Preamble
Hi everyone, today I feel renowned while introducing one of the great social workers of Maharashtra. He was “Sant Gadage Baba” who was an atheist, but his social work was remarkable. Also, his thoughts about cleaning and simple living are great.
Sant Gadge Baba was a well-known social reformer and giver from India. He lived from 1876 to 1956. He is most well-known for his work to help poor and marginalized people in rural Maharashtra.
Introduction
Sant Gadge Baba was a big deal in India when it came to social reform. He was known as “The Gandhi of the Villages.” He worked his whole life to make life better for underprivileged people in rural Maharashtra. His work had a big effect on the area and is still remembered and celebrated even now.
Brief Information
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Facts
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Information
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Birthdate
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January 1, 1876
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Occupation
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Social Reformer
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No of Children
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4
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Spouse
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Kuntabai
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Place of Birth
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Shegaon, Buldhana
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Place of Birth
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November 11, 1956
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Birth and Early Life
Gadge Baba was born on January 1, 1876, in the district of Buldhana in the small village of Shegaon. He was born into a poor family and had to help support them by doing a minor job when he was young. Even though he had a lot of problems, he was still determined to go to school and did so for a few years.
Education
Gadge Baba learned little in school, but he read a lot and was naturally interested in the world around him. He was especially interested in the social and economic conditions of the people in his village and the surrounding areas. He spent a lot of time traveling and talking to people to learn about their lives and problems.
Family Life
Gadge Baba got married to a beautiful woman named “Kuntabai” when he was 18. They had three children together. He worked a lot to support his family, but he always found time to help others and make his community a better place.
Career
Below you can see the rare photograph of Sant Gadage Maharaj with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on right side and Padma Bhushan Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil on his left side.
In the early 1900s, Gadge Baba’s work as a social reformer really got going. He went to many villages in rural Maharashtra and talked to people there about the problems they were having. Poverty, lack of education, and the caste system were some things he paid special attention to. He worked hard to help the poor and those on the outside of society by building schools and other social programs.
Achievements
Gadge Baba’s early years were hard because he was poor. Even so, he always had a strong desire to help people and make the world a better place. As a social reformer, he started out by going to villages in rural Maharashtra and talking to people about their problems. He quickly saw people not being able to read or write caused many of these problems or not getting enough education. So, he put most of his energy into improving education for poor people in the area.
Promoted Education
To do this, Gadge Baba set up a lot of schools and programs to teach people. He thought that education was the best way to give people power and make their lives better. His schools differed from regular schools because they focused on hands-on learning and training for jobs.
He knew that most of the poor farmers and workers he was trying to help needed skills that would help them make a living. So, he set up schools where people could learn several skills, like farming, carpentry, tailoring, and other trades. This method worked very well, and many of his students were successful farmers, artists, and small business owners.
Gadge Baba didn’t just help people in rural Maharashtra. In cities, he built schools and other places. He thought everyone should be able to get an education, so he also opened schools in cities and towns. He also went to other Indian states to talk about social change and education for everyone.
Empowering Women
Gadge Baba also worked to make life better for women and other people who were left out in the area. He thought women needed to be educated and given more power for the community as a whole to grow.
He set up several programs to help women, such as health camps, classes to teach them how to read and write, and job training programs. He also tried to help women in the community by fighting against things like child marriage and keeping women out of the public sphere.
Contribution to the Growth of the Economy
Gadge Baba worked on more than just education and empowering women. He also worked and helped to grow the economy of the area. Gadge Maharaj helped set up small-scale industries and cooperatives, which gave people from poor and marginalized communities jobs and ways to make money. He also worked to improve the lives of the poor by building houses, toilets, and other basic infrastructure.
Gadge Baba’s work did not go unopposed. He had to deal with opposition from traditionalists who didn’t like his new ideas. Also, he had to deal with politicians who thought he was a threat to their power. Even so, he kept working hard to help the poor and those outside of society. He also had a strong belief in nonviolence and pushed for conflicts to be solved without violence.
Death and Legacy
Gadge Baba’s legacy lives on in the schools and other places he set up, as well as in the lives of the many people whose lives he helped improve.
I don’t know why he died because the sources I have don’t say it outright. But he died on November 11, 1956. He had spent his whole life helping people in India who were financially poor.
At the time of his death, he was 80 years old. People were saddened by his death, and his contributions to society are still remembered and celebrated.
Honors
The government gave him the Padma Bhushan in 1955, which recognized the work of Gadage Baba. This is one of India’s highest civilian honors.
Through his tireless work, he could make people’s lives better and leave a lasting legacy of education and social reform for everyone. His work still inspires people and shows how one person can make a difference in the world.
Citations
Images
A picture of the saint Gadge Baba – Wikipedia.org
A full portrait of Gadge Baba – Hindupedia.com
Gadge Baba’s Statue in Nagpur – Wikipedia.org
Sources
https://amravati.gov.in/national-saint/gadge-baba/
https://www.sgbaukrc.ac.in/socialreformers/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=54
https://www.hindupedia.com/en/Sant_Gadge_Maharaj
https://www.ambedkaritetoday.com/2019/02/saint-gadge-baba-biography-life-history.html
