Rang Avadhoot was born in Pandurang Vitthalapanta Valame. Rang Avadhoot was a saint-poet of the Dattatreya Tradition who lived from November 21, 1898, until November 19, 1968.  

He is recognized for establishing the Datta Tradition in the Indian state of Gujarat. He is the author of more than 45 works, many of which are hymns and songs devoted to spirituality and devotion. 

He was born to Vitthalpant and Rukmini in Godhra on November 21, 1898. Since he was young, he has been interested in spirituality.  

Due to his involvement in Gandhi’s resistance movement, he graduated from high school and stopped studying.  

He participated in social activities and briefly worked as a teacher. Beginning in 1923, he quit his work and started living a renunciate lifestyle.  

He relocated to Nareshwar, which is located along the Narmada River. His Guru was Tembe Swami, Vasudevanand Saraswati.  

On November 19, 1968 (Kartika Vad 30), he passed away at Haridwar (now in Uttarakhand, India), by the Ganga river.  

Two days later, on November 21, his body was transported to Nareshwar and cremated.  

His devotees revere him as the Dattatreya incarnation. His hermitage lies in the Gujarati town of Nareshwar. 

Early Life Of Rang Avadhoot 

In a Marathi household of Vitthalpant Jairam Valame and Rukmini (née Kashi), Rang Avadhoot was born. In Pandurang Vitthalapant Valame in Godhra on November 21, 1898 (Kartika Sud 9 by the Hindu calendar).  

His ancestors were from Devle village in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, which is presently in the Sangameshwar taluka.  

His father relocated to Godhra to work as the temple’s pujari (caretaker). A plague in 1902 claimed the life of his father. Narayan was the name of his sibling.  

In 1905, he first encountered Vasudevanand Saraswati (Tembe Swami), who would become his spiritual mentor. 

He has been religious since he was a young child. He attended school in Godhra and graduated from Telang High School there in 1917.  

He enrolled in Gujarat College in Ahmedabad to pursue higher education, where he spent his first year. For his second year, he transferred to Baroda College in Baroda. 

He put off his studies in 1920 to join the non-cooperation movement after being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.  

He enrolled in the inaugural class of the newly established Gujarat Vidyapith and graduated in 1921. There, he became friends with Amritlal Modi and Ambalal Vyas. 

He engaged in freedom movement activities in the Panchmahal district alongside his buddies and other people.  

He shared a brief job at the Navjivan Foundation with Swami Anand. In 1921, he began working as a Sanskrit instructor at the Rashtriya Adarsh Vinaymandir school in Ahmedabad. 

He made the decision to never get married in 1922 and got into social work and politics. 

Shri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj’s teachings and way of life: 

Parents: Devale is a village located in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri area.  Shri Jayaram Bhatt, a Brahmin, lived in the village.  

Shri Vitthala Pant was the name of his third child.  He had a spiritual bent and desired to give up all in order to realize God.  

However, he had a young girl as his wife at the time.  Sadly, that young woman passed away.   

Shri Vitthala Pant made the decision to travel to the well-known shrine known as Pandharpur on the Chadrabhaga River’s bank.   

He remained there for a few days, praying to and contemplating Lord Vitthala.  In a dream one night, Lord Vitthala told him to return home and get remarried since the Lord desired to be born as his son.   

He dismissed the dream out of doubt.  However, he had the same dream once more and was told who he should marry this time.   

Being a simple-minded devotee, he returned home and was surprised to discover the existence of such a girl.   

The girl’s parents were overjoyed to wed Shri Vitthala Pant to their daughter, Kashi.  Later, Rukmini was added to her name. 

At that time, Shri Sakharam Sarapotadar, a friend of Shri Jayaram Bhatt from the Gujarati city of Godhara, was in Devale.   

He owned a temple dedicated to Lord Vitthala in Godhara and was looking for a priest to serve there.   

He requested permission from Shri Jayaram Bhatt for his son Shri Vitthala Pant to attend the temple services.   

The newlywed family relocated to Godhara, Gujarat, despite the father’s opposition, thanks to Shri Vitthala Pant’s agreement. 

Both Shrimati Rukminidevi and Shri Vitthala Pant were extremely religious.  People were astounded by their spiritual lifestyle and their altruistic dedication to everyone. 

Works 

Sanskrit, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, and Works Rang Avadhoot all spoke with ease. 

He began contributing to daily newspapers under the alias Ganjeri, penning essays on current events.  

He composed and translated many works between 1918 and 1925. He rendered Tolstoy as a Schoolmaster by Ernest Howard Crosby as Tolstoy Ane Shikshan (1924) in Gujarati.  

His writings on the Upanishads and the Vishnu Purana are Upanishadni Vato (1924) and Vishnupuranni Varta (1924).  

A commentary on lines chosen by Kaka Kalelkar from Bharthari’s Atakatraya and dedicated to the pupils is called Sadbodhshatakam-Balbodhini (1924).  

During this time, he also published Rentiyanu Rahasya, Swaraj-Kirtan, Ahinsa Etle Shu?, and columns under the name Bhangno Loto. 

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