SANT KABIRA PHILOSOPHICAL POET

KABIR’S LIFEIn Indian tradition, Saint Kabir is commonly supposed to have lived for 120 years from 1398 to 1518. Kabir was born to a Brahmin widow at Lahartara near Kashi (Varanasi). He was brought up in a family of poor Muslim weavers Niru and Nima. Vaishnava Saint Ramanand accepted Kabir as his disciple; when Ramanand died, Kabir Was 13 years old.Kabir was a mystic poet and saint of india, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement.

Kabir's legacy is today carried forward by the kabir panth ("Path of Kabir"), a religious community that recognizes him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members, known as Kabir panthis, are estimated to be around 9.6 million. They are spread over north and central India, as well as dispersed with the Indian diaspora across the world, up from 843,171 in the 1901 census. His writings include Bijak, Sakhi Granth, Kabir Granthawali and Anurag Sagar.

About Saint Kabir

PHILOSOPHIESKabir's legends describe his victory in trials by sultan, a Brahmin, a Qazi, a merchant and God. The ideological messages in Kabir's legends appealed to the poor and oppressed. David Lorenzen describes primary purpose of his legends as a "protest against social discrimination and economic exploitation".

POETRYKabir composed in a pithy and earthy style, replete with surprise and inventive imagery. His poems resonate with praise for the true guru who reveals the divine through direct experience, and denounce more usual ways of attempting god-union such as chanting, austerities, etc. Kabir, being illiterate, expressed his poems orally in vernacular Hindi, borrowing from various dialects including Avadhi, Braj, and Bhojpuri.Songs of Kabir is a collection of his poems, collected by Kshitimohan Sen from mendicants across India, that has been translated to English by Rabindranath Tagore.

KABIR’S POETRY TODAYThere are several allusions to Kabir's poetry in mainstream Indian film music. The title song of the Sufi fusion band Indian Ocean's album Jhini is an energetic rendering of Kabir's famous poem "The intricately woven blanket", with influences from Indian folk, Sufi traditions and progressive rock.Noted classical singer, late Kumar Gandharva, is widely recognized for his wonderful rendering of Kabir's poetry.Documentary filmmaker Shabnam Virmani, from the Kabir Project, has produced a series of documentaries and books tracing Kabir's philosophy, music and poetry in present day India and Pakistan. The documentaries feature Indian folk singers such as Prahlad Tipanya, Mukhtiyar Ali and the Pakistani Qawwal Fareed Ayaz.

The album No Stranger Here by Shubha Mudgal, Ursula Rucker draws heavily from Kabir's poetry. Kabir's poetry has appeared prominently in filmmaker Anand Gandhi's films Right Here Right Now (2003) and Continuum. Pakistani Sufi singer Abida Parveen has sung Kabir in a full album.A music band from Mumbai known as Neeraj Arya's Kabir Cafe produces and performs the poetry of Kabir.

SANT KABIR JAYANTISant Kabir Jayanti is celebrated with great religious, spiritual and cultural fervor in various places in India and around the world. At his birthplace, Varanasi, The birth anniversary of Kabirdas is elaborately celebrated in Kabirchaura Mutt. Religious sermons ‘satsang’ are organized where the spiritual and religious leaders preach the way of life prescribed by saint Kabir. There are many temples of Kabir in various cities of India and the organizations dedicated to spread the teachings of Kabir make various arrangements to celebrate Sant kabir Jayanti there.

MADE BYAneri PatelJinali Soni

Priyanshi PatelIX-A (NARANPURA)