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Guru Ravidas Jayanti 2023: Date, Time and Historical Significance
February 10, 2023
India was and continues to be home to many renowned poets and religious gurus whose knowledge and wisdom spread to all corners of the world. Such eminent figures also lived during the period of the Bhakti movement, which flourished between the 15th and 17th centuries. They wrote poetry, bhajans, chandhas, and other types of devotional literature. Guru Ravidas was one among them.
Guru Ravidas was a mystic poet, lyricist, social reformer, and religious guru. He lived between 1400 and 1500 AD and exerted a great influence on followers of the Bhakti movement. The Bhakti movement was a religious movement that promoted devotion (Bhakti) as a way to attain salvation. Originating in Tamil Nadu in the 6th century CE, it became popular through the works of the Shaivite Nayanmars and the Vaishnavite Alwars before it spread to the north and east. Some believe that it was reformist and rebellious in its approach, proposing an alternative path to spirituality that was more focused on the individual’s relationship with God. It reached its zenith between the 15th and 17th centuries. Bhagavad Gita, Padma Purana, and Bhagavat Purana are some of the scriptures of this movement.
Sikhism was a later offshoot of this movement. Around 41 devotional verses written by Ravidas are part of the Sikh text Guru Granth Sahib.
In the twenty-first century, his followers founded the religion known as Ravidassia. Every year, they solemnly observe Guru Ravidas Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas. They chant his melodies and lyrics and perform many rites. Devotees walk in a procession, carrying his image, and they bathe in the Ganges River. Some also make pilgrimages to the Ravidas temple.
2023 Ravidas Jayanti: Date & Time
Ravidas Jayanti 2023 is on February 5. Purnima begins on February 4 at 09:29 PM and ends on February 5, 2023, at 11:58 PM.
Historical Significance of Guru Ravidas
Guru Ravidas (Raidas) was born in Kashi. It was the day of Magha Purnima, a Sunday in Samvat 1433. But the information on his origin is not precise. He grew up in the village of Seer Goverdhanpur, which lies in Uttar Pradesh now, and is near Varanasi. His parents belonged to the Chamar community, which was regarded as a community of untouchables.
Ravidas’ livelihood depended on making shoes. But soon, he developed a spiritual mindset and began to spend time on spiritual pursuits by the banks of the Ganges river. He also became close to many Sufi saints, sadhus, and ascetics. Soon, he became the disciple of Sant Ramanand, a Brahmin Bhakti poet, to gain knowledge. Also, he was inspired by Saint Kabir.
His pleasant demeanor and spiritual aura endeared him to everyone. He was very friendly and charitable. Helping people in need was a way of life for him.
Bhakti-inclined people like Ravidas take pleasure in supporting sages and saints. Ravidas used to distribute shoes without taking any money. But this displeased his parents as he did not make much money. Eventually, Ravidas and his wife were evicted from their home. They moved to a rented house nearby. They spent most of their time worshipping and taking part in Satsang.
Ravidas traveled widely, visiting Hindu pilgrimage sites in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and the Himalayas. He focused more on the nirguna (abstract) form of supreme beings. As his poetic hymns in regional languages began to inspire others, people from various backgrounds began to follow his teachings and seek his guidance.
Guru Ravidas Attains Sainthood
According to a well-known story about Sant Ravidas, he was playing with a friend once. The next day, Ravidas came to the same location, but his friend was missing. He started looking for him, unaware that his friend had died. When he realized it, he was so upset that he rushed to where the dead body was lying. Then he muttered that it was not the time to play or sleep. At once, to everyone’s amazement, his friend stood up!
That day, people realized that Sant Ravidas had supernatural abilities. As time passed, he spent more and more of his time worshipping Rama and Krishna. Eventually, he became a saint.
It is on the holy day of Magha Purnima that Sant Ravi Das was born. He spoke constantly on the need for interfaith harmony and told people to avoid being prejudiced against others for their caste, religion, or creed.
Guru Nanak Dev’s Influence
Many believe that Ravidas was influenced by Guru Nanak, who was the founder of Sikhism. He revered the Sikh religion so much that he wrote 41 poems about it. These poems were some of the earliest sources of his ideas and thoughts. Nabhadas’s Bhaktmal, written in the 17th century, and Anantadas’s Parsais have chapters about Ravidas. There are also other texts on his life, some written by Ravidas’s followers, which belong to the early 20th century. They include Sikh traditional texts and Hindu Dadupanthi traditions. Another major source of stories about his life and times is the work, Premambodha. Composed more than 170 years after Ravidas’ death in 1693, it refers to him as one of the 17 saints of Indian religious tradition.
Ravidas Jayanti 2023
The Sikhs celebrate Ravidas Jayanti with great zeal. People belonging to other communities and faiths, too, observe this occasion. Devotees bathe in holy waterbodies on this day.
Rituals on Ravidas Jayanti include the following:
