Tukdoji Maharaj

Tukdoji Maharaj was born in Yawali, Maharashtra. He received spiritual initiation from Samarth Adokji Maharaj of Warkhed gram. He was a great orator and a musician who composed more than 3000 bhajans in Hindi and Marathi. He has also written many articles on Religion, Society, Nation and Education. He was determined to re-define socio-spirituality and revitalise and awaken the nation. In 1941 he performed individual satyagrah and he took part in the mass upsurge of the ‘Quit India’
movement in 1941. He strongly opposed the inhuman repressive measures, adopted at that time by the British rulers. He was arrested in 1942 and was imprisoned in Nagpur and Raipur Central Jails. After the
dawn of Independence, Sant Tukdoji concentrated on rural reconstruc-tion. He established the ‘All India Shri Gurudev Seva Mandal’ and developed many programmes for integrated rural development. His
activities were so impressive that, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of Bharat at that time, bestowed the title of ‘Rashtra Sant’ on Him.

He was one of the founder Vice Presidents of Vishwa Hindu Parishad. He worked on many fronts for National cause – at the hour of the Bengal famine (1945), at the time of the China war (1962), and aggression of Pakistan (1965), the Koyna earthquake devastation (1962). Rashtra Sant Tukdoji Maharaj went with His mission to help the affected and organised constructive relief works.

He took part in Acharya Vinobha Bhave’s Bhudan Movement. He attended the World Conference of Religion and World Peace in Japan in 1955. His wisdom lives on in His ‘Gram Gita’ which provides inspiration for village development and National reconstruction. He worked hard to convert devotion to God into service to mankind and the Nation. He transformed a traditional prayer Organisation into disciplined, broad based groups of devout young men and women who engaged in constructive social
works. He left his mortal body on 11th October 1968. Rashtra Sant Tukdoji Maharaj’s Jayanti falls on 27th May. We pay obeisance to this son of the soil who combined devotion and action to bring about changes in the society.