Gangasati

Gangasati was a medieval saint poet of bhakti tradition of western India who composed several devotional songs in Gujarati language.

No authentic information regarding her life is available as her songs and life story were chiefly transmitted by oral traditions. According to traditional accounts, she was born in Vaghela Rajput family in Saurashtra region of present-day Gujarat state of India circa 12th to 14th century. She married Kahalsang or Kahalubha of Samdhiala village near present-day Bhavnagar. He was a follower of nijiya tradition of Bhakti Movement. They had a son, Ajobha, who was married to Paanbai. The couple was religious and their home became centre of devotion activities which was small to house number of sadhus and people visiting. They moved to farm and built hut where they continued their religious activities. According to traditional account, to prove his spiritual powers, Kalubha once resurrected a cow but later he regretted and decided to take samadhi and end his life. Gangasati urged him to let her take samadhi too but he refused and instructed her to wait until she had perfected Paanbai, her daughter-in-law, in path of devotion. She agreed and composed devotional songs, bhajans, one per day for fifty one days to teach Paanbai, the path of devotion. She took samadhi thereafter.

She composed these bhajans each with a theme and spiritual teaching like importance and grace of Guru, life of devotee, nature and words of Bhakti. They are composed as they are instructed to Paanbai. Notably these bhajans do not mention any traditional Hindu deity but God in general, without any form or attributes. They reflect different aspects of way of spiritual attainment. Her bhajans are still popular in Saurashtra and are traditionally sung by devotional singers.

In 1979, a film Gangasati, directed by Dinesh Rawal, based on traditional account of her life was produced in Gujarati.

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