Sant Tukaram

It is unclear the exact year of Sant Tukaram's birth although 1577 and 1597 have both been cited by scholars. It is clear that he was born in a small village called Dehu in Maharasthtra in India to Bolhoba and Kanakai, a lower Sudra class family and had two brothers. Despite this status the family were comfortable and respected within their community but when Tukaram was 13 his father became ill and shortly after both his parents died. Economic hardship followed and further tragedy occurred after his first wife Rakhumabai died of starvation during a famine. He later married Jijabai who he had three sons with but she was unsupportive of his spiritual devotion. Despite this, with influence from his Guru Namdev he composed and sang the praises of Vitthala or Vithoba, a form of God Vishnu in the form of abhangs. Tukaram composed over 5,000 in his mother tongue, Marathi, many of them autobiographical and showed humility and equality, always sensitive to the plight of the people. They gained mass popularity which caused the religious establishment, the high caste Brahmins, to feel their powers threatened. Brahmins were at this time trying to ensure total domination of religion and education but people were beginning to question their authority and this was shaping the Bhakti movement which was to spread across the whole of India. Tukaram was persecuted by the Brahmins but continued to sing throughout his life. He was given the honour of being called a Sant or Saint and is one of the most important in the Bhakti movement. Many miracles were attributed to him and although he died in 1650, his life continues to be the inspiration for many books and films.

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