Sant Chokhamela (Chokhoba) (born: 1273 ; – AD 1338 ) was a poet of the Varkari sect of Namdev’s Sant Mela during the Yadava period . Chokhobs were born in Mehuna or Mehunpuri village in Deulgaon Raja Taluka in Buldhana District of Vidarbha . Saint Chokhamel’s family was Mahar by caste . Saint Mahipati says that the Chokhobas were born in Pandharpur .
It is also said that the Chokhoba are originally from Varhad. His wife Soyra, sister Nirmala, brother-in-law Banka and son Karmela were all reciting the name of Panduranga and chanting Gunasankirtan with devotion and devotion. It is said that Chokhob’s death was caused by a crack in Gawkusa’s work. Biographers say that even after his death, Namdev identified the bones of Chokhobs and collected them and built his samadhi in front of the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur .
Saint Chokhoba was one of the influential saints of Saint Dnyaneshwar. Saint Namdev was his Guru. Due to the social disparity of the time, the Chokhoba fled. They got stuck in the shackles of Shudra-Atishudra, village-gada, social life, material affairs, high-lowness and caste system.
Saint Chokhamela is a worldly householder. They used to earn a living, but they were constantly disturbed in the name of Vitthala. His breath was held in the atmosphere of Shiva Shiva in the village train. They become restless in worldly life due to misery, poverty and failure. But the actual Lord made them close, they enjoyed the company of Saints. They did not have access to temples. Srivithala wanted him to meet Urauri like no other. But they had to see that shadowy, dark form only from the Mahadwara, they regretted that.
In the Chandrabhaga river desert, spiritual democracy emerged in the 13th century due to the sage Gnanadeva. So Saint Chokhoba says, ‘Khatnut should come, clean and go. Davandi Pitibhave Dola..’ … With this cry, he carried the spiritual, undifferentiated devotion of the Warkari sect to his marginalized brothers. All the enlightened sages clearly felt that even the people at the bottom of the social structure of the time should get the opportunity for self-development. At the same time, Saint Chokhob gave the message of Bhaktimarga to the community members through his Abhangs.
Saint Chokhoba was buried under the soil in the 14th century. Today, his community has adopted Buddhism. So no one was reciting the Abhangs of Saint Chokhob. In such a situation, Varkari Sahitya Parishad started recitation of Sant Chokhob’s Abhang Gathas in Mangalvedha district Solapur in the year 2013 with fanfare.
