The journey and life of Sant Sri Sevalal Maharaj
He was born in Sevagad, near Anantapur on Feb 15, 1739
Published Date - 21 February 2021, 12:23 AM
Sant Sri Sevalal Maharaj is believed to have been born in Sevagad, Gollaladoddi near Gutti of Anantapur in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh on February 15, 1739. Lambadi traditional bards called Bhats recite the Lambadi epic of Sevabhaya. The traditional epic of Sevalal has the following seven episodes, half of which occurred in Telangana.
1. The birth of Sevalal at Sevagad, Anantapur
2. Offering Sira (made out of mud) and puri to goddess at Sirsigad.
3. Freeing the uncastrated bull at Nimagao
4. Getting decree from the village chief at Yaragadda
5. A Chingariya boy’s sex was changed into female
6. Rescuing the ship of Zoori
7. Defeating Goddess in heaven
(Source: The Art and Literature of Banjara Lambanis)
Episodes mentioned in serial numbers 2, 3 and 4 belong to Telangana region. Sevalal’s grandfather Ramji Rathod migrated from Chittorgarh region of Rajasthan as a trader and cattle herder. His son Bheema Naik and his wife Dharmanibai worshipped Goddess Marama (now called Jagadamba) and had a son named Sevalal at Sevagad. When he was young, they migrated to Sirsigad, which can be identified as Sirasanagandla of Mahabubnagar district or Sirsigam of KB Asifabad district where Sevalal prepared sira out of mud and wheat puri and offered to the goddess while he was a cattle-herder in a meadow near a stream. It was a miracle that made Sevalal a divine person.
From Sirsi, the family migrated to Nimagao, Nizamabad where Sevalal encountered Bhil tribals who caught his stray bull. He was successful in getting the uncastrated bull released. However frustrated with the Bhils, the family migrated to Yaragadda, Mahabubnagar district where his cattle grazed the total crop of a village chief. But when Sevalal went to the field, all the audience could see the full crop still there. The village chief issued a decree to Sevalal to stay there. Here some accounts mention the name of Raja Chandulal who worked for the Nizam of Hyderabad.
However, after some time he migrated to Hyderabad where it is said that he impressed the Nizam by curing cholera in the city and got permission for his cattle to graze in the present Banjara Hills area. It is also said that the Nizam commissioned an artist to draw the picture of Sevalal, which was subsequently transported to Bengaluru by one Banjara Parishath. An elder man from Kamareddy district claims that a copy of the picture is in his possession. However, the heirs of the brother of Sevalal are still in a village called Tattipally in Ranga Reddy district.
It is also said that Sevalal migrated through Pakhala, Adilabad, Mahur and Unkeshwar to Ruhiagad in Maharashtra. He solved an issue while he was staying in Unkeshwar. This appears to be the reason behind the presence of a sculpture of a rishi resembling the features of Sevalal. However he breathed his last in a mystic way in Ruhiagad on December 4, 1806. But his Samadhi temple was constructed by one Ratansingh Baba in around 1900 A.D. All the places are located in the dominions of the Nizam.
Nowadays almost every Lambadi thanda in Telangana has a twin temple with the idols of Sevalal and his goddess Jagadamba with flags erected in front of the temple. The white flag represents Sevalal with message to offer vegetarian food and the red flag denotes the offering of non-vegetarian food.
Sevalal was against idol worship, blind beliefs and animal sacrifices. He discouraged baptism and proselytisation into other religions. He preached to respect parents and women and to lead true life protecting nature and wild life. He taught to fellow Lambadis to settle one or two miles away from villages and towns and to live in peace under the guidance of Naik and Karobar.
Lambadis are the largest tribal community in Telangana. They celebrate Sevalal Jayanti during the third week of February starting from 15th onwards. The celebration includes three times worship of Bhog – Bhalan Bhog during morning and evening and Bhelan Bhog in between – held before the Sevalal Jagadamba temple. Lambadi devotees can present their gifts during Bhelan Bhog. Lambadi Dharmaguru recites haankmaar at the Bhog/Yagnakund to invite devotees. Devotees offer kadaav (naivedyam) with ghee three times into the Bhog. Then the Dharmaguru prays to the god for boons for the devotees. Then the devotees present to the Dharmaguru whatever they could and participate in Bhajans in the temple.
The Lambadi devotees of Kothapally and Adilabad districts used to take Sevalal Deeksha in the village temple much before Sevalal Jayanti and travel barefoot to Pohragad by the jayanti to redeem their Deeksha there.
The Government of Telangana has been releasing an amount of Rs 1 crore to all the 33 districts for Sevalal Jayanti celebrations. The celebrations this year will continue till Sunday.
– Dr Dyavanapalli Satyanarayana (Telangana Historian)
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