Bhima Bhoi

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Bhima Bhoi

Saint
Ganapati Panda
Bhima Bhoi.png
Personal
Born1850, Baisakh Purnima
[jatiapali] near by kenjriapali Subarnapur (previously Rairakhol, Sambalpur), Odisha, India
Died1895, Siva Chaturdasi[1]
Shashanka chamber Subarnapur, Odisha, India
ReligionSatya Mahima Dharma
NationalityIndian
SpouseAnnapurna
ChildrenLabanyabati (daughter)
Kapileshwar (son)
Notable work(s)Stuti Chintamoni
Brahma Nirupana Gita
Nirveda Sadha
Senior posting
TeacherGuru Mahima Swamy

Bhima Bhoi (1850–1895) was a saint, poet and philosopher from the state of Odisha in India. Bhima Bhoi was a bhakta (Odia: devotee) of Mahima Swamy (commonly referred to as Mahima Gosain and whose birth name is said to have been Mukunda Das). From Mahima Swamy, Bhima Bhoi would receive initiation into Mahima Dharma, an Indian religious tradition that challenged the authority of caste Hinduism on its own terms.[2][3][4]

Early life[edit]

Bhima Bhoi was born in Jatesingha in 1850, though various sources have cited different years as well as different places of birth.[5] Bhima Bhoi's family belonged to the Khond tribe. Bhoi's family was not well off and by most accounts his early life was not a happy one. His father died when he was quite young. His mother remarried and had children with her new husband soon after.

Notable works[edit]

Bhima Bhoi was a great poet, composer and singer. Humanity and liberation of the world were the central theme of his poetic creations. His assertion "mo jeevana pachhe narke padithau, jagata uddhara heu" (let my life remain inglorious, let the world achieve salvation) showcases his dedication to the upliftment of the societally deprived while being a clear reflection of socio-economic conditions in the State, during his lifetime. While a few Odia scholars have studied the life and poetry of Bhima Bhoi, research chairs have recently been established at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences - Deemed to be University (in April 2018) and Gangadhar Meher University in 2019, to research the impact of Bhima Bhoi's life and philosophy in Odisha.[6][7]

Further reading[edit]

  • Bannerjee, Ishita and Johannes Beltz 2008 (eds.), Popular Religion and Ascetic Practices. New studies on Mahima Dharma, New Delhi: Manohar Publishers.
  • Bäumer, Bettina and Johannes Beltz 2010 (eds.), Verses from the Void: Mystic poetry of an Oriya saint, New Delhi: Manohar Publishers.
  • Beltz, Johannes. 2003. “Bhima Bhoi: The making of a modern saint”, A. Copley (ed.) Hindu Nationalism and Religious Reform Movements, New Delhi: OUP, pp. 230–253.
  • Mahapatra, Sitakant. 1983. Bhima Bhoi. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi (Makers of Indian Literature).

References[edit]

  1. "EMINENT PERSONALITIES OF SAMBALPUR DISTRICT".
  2. Orissa Review May 2005 Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Nepak, Bhagirathi. "Mahima Dharma, Bhima Bhoi and Biswanathbaba" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2005.
  4. Eminent Personaltites of Sambalpur District – 3. Bhima Bhoi Archived 27 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Roshen Dalal (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. p. 73. ISBN 9780143414216.
  6. "Advertisement for the Bhima Bhoi Research Chair Professor" (PDF). Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  7. [1]"Four New Research Chairs Established at KISS-DU". Retrieved 15 August 2019.

    Honour[edit]

    In the honour of Bhima Bhoi, Bolangir Medical College is named Bhima Bhoi Medical College.<ref>"Medical colleges named after prominent personalities". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2019.