Ajay Kumar at 18:00, 12 August 2023

2023-08-12T18:00:44Z

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{{Short description|Gujarati Poet}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| image = BhojaBhagatPic.jpg
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| caption =
| birth_date = 1785
| birth_place = or Fattehpur, [[Gujarat]], [[India]]
| death_date = 1850
| death_place = [[bamnasa (Rajkot)|Virpur]], Gujarat
| occupation = farmer, saint, poet
| parents = Karshan Savaliya, Gangabai Savaliya
}}
'''Bhoja Bhagat''' (1785–1850),<ref name=a/> also known as '''Bhojal'''<ref name=c/> or '''Bhojalram''' was a [[Hindu]] saint poet from [[Gujarat]], India.<ref name=a>{{cite book|title=Gujarat State Gazetteers: Amreli Front Cover|year=1972|publisher=Directorate of Govt. Print., Stationery and Publications, Gujarat State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dCkbAAAAIAAJ&q=bhoja+bhagat+}}</ref>

==Life==
Bhoja or Bhojo was born in 1785<ref name="Datta1987">{{cite book|author=Amaresh Datta|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ObFCT5_taSgC|year=1987|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1803-1|page=506}}</ref> in Leuva [[Patidar]]<ref name="a" /><ref name="b" /> caste at village named Devkigalol near [[Jetpur, Navagadh|Jetpur]] in [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]]. His father's name was Karshandas and mother was Gangabai and family surname was Savaliya. He met his guru, a [[sanyasin|sanyasi]] from [[Girnar]] at age of 12. Later, when he was 24, the family shifted to [[Fatehpur, Gujarat|Fatehpur]] near [[Amreli]], Gujarat. He came to be known as Bhoja Bhagat ([[Bhagat]] derived from ''Bhakt'', devotee) and Bhojalram in his later life.<ref name=a/><ref name=b/><ref name=x/>

By occupation he was a farmer. Although, he was an illiterate, but with blessings of his [[Guru]] in [[Girnar]], he wrote poems and songs condemning social inequities, which became well known as {{transl|gu|Bhoja Bhagat Na Chabkha}}.<ref name=a/><ref name=c>{{cite book|title=Milestones in Gujarati Literature|author=Krishnalal M. Jhaveri|year=1997|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lyd8jPbN218C|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=9788120606517|accessdate=2015-01-29}}</ref><ref name=b>{{cite book|title=District census handbook|year=1964|publisher=Director, Govt. Print. and Stationery, Gujarat State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_aoWAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=2015-01-29}}</ref><ref>A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850 By Sujit Mukherjee page: 54</ref>

Bhoja Bhagat died in 1850 at age of 65 at [[Virpur (Rajkot)|Virpur]], where he had gone to visit his disciple [[Jalaram]]. His memorial temple (called {{transl|gu|Ota}} locally) is located at Virpur.<ref name=h>{{cite book|title=Gujarat State Gazetteers: Amreli|author=Gujarat (India)|date=1972|publisher=Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Gujarat State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dCkbAAAAIAAJ|accessdate=2015-01-29}}</ref>

==Works==
He liked to call himself as ''Bhojal'' in his verses.<ref name=c/> As a poet and philosopher he also wrote ''[[Aarti]]s'', ''[[Bhajan]]s'', ''Dholas'', ''Kafis'', ''[[Kirtan]]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 language|Gujarati]]. 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]]s from [[Krishna]] in ''Bhaktamala'', ''Chalaiyakhyan'' and his ''bhajan'' of ''Kachabo ane Kachabi'' (couple of turtles). His ''Saravadan'' is about union with cosmic consciousness.<ref name="Ayyappappanikkar1997">{{cite book|author=Ayyappappanikkar|title=Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KYLpvaKJIMEC&pg=PA128|date=1 January 1997|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-0365-5|page=128}}</ref><ref>Akademi, p. 128 Medieval Indian Literature</ref><ref name=d>{{cite journal|title=The Modern review, Volume 17, Issues 2-6|author=Ramananda Chatterjee|journal=Modern Review|year=1915|publisher=Prabasi Press Private, Ltd.|pages=446|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pihE-bC3HFwC|issn=0026-8380|accessdate=2015-01-29}}</ref>

==Legacy==
His followers visit Fatehpur today to pay their respects, where he spent major part of his life. The [[ashram]] of Bhoja Bhagat houses his [[Pagri (turban)|paghdi]], [[rosary]] beads and [[paduka]]s.<ref name=a/><ref name=d/> The original brick-house of Bhoja Bhagat stands as it is and his personal belongings are kept here and there is an [[ashram]] headed by [[mahant]], called ''gadi-pati'' (head of seat).<ref name=z>{{cite journal|title=The Indian P.E.N., Volume 35|journal=The Indian P.E.N.|year=1969|page=154|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A-wtAQAAIAAJ|publisher=P.E.N. All-India Centre.|issn=0019-6053|accessdate=2015-01-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Gujarat State Gazetteers: Amreli|year=1972|pages=641|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dCkbAAAAIAAJ|publisher=Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Gujarat State|accessdate=2015-01-29}}</ref>

He had many disciples of whom the two most illustrious and known are saints [[Jalaram]] of Virpur and [[Valamram]] of [[Gariadhar]].<ref name=x>{{cite web|url=http://www.somnathmahadev.com/sant-mahatma/sant-bhoja-bhagat-guru-of-sant-jalaram-bapa/|title=સંત ભોજા ભગત – સંત જલારામ બાપાના ગુરુ « Shri Somnath Mahadev|publisher=somnathmahadev.com|accessdate=2015-01-29}}</ref><ref name=h/><ref>{{cite book|title=Religious Transformation in Modern Asia: A Transnational Movement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wXy9BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA123|date=27 March 2015|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-28971-0|pages=123}}</ref><ref name="somnathmahadev">{{cite web|url=http://www.somnathmahadev.com/en/sant-mahatma/sant-bhoja-bhagat-guru-of-sant-jalaram-bapa/ |title=Sant Bhoja Bhagat – Guru of Sant Jalaram Bapa « Shri Somnath Mahadev |publisher=somnathmahadev.com|accessdate=2015-01-29}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Gujarati-language writers]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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

Bhoja Bhagat - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 18:00, 12 August 2023