baba was a severe critic of social ills like ignorance, superstitions, beliefs, and outdated traditions. He used to establish communication through his sermon in a simple and straightforward manner. Additionally, he used to insist on other topics like theft, addiction, killing of animals, taking loans from moneylenders and caste. His views were radical on all these topics. He used to insist that God lives in human beings. Sant Gadge Baba used to consider Sant Tukaram Maharaj as his ‘Guru’. His sermons were filled with ‘abhangas’ of Sant Tukaram. Sant Gadge Baba established several educational institutions, which are testimony of his stress on education. Besides, he set up a series of ‘dharmashalas’ at various religious places, for the convenience of the devotees.

 

 

 

 

Sant Gadge Baba was a contemporary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and was 15 years his senior. He was in touch with many politicians but he was deeply impressed by Ambedkar. Many scholars believe that the objectives of Sant Gadge Baba and Dr Ambedkar were the same. Sant Gadge Baba was working through social service while Dr Ambedkar chose politics to achieve his objectives. Both the leaders met each other on a few occasions. At a meeting, Sant Gadge Baba even described Dr Ambedkar as ‘God’, which was consistent with his philosophy that God lives in a human being. By arguing that God lives in all human beings, Sant Gadge Baba was spreading the message of equality. Like all other Sants, Gadge Baba had no formal education. He learnt to read and write on his own.

 

But he had realized the importance of education, He used to cite the education of Dr Ambedkar to emphasize the education. He set up around 31 educational institutions, which were later converted into trusts. Sant Gadge Baba had donated the building of his hostel at Pandharpur to the People’s Education Society founded by Dr Ambedkar. Dr Ambedkar also expressed his deep gratitude and respect for Sant Gadge Baba. Coincidentally, Gadge Baba breathed his last on 20 December 1956, just 14 days after the passing of Dr Ambedkar. Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj, founder vice-president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, was also his contemporary. Both used to have very cordial relationships as both were trying to educate ignorant rural masses. Both used to hail from Amravati district. Tukdoji Maharaj was also present at the funeral of Sant Gadge Baba. Sant Gadge Baba died on December 20, 1956 on his way to Amravati, on the banks of river Pedhi near Valgaon.

 

 

 

 

Sant Gadge Baba represents a long tradition and legacy of the Bhakti movement in India. In Maharashtra, Sants like Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Namdeo, Chokha Mela, Gora Kumbhar, Eaknath, Sopandev, Nivruttinath, Janabai, Sakubai and Kanhopatra. In Maharashtra, Bhakti movement is also known as `Warkari Sect, which has a chain of Sants. Bhakti movement pushed for social equality in spiritual ways, which was followed by Sant Gadge Baba. He continued with the tradition of ‘kirtana’, which was made popular by the Warkari Sect. Kirtana style of mass education is still immensely popular in Maharashtra. Sant Gadge Baba preferred to use the tradition of ‘kirtana’ to educate and awaken the people.

 

 

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