Birth of Bahinabai
Bahinabai was born in Asode village (Jalgaon district). The village is about 6 km from Jalgaon in Khandesh. Bahinabai was born on 11th August 1880 on the day of Nag-Panchami in the Mahajan family.
She was the daughter of Bhimai (mother) and Ukhaji Mahajan (father). She has 3 brothers and 3 sisters; the names of her sibling are respectively Ghama, Gana and Ghana, and sisters Ahilya, Sita and Tulsa.
At the age of thirteen, she married Nathuji Chaudhary. Nathuji and Bahinabai had 3 children Omkar, Sopan and Kashi. Unfortunately, Omkar was permanently disabled due to the plague.
Unfortunately, at the age of 30, Bahinabai became a widow. She was academically Illiterate, so many of the poems made by her were destroyed over time because no other one wrote those. Some of the compositions were recorded by her son and poet Sopandev Chaudhary and some by her relative. Bahinabai died on 3rd December 1951 at the age of 71 in Jalgaon.
How she inspires us through their Poetry
She was illiterate; however, she had a natural talent for living poetry. While doing farm work and housework, she spontaneously composed poems and songs in “Leva Ganboli” (a local language). Whenever Sopandev Chaudhary and one of his relatives got together, from time to time, they wrote down those poems and kept them safe.
Bahinabai often composes poems while working. Some of those items evidenced the era when she composed poems while working on those. Those items, her house, preserved by her son Omkar Chaudhary, and her Daughter-in-law and her grandson. Bahinabai’s house was converted into a museum with the name Bahinabai Chaudhary Memorial Trust.
Today, the household utensils, cooking utensils, utensils and worship materials of Bahinabai are being taken care of. The next generation will see this supernatural place. Many things in this museum witness the joys and sorrows of the life of Poetes. This museum is a museum of objects and memories of Bahinabai and a collection of memories and hard work of women working in the agricultural culture of the area.
When writers and poets come to Jalgaon, they always visit this palace. They bow their heads on the threshold of Bahinabai’s house, become blessed and mentally connect with her. The important thing is that these memories will last forever.
Bahinabai Chaudhary’s museum
Everyone should see the Bahinabai Chaudhary’s museum. Because of Acharya P. K. Atre, the thoughtful poems of her came to light. In around July-August 1950, her son Sopandev Chaudhary came to Atre. He had a bunch of poems in his hand. Sopan Deo and one of his brothers wrote the poems composed by Bahinabai, as Bahinabai could not read and write. Her son had found the book while looking at her belongings after her death. Sopandeva showed her poem to Acharya Atre.
Atre exclaimed, “Ah, this is pure gold. It is a crime to hide it from Maharashtra”, and Atre took the initiative in publishing the poem. Bahinabai were hardworking. She believed in her strength. Efforts are superior to theism; that was her belief. She didn’t cry, and she didn’t blame anyone. Instead, she faced life with patience. It is the uniqueness of her philosophy of life. Her philosophy is the philosophy of a powerful woman.
The North Maharashtra University of Jalgaon has been named after the poet Bahinabai Chaudhary North Maharashtra University. Bahinabai’s poetry is included in the academic curriculum.
Kavyasangrah – (Collection of Poetry)
Bahinabai’s songs were published in 1952 (second edition 1969) with a detailed introduction by Acharya PK Atre and the poetess who saw Paradise in the Earth’s Mirror (“Dharitrichya aarshaamadhye sarg”) was introduced to Maharashtra.
There are only 35 poems of Bahinabai in this collection of poems (Kvyasangrah). Still, without any awareness of poetry in mind, most of her poems composed only as habitual have disappeared with her as they were not written in time. Acharya Atre was instrumental in bringing this invaluable poem of Bahinabai to the world.
The Subject of the poems
Bahinabai’s poems are composed in their mother tongue in Khandeshi. The subjects of her poems are Maher (Mother’s House), Sansar (Life); Various events in farming life, harvesting, threshing etc.; festivals; Akshaya Tritiya, Pola, Padva etc.; some familiar persons.
Features of poetry
From Leva Ganboli (Khandeshi) language; It is a poem that expresses the philosophy of life in very simple words. Asode in Khandesh is the birthplace of Bahinabai. The Khandeshi / Leva Ganboli language spoken there was alive through her poetry. As she lived a peasant life, her poetry shows that she had a remarkable affinity for agriculture, land, the joys and sorrows of farmers, its ups and downs, plants, animals, nature.
Feedback and Reviews
Acharya Atre had commented on Bahinabai’s poetry, saying, “Bahinabai’s poetry is like gold, which shines in the old and new. It is a pot of seals.”
Short film on Doordarshan
Doordarshan had made a short film on Bahinabai. Bhakti Barve had become a Bahinabai in it. After that, director Atul Pethe made a short film called ‘Bahinai’ based on the inspiration of Bahinabai’s poems.
Translations
An English translation of Bahinabai’s poetry has been published in a collection of poems (Kavyasangrah) titled ‘Fragrance of the Earth’. The translator is Madhuri Shanbhag. Short biography of Bahinabai. Earlier, Prof. K. J. Purohit had translated selected poems of Bahinabai into English.
Books on Bahinabai and her poems
- Bahinabainchi Gani (Songs of Bahinabai)
Editor – Laxminarayan Bolly
- Bahinabainchi Kahani ani Gani (Bahinabai’s Story and Songs)
Editor Dr Prabhakar Shravan Chaudhary Atharva Publications Jalgaon
- Bahinabai Chaudhary Vyaktimatv ani Kavitv (Bahinabai Chaudhary Personality and Poetry)
Dr Kashinath Vinayak Barhate Atharva Publications Jalgaon
- Bahinabainchi Gani (Songs of Bahinabai)
Modi and Marathi Dr Ujwala Bhirud (Nehte) Atharva Publications Jalgaon)
- Leva Ganboli : Ek Vastav (Bahinabainchi Kavyaboli) (Leva Ganaboli: A Reality (Bahinabai’s Poetry)
Dr Arvind Krishna Narkhede Atharva Publications Jalgaon
