Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to attend on Monday an event marking the 284th birth anniversary of Sant Sevalal Maharaj, the spiritual and religious leader of the Banjara community, officials said. In a statement, the Union Culture ministry said the yearlong celebrations to mark his birth anniversary began on Sunday.
"For the first time ever, the yearlong commemoration of the birth anniversary of Santh Sevalal Maharaj, the spiritual and religious leader of the Banjara community, is being celebrated by the the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. "The yearlong commemoration under the aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav begins from February 26," the ministry said in its statement.
A two-day event as a part of the celebrations is being held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre here on February 26-27. Shah will be the chief guest at the programme on Monday, it said. Union Minister of State for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi will also be present on the occasion. Sanjay Rathod, the minister for food and drug administration in the Maharashtra government, will be the guest of honour.
For the last three years, the Sant Sevalal Maharaj Charitable Trust, New Delhi, has been celebrating the 'jayanti' in the national capital where thousands of Banjara community members from different states take part, it added. Dr Umesh Jadav, the trust's president, is the only MP from the community, representing the Kalaburagi constituency in Karnataka.
People from the Banjara community from across the country are gathering in Delhi to celebrate the spiritual leader's birth anniversary this year as well. Over 2,500 community members from Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh reached Delhi in a special train from Karnataka, the statement said. Apart from the inauguration programme, the two-day event will also include cultural and dance performances and a display of Banjara art, it said.
Sant Sevalal Maharaj was born on February 15, 1739, at Surgondankoppa in Karnataka's Shivamogga district. He is considered as a social reformer and spiritual teacher of the Banjara community. "It is believed that there is a population of around 10-12 crore Banjara community across the country. He travelled across the country with his Ladeniya Troup to serve especially the forest dwellers and nomadic tribes.
"Due to his extraordinary knowledge, excellent skills and spiritual background in Ayurveda and naturopathy, he was able to dispel and eradicate myths and superstitions prevalent in the tribal communities and brought about reforms in their way of life," the statement said.
Among such communities, the Banjara community spread out across the country, including in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, with different names, permanently abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled in their settlements called 'Tandas', according to the statement.
Sant Sevalal Maharaj is a revered symbol of every Banjara family and in all these states, his birth anniversary is celebrated with great fanfare in February. His Samadhi Sthal is located at Pohradevi -- also known as Banjara Kashi -- in the Manora taluka of Maharashtra's Washim district, the statement said.
