Sant Kabir was a great poet, social reformer, and a social activist, who led the Bhakti Andolan (Movement) in the history of Indian literature. Sant Kabir was a person of wonderful personality associated with Indian literature whose works are enough to reflect his unique talent and ability to write.
Sant Kabir Das is known for revolutionizing the Indian literature that’s why his birth anniversary every year is observed as the Sant Kabir Das Jayanti in India. It is one of the important events to be celebrated annually. Though it is celebrated by the people across the nation, the followers of Sant Kabir Das celebrate the event on the grandest level.
Sant Kabir Das Jayanti 2020
In the year 2020, there was the 622nd birth anniversary of Sant Kabir Das was celebrated on the 5th of June as Sant Kabir Das Jayanti. Though the event is celebrated every year as per the date in the Hindu calendar, the observation of Sant Kabir Das Jayanti is made usually in the month of June every year as per the Gregorian calendar.
Due to pandemic ‘COVID-19’ the world starting from December 2019, there could not be a grand celebration of the occasion as of the previous years, though there were much excitement and faith among the people and especially the followers of Sant Kabir Das regarding the celebration of the event.
History
Sant Kabir Das Jayanti is celebrated annually to observe the birth anniversary of Sant Kabir Das, a great personality related to the Hindi literature of India.
As per the Hindu calendar, Sant Kabir Das Jayanti is celebrated annually on the full moon day of Jyestha month. This event does not have a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar but usually falls in June.
The nation celebrated the birth anniversary of Sant Kabir Das so that he may remain alive forever, and the children of every generation should know about his Excellency in the Hindi literature. He was such a jewel of India that should be preserved for many centuries.
Celebration/Activities Performed
Sant Kabir Das Jayanti falls once in a year. Perhaps this is the reason why people celebrate it with great fervour. The grand celebration of the event is held in the Varanasi city of Uttar Pradesh state where Sant Kabir is considered to be born. The followers of Sant Kabir reach Varanasi many days before the celebration, and they start their preparation for the event. These followers of Kabir are known as ‘Panthis’.
Many seminars are organized in various places which tell us about the biography and works of great Sant Kabir Das. These Seminars are mainly organized for students and organized by professors and some renowned poets. The Panthis people chant the couplets of Sant Kabir with enthusiasm, and people gather to enjoy them and feel the spirituality of the atmosphere at that time.
The Kabir Chaura Math in Varanasi is the place where Sant Kabir Das had spent a part of his with his family. On the occasion of the day, people also reach Kabir Chaura Math and offer prayers with the followers of Sant Kabir Das. People gathered here reach from the various states of India, sometimes from other countries as well. The Math premises are decorated beautifully to attract more people.
There are also fairs organized, especially for children, in many places in the country. Children reach there with their family and enjoy all day while their parents purchase many beautiful and attractive things. People also gather at a place and sing Bhajans of Sant Kabir Das.
Objectives and Significance
Sant Kabir Das was a very prominent personality belonging to the Hindi literature in India. We commemorate his birth anniversary every year so that the people of every generation should come to know about him and his extraordinary works. There are many people in India and also in other countries who are an ardent follower of Sant Kabir Das. For them, the occasion of Sant Kabir Das Jayanti is not less than a festival of celebration.
By celebrating the day, we make the world know about such a great Indian Litterateur who brought the Hindi literature to a new level. He was such a pioneer in the Hindi literature who can inspire the people of every generation. This is why we celebrate the Sant Kabir Das Jayanti on such a grand level so that every individual can easily participate in them and come in deep contact of Hindi and understand its values for their culture.
Previous Dates of Kabir Das Jayanti
As we have previously said that Sant Kabir Das Jayanti falls on the Purnima (Full Moon Day) of Jyestha month in Hindu calendar, there is no definite date for the event as per the Gregorian calendar. However, the event falls in June. Some previous dates of Sant Kabir Das Jayanti were as follows:
- In 2021 – 24 June
- In 2020 – 5 June
- In 2019 – 17 June
- In 2018 – 28 June
- In 2017 – 9 June
- In 2016 – 20 June
Sant Kabir Das Jayanti Dates for the Upcoming Years
The dates of Sant Kabir Das Jayanti for some upcoming years:
- In 2022 – 14 June
- In 2023 – 4 June
- In 2024 – 22 June
- In 2025 – 11 June
A Short Biography of Sant Kabir Das
Kabir Das was a great saint and spiritual poet of India. He was born during the 14th-15th century at Lahartara place near Varanasi city in Uttar Pradesh. His name was Kabir. Kabir is an Urdu word which means ‘Great’.
According to a famous story, his mother abandoned him only after his birth, so he was raised in a poor Muslim family. Kabir was not educated, so he wanted to make Guru Ramanand his spiritual teacher. Guru Ramanand did not want to make him his disciple, but later he accepted Kabir as a disciple. Kabir Das spent a considerable part of his life with his family at a place called Kabir Chaura in Varanasi, and it is believed that his generations still live there.
Kabir Chaura itself was home to his parents Neeru and Neema which has now become a study site for the followers of Kabir Das. Although there is a difference of opinion whether he was a Hindu or Muslim, Kabir did not support or oppose any of these religions. But Kabir was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama.
The Bhakti movement started by Guru Ramanand was widely promoted by Kabir Das in North India. Although he was not educated, he surprised everyone with his unique talent in the field of Hindi literature. His languages were Sadhukkari and Panchmel Khichdi, in which mix of almost all dialects of Hindi language is found. Some of the prominent works of Sant Kabir Das are Bijak, Sakhi, Sabad, Ramaini, and Couplets of Kabir (Kabir Ke Dohe), etc.
Maghar is a place in Uttar Pradesh where Sant Kabir Das died in the 15th century. It was considered at that time that dying in Maghar was not good for one’s next birth that is why he chose to die in Maghar so that this confusion could be removed from the minds of people.
Conclusion
Sant Kabir Das is considered to be the pioneer of Hindi literature. The Sant Kabir Das Jayanti will always remind us of the legend who turned the direction of the history of Indian literature, and the nation will always keep celebrating the Sant Kabir Das Jayanti with enthusiasm. It is an event that will inspire the generation to be able, not to be only educated.