SEVAGAD: A HOLY LAND OF SEVABHAYA'S BIRTH
Sant Shree Sevalal Maharaj was born on 15.02.1739, on this Holy
Land, to parents Shree Bhima Nayak and Dharmini Yaadi (Mother). At this
time this location was popularly known as Ramagundam or Ramji Nayak
Tanda (Ramji Nayak is Grand-father of SevaBhaya Ji, who came to this
location with 360 families of his Tanda and about 4000 loaded cattles).
Ramji Nayak Tanda when deserted, by end of 18th century the local
population built a village known as Chennarayani Palle. This land now
falls in the revenue village of Peddadoddi, Taluk/Mandal: Gooty,
District Anantapur (A.P.).
Sevabhaya lived with his parents, at this place, upto the age
of 12. He bathed in KALO KUNDO (transparent clean water of natural
spring water pond), Worshipped in Chanakeshva (Shiva) Temple on the top
of Chandrayana Gutta (Hill), near Ramji Nayak Tanda grazed his cattles
in ZOOMRI/ZHANDA JHOL (forest of Palms). All these relics and monuments
are existing even today. Banjaras and Non- Banjaras in the locality hold
Bhima Nayak Katta (platform) inhigh esteem. Since residue (ORE) from
the womb of Sevabhaya's Mother is buried below this Katta (burying ORE
under the ground is the tradition of Banjaras, after child's birth).
Therefore Banjara people hold this Katta with high reverence. Shri Bhima
Nayak (father of Sevabhaya Ji) delivered his judgements to Banjaras of
his and neighboring Tandas from this Katta.
There is a piece of land of 18 acres, next to dilapidated Ramji
Nayak Tanda and the same is shown in revenue records as NAYAKUNI BHOOMI
(Land of Nayak).
After lot of research works and explorations by many research
scholars, linguists, historians, particularly by Banjara Dharmik
Parishad of Bangalore, as well as found from Banjara folk songs and folk
lores sung and oral histoy as told by Banjara, for the last 200 years,
in narration and in praise of Sevabhaya's life and deeds. It is
mentioned that GOOTY-BELLARY MA JANMO SEVABHAYA (meaning: Sevabhaya was
born at GOOTY-BELLARY). Gooty Taluka was in the then Bellary District of
then Madras Province of British Raj. During that period there was no
separate District called Anantapur - as the Anantpur town was part of
Bellary District. It is abundantly clear and proved that Sevabhaya's
Birth Place is identified to this location, in Peddadoddi Revenue
Village. It is also mentioned in the book "Sevadas Leelamrut", authered
by Sant Shree Ramrao Maharaj of Pohragad (Sevabhaya's Samadhi Place),
Gooty-Bellary as birth place of Sevabhaya. Sant Shri Ramrao ji Maharaj
is living saint of seventh generation of Shri Sevabhaya's family. Even
well known auther, poet and Banjara folk Singer Shri Atmaram Rathod of
Yevatmal District (Maharashtra) has also established the same location
in his popular book "Shree Sant Sevadas Leela Charitra" as Sevabhaya's
Birth place.
After identifying this birth place, first time, Banjaras of
Country celebrated Sevabhaya's 262nd Janmotsav, at this holy land on
15.02.2001 and sanctified it and named this land as "SEVAGAD", at the
hands of Shri Ranjit Naik, President of All India Banjara Seva Sangh
(AIBSS).
Address of Sevagad Asthan: Sevagad, Near Charlopalli, Via:
Gollala Doddi Crossing, On Gooti - Guntakal Road, Mandal/Taluka: Gooty,
District: Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh.
A Brief Story of Baba Hathi Ram Ji
Baba Haathiram Ji was North-Indian by birth. He came down to
South. In Tirupati, he constructed a small Math and settled. Every day
he used to worship the Lord of the Seven Hills.
Sri Venkateshwara was pleased with his devotion and used to
come and play dice with him. One such day he forgot his necklace there
and returned to his Sanctum Sanctorum. Babaji noticed it after Swami Ji
left his place. He wanted to hand it over to the Lord. He started to the
temple. In the meanwhile priests of the temple observed that the
necklace was missing. They complained to the authorities.
In the meanwhile Baba ji arrived and handed over the necklace
to them. When questioned he answered with all innocence that the Lord
had forgotten it in his Math.
They did not believe him, and wanted to embarass him. So they
locked him up in a room with ten kilos of cooked rice and ten bundles of
sugarcane and challenged him, "If you really are like an elephant you
must eat every bit of this food by day-break". Within five minutes of
being locked up Hathiram Ji Baba, having consumed the ten kilos of rice
and the ten bundles of sugarcane, kicked the locked doors to pieces and
stepped out trumpeting like an elephant.
Hathiram Baba's Math exists even today opposite the temple and
its a Jiva-samadhi. The scenes of Hathiram's game with the lord is
depicted on the doors to entrance of the temple.
