Essay on “Ravidas Jayanti”
Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated in North India in ‘Magha’ (JanuaryFebruary) in honour of the birthday of Ravidas. He hailed from Varanasi and lived during the first quarter of the 14th century.
Ravidas was born in 1376 in a family of cobbler. He was a devout worshipper of Lord Rama. His father did not like his activities and therefore ordered Ravidas to leave the house. After that Ravidas took up the business, however, it did not dwindle his faith in Rama. He was a monotheist and held that the soul differs from good in that it is encumbered with a body. He alone can save men from evil passions and should be worshipped with all devotion that man is capable of.
He spent most of his life on the banks of the Ganga in meditation of God. People of all castes go to his temples to worship him. On this day a huge procession, accompanied with music, is taken out through the main streets of Varanasi town terminating at his temple where he is worshipped with great rejoicing and feasting.
