Sant Gadge Maharaj
Full Name : Debuji Zhingraji Janorkar
Born : February 23, 1876, Shendgaon, Amravati District
Death : December 20, 1956, Walgaon (Amravati)
Gadge Maharaj Wife: Guntabai
Debuji Jingraji Janorkar, commonly known as Sant Gadge Maharaj and Gadge Baba, was a social reformer kirtankar and saint who organized weekly festivals to promote social development in Maharashtra. He made a lot of improvements in rural India at that time and even today many political parties and social organizations are inspired by his work.
Gadge Baba Family
Sant Gadge Baba was born on February 23, 1876 at Shendgaon in Daryapur Taluka of Amravati District. Sant Gadge Maharaj's full name was Debuji Zhingraji Janorkar, his father's name was Zhingraji Ranoji Janorkar and mother's name was Sakhubai Zhingraji Janorkar. They got married in 1892. Debuji got married to Guntabai, daughter of Dhanaji Khandalkar of Kamalapur Taroda Taluka Daryapur District Amravati.
On the day of his daughter's birthday, instead of the usual alcohol and mutton meal, he served sweet food. This was a break with the tradition of that time. Whenever there was any problem in the village, whenever there was any work to be done, Gadge Maharaj would come forward by himself.
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Gadge Baba On path of Sant
On February 1, 1905 at around 3 am at the age of 29, he renounced his household and accepted 'sannyas'. He made a pilgrimage. Visited many places. He was an itinerant social educator, traveling on foot with torn sandals on his feet and an earthen bowl on his head. And that was his identity. On entering the village, he would immediately start cleaning the drains and roads and when the work was done, he himself would congratulate the people for cleaning the village. The people of the village used to give him money but Baba used that money for the development of the society. Maharaj used to build schools, hospitals, animal shelters in every village with the money received from the people.
After cleaning the villages he used to organize 'kirtans' in the evening and through his ' kirtans ' he would convey the message of public utility and social welfare. In his 'kirtans' he used to enlighten the people against superstitious feelings. He used to use the couplets of Saint Kabir in his kirtan. Sant Gadge Baba was a true selfless Karma Yogi. He built many Dharamshalas, cowsheds, schools, hospitals, hostels in every corner of Maharashtra.
Also Read: Biography of Sant Kabir Das
He built all this with the money he received as alms, but this great man did not even build a hut for himself in his entire life. He spent his entire life in the verandah of Dharamshala or under a nearby tree. Gurudev Acharyaji has rightly said that a piece of wood, a torn sheet and an earthen vessel for eating and drinking and chanting kirtan were his wealth. Hence, in various parts of Maharashtra he was called Gadge Baba of pottery and in other places as Baba of rags.
Sant Gadge Baba, who was a constant source of social equality, national integration, awareness and social revolution throughout India including Maharashtra, was called Debuji because of his godlike beauty and shapely body, fair complexion, high forehead and impressive personality.
Hence his full name became Debuji Jhingraji Janorkar. Like Gautama Buddha, he left home in 1905 to help suffering humanity and serve society. They leave home at midnight with a wooden and earthen pot, called gadaga (lota). Debuji, the modern incarnation of the Buddha, who possessed the virtues of mercy, compassion, brotherhood, harmony, human welfare, benevolence, helping the destitute, lived as a sadhaka from 1905 to 1917.
Debuji always kept an earthen pot with him. In this he used to eat food and also drink water. In Maharashtra, a piece of pot is called Gadga. So some people started calling him Gadge Maharaj, some people started calling him Gadge Baba and later he became famous as Sant Gadge. Gadge Baba was a contemporary of Dr. Ambedkar and was fifteen years older than him. Actually Gadge Baba used to meet many politicians. But Dr. Ambedkar's work had a great influence on him.
The reason for this is the work of social reform which he was doing by preaching to the people through his kirtan. Ambedkar was doing it through politics. Due to the work of Gadge Baba, Dr. Ambedkar used to respect Gadge Baba while staying away from so-called sages and saints. He used to meet Gadge Baba from time to time and take his advice on issues of social reform.
Sang Gadge Baba work
- Gadge Maharaj started his work of public education through kirtana from the village Ranmochan (Vidarbha). He built a temple of 'Laxminarayana' at Ranmochan.
- In 1908, a ghat was built on the Purna river. In 1925 he worked as a cow guard in Murtijapur and built a school.
- Chokhamela Dharamshala was built in Pandharpur in 1917.
- In 1921, the Maratha Dharamshala was opened at Pandharpur.
- Sadavarta opened in Nashik in 1932.
- In 1931, Gadge Baba's awakening in Varwande stopped animal killing.
- In 1949, he handed over all the documents of 'Sant Chokhamela Dharamshale' established at Pandharpur to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
- In 1952 he established 'Shri Gadge Baba Mission' and established educational institutions and Dharamshalas all over Maharashtra.
- In 1954, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil established Sadguru Gadge Maharaj Vidyalaya at Karad under the Ryot Shikshan Sanstha.
- In 1954, Gadge Baba built a hospice near the hospital to accommodate the relatives of the patients of J.J. Hospital in Mumbai.
Sant Gadge Baba Memorial
Sant Gadge Baba's 'kirtan' at Pandharpur on 14 November 1956 was his last 'kirtan'. He died on 20 December 1956 at Walgaon (Amravati) on the banks of Pedhi river. There is a memorial to him at Gadgenagar Amravati.
Gadge Baba Controbution to the Society
Sant Gadge Baba did a lot of work in the society. He was a great philosopher, seer, social reformer, enlightener. Gadge Baba did a great job of creating 'communal harmony' through sharing food. He started the 'Farmers Liberation Movement' and freed many farmers. He always appealed to stop bad customs and traditions. As education is very important, various education packages were taken out to promote education. Helped educational institutions. Eradication of superstitions was a very important task in his life. He also severely criticized the practice of dowry. Efforts were made to stop the practice of dowry.
Gadge Baba Message
Sant Gadge Baba's sermons were simple and easy. In his 'kirtans', he told us not to steal, not to borrow, not to indulge in addictions, not to kill animals in the name of God and religion, not to follow caste discrimination and untouchability. He tried to impress upon the minds of the common people that God is not in stones but in men. He considered Sant Tukaram Maharaj as his guru. He always said, 'I am no one's guru, I have no disciple.' He used rural language to make his thoughts understood by simple people.