Tukaram Biography

Tukaram, also known as Sant Tukaram, was as an Indian poet and saint in the 17th century. He was one of the saints of the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra who composed the devotional poetry, Abhanga. His kirtans aka spiritual songs were devoted to Vithoba or Vitthala, an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu. He was born as the second of three brothers in the village of Dehu in Maharashtra. His family owned a money-lending and retailing business and was also engaged in trade and agriculture. As a young man, he lost both his parents. The tragedies in his personal life continued as his first wife and son also died. Although Tukaram married for the second time, he didn’t find solace in worldly pleasures for long and eventually renounced everything. He spent his later years in devotional worship, and composing kirtans and poetry. He also studied the works of other saints, including Namdev, Ekanath, Jnanadev, etc. He was killed in 1649, by Brahmin priests, at the age of 41.