Bhoja Bhagat (1785–1850), also known as Bhojal or Bhojalram was a

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

saint poet from

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, India.

Life

Bhoja or Bhojo was born in 1785 in Leuva

Patidar Patidar (Gujarati language, Gujarati: ) is an Indian landlord and agrarian Caste system in India, caste found mostly in Gujarat but also in at least 22 other states of India. The community comprises at multiple subcastes, most prominently the L ...

caste at village named Devkigalol near Jetpur in Saurashtra. His father's name was Karshandas and mother was Gangabai and family surname was Savaliya. He met his guru, a

sanyasi ''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' As ...

from

Girnar Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. Geology Mount Girnar is a major igneous plutonic complex which intruded into the basalts towards the close of the Deccan Trap period. The rock types identified in this complex are gab ...

at age of 12. Later, when he was 24, the family shifted to Fatehpur near

Amreli Amreli is a city and a municipality in Amreli district in Indian state of Gujarat. History It is believed that during 534 AD Amreli existed was formerly known as Anumanji, Amlik and then Amravati. The city is named in ancient Gujrati as ''A ...

, Gujarat. He came to be known as Bhoja Bhagat (

Bhagat Bhagat is a term used in the Indian subcontinent to describe religious personalities who have obtain high acclaim in their community for their services and devoutness.It is also one of the clan in Mahar caste with clan totem as King Cobrahttp:/ ...

derived from ''Bhakt'', devotee) and Bhojalram in his later life. By occupation he was a farmer. Although, he was an illiterate, but with blessings of his

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...

, he wrote poems and songs condemning social inequities, which became well known as . Bhoja Bhagat died in 1850 at age of 65 at Virpur, where he had gone to visit his disciple

Jalaram Jalaram Bapa ( gu, જલારામ બાપા) popularly known as Bapa ( gu, બાપા) (4 November 1799 (Samvat 1856) – 23 February 1881 (Samvat 1937)) was a Hindu saint from Gujarat, India. He was born on 4 November 1799, one week a ...

. His memorial temple (called locally) is located at Virpur.

Works

He liked to call himself as ''Bhojal'' in his verses. As a poet and philosopher he also wrote ''

Aarti ''Arti'' (Sanskrit: Ārātrika, Hindi: Ārtī) is a Hindu ritual employed in worship, often part of '' puja'', in which light (usually from a flame) is offered to one or more deities. ''Arti(s)'' also refers to the songs sung in praise of the d ...

s'', ''

Bhajan Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...

s'', ''Dholas'', ''Kafis'', ''

Kirtan Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts ...

s'', ''Mahinas'' and ''Prabhatias'' but is most famous for his ''Chabkhas''. These satirical pieces are known as ''Bhoja Bhagat na Chabkha'' ( literally ''Lashes of Bhoja Bhagat'' ) in

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

. His rough language is seen in these ''Chabkha'' which tells about social equanimity. His tender and compassionate language is visible in his verses, ''pada'' describing separation of

Gopi Gopi ( sa, गोपी, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are worshipped as the consorts and devotees of Krishna within the Vaishnavism and Krishnaism traditions for their unconditional love and devotion ('' Bhakti'') to god Krishna as described in the ...

s from

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

in ''Bhaktamala'', ''Chalaiyakhyan'' and his ''bhajan'' of ''Kachabo ane Kachabi'' (couple of turtles). His ''Saravadan'' is about union with cosmic consciousness.

Legacy

His followers visit Fatehpur today to pay their respects, where he spent major part of his life. The

ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...

of Bhoja Bhagat houses his paghdi,

rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or b ...

beads and

paduka ''Paduka'' is an ancient form of footwear in India, consisting of a sole with a post and knob which is positioned between the big and second toe. It has been historically worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia. ''Paduka'' exist in a variety of f ...

s. The original brick-house of Bhoja Bhagat stands as it is and his personal belongings are kept here and there is an

headed by

mahant Mahant () is a religious superior, in particular the chief of a temple or the head of a monastery in Indian religions. James Mallinson, one of the few westerners to be named as a mahant, describes the position of a mahant as a combination of an ...

, called ''gadi-pati'' (head of seat). He had many disciples of whom the two most illustrious and known are saints

of Virpur and

Valamram Valamram (1824–1886) was a prominent Hindu saint & social reformer of the 19th century from Gujarat, who was disciple of Bhoja Bhagat. He lived in Gariadhar. He was ''Guru-Bhai'' of Jalaram of Virpur.http://www.somnathmahadev.com/sant-mahatma/san ...

Gariadhar Gariadhar is a city and a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the state of Gujarat, India. Geography Gariadhar is located at . It has an average elevation of 83 metres (272 feet). Demographics India census, Gariadhar had a populat ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhagat, Bhoja Indian Hindu saints Hindu poets Gujarati-language poets Gujarati literature 1785 births 1850 deaths Gujarati people People from Rajkot district People from Amreli district Indian social reformers 19th-century Hindu religious leaders

Life

Works

Legacy

See also

References