Why in news?
Sant Guru Ravidas Ji's 649th Jayanti was celebrated on February 1, 2026 (Magha Purnima), marking major national events across India.
About
Sant Guru Ravidas Ji was a 15th-century Bhakti saint, poet, and social reformer from Varanasi, revered for his teachings on equality, devotion, and a casteless society. His vision of Begampura—a city without sorrow, discrimination, or oppression—remains one of the most powerful spiritual and social ideals in Indian history.
Life and Background
- Birth: Around 1450 CE in Varanasi (Kashi), Uttar Pradesh.
- Community: Born in the Chamar caste, traditionally associated with leather work.
- Occupation: Shoemaker by profession, but became a spiritual teacher through his devotion and poetry.
- Influences: Ramananda and the Bhakti movement; he also drew from Advaita Vedanta, Vaishnavism, and Sufi traditions.
- Followers: His teachings influenced saints like Meera Bai and even Sikh Gurus—his hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Teachings and Philosophy
- Equality: Ravidas Ji strongly opposed caste discrimination and untouchability.
- Inner Purity: His famous saying “Man changa to kathauti mein Ganga” (If the mind is pure, the Ganga flows in your vessel) emphasizes inner spirituality over ritual.
- Begampura: A utopian vision of a society free from sorrow, taxes, kings, and caste divisions.
- Bhakti (Devotion): He taught that devotion to God through love and humility is greater than ritualistic practices.
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