Name – Sant Gondawalekar Maharaj

Born – Ganpati Raoji Ghugardare (Kulkarni) 19 February 1845 Gondavale Budruk, Satara district, Maharashtra, India

Died – 22 December 1913 (aged 68) Gondavale Budruk, Satara district, Maharashtra, India

Philosophy – Bhakti Yoga, Vaishnavism

Religion –  Hinduism

Guru – Tukamai

Early life –Brahmachaitanya Maharaj (born 19 February 1845 in Gondavale Budruk, Satara, Maharashtra) was a revered saint and devotee of Lord Vitthala. Born as Ganpati Raoji Ghugardare (Kulkarni) to a Deshastha Brahmin family, he showed deep spiritual inclination from an early age.

He memorized the Bhagavad Gita in childhood and was named Brahmachaitanya by his guru Tukamai. It is believed he attained enlightenment at the age of 5, marking the beginning of his divine journey and lasting spiritual legacy.

Initiation –Brahmachaitanya Gondavalekar Maharaj met Tukamai in Yehalegaon near Nanded, who embodied the essence of Jnana, Bhakti, and Karma Yoga. For nine months, he followed Tukamai’s guidance and was initiated with the mantra “Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram” on Ram Navami, receiving the name Brahmachaitanya.

He later traveled extensively across India—Ujjain, Kashi, Ayodhya, Himalayas, and more—before settling in Gondavale in 1866 and adopting a gṛhastha (householder’s) life. After the loss of his first wife and son, he remarried Aaisaheb, a blind woman of deep faith. Renouncing all possessions, he journeyed with his mother, Gitabai, on a pilgrimage to Varanasi and Ayodhya, where she passed away.

Return to Gondavale – In his later years, Brahmachaitanya Gondavalekar Maharaj focused on spreading devotion to Lord Rama. He first built a small Rama temple adjoining his home in Gondavale.

As his followers grew, he established temples of Rama, Dattatreya, and Shani, along with accommodation facilities for devotees. He also initiated the construction of Rama temples across rural Maharashtra, promoting bhakti and spiritual practice throughout the region.

Final years – Brahmachaitanya Maharaj of Gondavale attained samadhi on 22 December 1913 in Gondavale, leaving behind a lasting spiritual legacy of devotion and selfless service.

Brahmachaitanya was a revered saint and proponent of Bhakti Yoga, closely aligned with the teachings of Samarth Ramdas. He emphasized the power of the Ram Nam mantra, using it as a core part of his spiritual path.

Like saints Mirabai, Tulsidas, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he practiced intense name chanting (nam-smaran). Through pravachans and bhajans, he inspired devotion, promoted cow protection, food donation, and played a key role in reviving Vedic rituals (vaidik anuṣṭhān) in Maharashtra.

Brahmachaitanya Gondavalekar Maharaj taught that true bliss and spiritual growth come through Naam Japa (chanting God’s name) and Satsangati (company of saints). He emphasized these as the most effective paths for householders to purify the heart and attain divine peace.

His core teachings are compiled in Subodh, a guide recited by devotees in Gondavale and worldwide, highlighting the power of constant remembrance of God for a joyful and content life.

Subodh teachings include:

• Chant the name of God and share the importance of chanting with everyone you meet.
• Naam alone is the ultimate truth.
• Naam is the means and the end.
• Be soaked in the blissful chanting while enjoying worldly pleasures.
• Be happy and stay away from laziness, fear, and hate.
• Always be mindful of the divine presence in life.
• Be polite and nice to people and perform bhakti with complete devotion.
• Purity in thought and action is recommended and refrain from hypocrisy.
• Consider Ram as your friend, guide and master and surrender to him wholeheartedly.
• Give your 100% to everything you do and leave the results of your effort to Ram, thereby dropping the doer ship entirely.
• Control your desires and be righteous in your behavior.
• Ram is the giver of happiness, and one should consider performing worldly duties as a way to serve Him.
• Sing and chant His name and always be content and at peace even if you lose all the worldly belongings.
• Pride is the biggest enemy of a seeker, be alert and do not give in to your ego.
• Ram resides in our hearts. He is the epitome of love and yearns for love from all his followers.

Shri K. V. Belsare -Shri K. V. Belsare, fondly known as “Baba”, was born in 1909 in a scholarly family in Hyderabad. A master of scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Dasbodh, and Dnyaneshwari, he famously memorized all 700 Gita shlokas in just one week. Later, as a renowned philosophy professor at Siddhartha College, Mumbai, his lectures drew large, eager audiences.

Initiated by Brahmachaitanya in 1931, Baba spent over 60 years spreading his guru’s teachings through spiritual discourses and writings. He authored over 50 Marathi books, including Bhavarthgatha, Upanishdacha Abhyas, and a biography of Brahmachaitanya, making complex spiritual wisdom accessible to all.

D.R. Bendre – D.R. Bendre (1896–1981) was a renowned Kannada poet and Jnanpith Award winner. He credited Brahmachaitanya for blessing him with the divine gift of poetry, which shaped his spiritual and literary journey.