Tukaram - Dr. Giriraj Shah

Tukaram was born in 1608 AD at a village called Dehu in Pune District. It is seven miles away from Alandi, the place honored by the Gyanendra of Gyaneshwar and about three miles from the railway line running from Bombay to Pune. Tukaram came of a well-to-do Sudra family belonging to the tradesman class, Moray. The family had established itself at Dehu for a long time. They had accepted Lord Vithala of Pandharpur for worshipping and they had also constructed a temple of their own dedicated to Vithala. Their family members, since many generations have also accepted the Wari of Pandharpur i.e., the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur which falls on the eleventh day of the month of Asadh (June-July) and again on the eleventh day of the month of Kartik (October-November).

Early Life

Tukaram was the second of three brothers, the names of his two brothers, being Savji and Kanhok. Savji had worldly ambitions and Kanhok was religiously inclined and thus the family burden fell on Tukaram when he was just 13 years old. Tukaram was married to Rukambari at about the same time but she was of weak health. He was soon married again to Jijabai of Pune. Tukaram began the management of household affairs and carried it to the satisfaction of everybody, till he was about 20 years of age. In 1625, when he was about 17 years, he lost his parents, and as his sister-in-law also died about this time. His elder brother left the village and went to Varanasi for spiritual salvation.

© "Gurus, Philosophers, Mystics, & Saints of India" published (2002) by Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd., X-30, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi 110 020. Website: diamondpocketbooks.com. Reprinted with permission.

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