Saint Ravidas was a revered religious person of the medieval period. During his lifetime he composed numerous verses in praise of God. The Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, contains 41 of his hymns. They stress on the love for god, universe, nature,
Guru and utterance of the name of the Lord.
Saint Ravidas was born in the year 1399, in a cobbler’s family. Though he carried on his father’s profession, he distributed most of his income towards the welfare of the poor. He led a simple and pious life. Even when gifted with rich presents by the royalty, he declined to accept them, showing preference towards the devotion of God. He was one of the noted disciples of Swami Ramanand, a pioneer of the Bhakti movement. His total devotion towards god won him many followers from both the Hindu and the Muslim religions. He greatly detested the caste system and strove to spread the message of humanity far and wide. His preaching won him followers from the rich and the poor alike, irrespective of their caste and creed.
