Sant Chokhamela
Sant Chokhamela
Chokhamela was a 13th–14th century saint and poet from Maharashtra, born in Mehuna Raja village in Buldhana district. Belonging to the Mahar caste, considered a lower caste at the time, he became one of India’s earliest Dalit voices in Bhakti poetry. He lived in Mangalvedha and composed many devotional Abhangas, including the famous “Abir Gulal Udhlit Rang”. In his honor, social activist Arvind Prabhakar Kayande initiated the Chokhamela Festival in Deulgaon Raja.
Name – Sant Chokhamela
Born – Mehuna Raja, Deulgaon Raja Taluka, Buldhana district.
Honors – Sant (संत) in Marathi, meaning “Saint”
Religion – Hinduism
Sant Chokhamela, a revered saint from Mangalvedha, lived with his wife Soyarabai, son Karmamela, and sister Nirmala. Born into a Dalit family, he worked on farmlands owned by upper-caste landlords and followed the Varkari tradition.
Deeply devoted to Lord Vitthal, Chokhamela was spiritually initiated by the poet-saint Namdev during a visit to Pandharpur. Inspired by Namdev’s kirtan, he became a dedicated bhakta.
Denied temple entry due to caste, Chokhamela settled across the Chandrabhaga River near the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur. He later died in a tragic wall collapse while working in Mangalvedha.
According to legend, even his bones chanted “Vitthal, Vitthal.” His tomb now stands at the footsteps of the Vitthal temple—symbolizing eternal devotion beyond caste barriers.
- On the Threshold: Songs of Chokhamela, translated from the Marathi by Rohini Mokashi-Punekar.
- B. R. Ambedkar dedicated his book The Untouchables: Who are They and Why They Became Untouchables to the memory of Chokhamela, Nandanar and Ravidas.
- One Hundred Poems of Chokha Mela, translated from Marathi by Chandrakant Kaluram Mhatre. ISBN 978-93-5212-597-5
- The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History by Manu S. Pillai