Saint Chokhamela

The birth of Sant Chokhamela is believed to have occurred in the village of Dehu in the Taluka of Khed in Buldhana district of Vidarbha. Sant Namdev was their guru. Chokhamela was a Vaishnavite poet-saint in Namdev Maharaj’s Warkari sect. Chokhamela was from Mahar caste, that caused much humiliation and disrespect to him. Due to these visible and invisible divisions of society, he faced significant mental anguish. Chokhamela was devoted follower of Lord Vitthal and constantly engaged in chanting His name. However, he always feels sad as he could not enter the temple and meet his god. He always thinks that if all are children of the Vitthal, then why one has to face discrimination?

While working on the construction on the boundry of the village, an accident occurred, killing many laborers, including Chokhamela. As so many were dead under the rubble, it was difficult to identify Chokhamela’s bones. But Saint Namdev recognized them as he could here chant of ‘Vitthal-Vitthal’ from the bones of Chokhamela. He separed and gathered the bones from other bones and built Samadhi near Vitthal temple at Pandharpur.

Around 350 abhangs written by Chokhamela are currently available, which depict their experiences of suffering, pain, neglect, and mental torment. These compositions resonate with their readers and touch their hearts. The entire family of Sant Chokhamela was devoted to Lord Vitthal. Chokha's wife, son Karmamela, sister Nirmalabai, and her husband Banka—all of them expressed their devotion to Vitthal through abhangs. These abhangs are still available today